Is this stuff on top normal?

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Kathi

Expert Whiner
Joined
Dec 5, 2016
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Today is Day 8 - time to transfer. We are on our third wine kit -- our first sweet one (Pink Moscato).

Is this stuff on top normal (yeast?) or something bad? In step 1, the kit said to sprinkle the yeast on top but don't stir it in. The other kits we made didn't seem to have this on the top, but maybe we just didn't see it due to the grape skins floating and the darker color of the reds.
Pink Moscato day 8.jpg
 
It is probably just normal rafts of yeast.

If you are at final gravity and are transferring for aging, hit it with the required chems (Kmeta and sorbate if needed) and allow to sit for a month at least. Recheck it and taste it, if it tastes alright you should be good to go.

If you are transferring at <1.020 but not at final gravity, I personally would leave it to finish up in the primary and not move it until its completely done.
 
Thanks Brewbush. We are at the transfer stage. Gravity was .998 (well below 1.02). I took your advice to wait a few days. How do I know when it's "finished up?" Will the floating yeast go away? The directions specifically said not to stir in the yeast. Could this have happened because it wasn't sprinkled in evenly or something?
 
Thanks Brewbush. We are at the transfer stage. Gravity was .998 (well below 1.02). I took your advice to wait a few days. How do I know when it's "finished up?" Will the floating yeast go away? The directions specifically said not to stir in the yeast. Could this have happened because it wasn't sprinkled in evenly or something?


If the wine smells fine, take a tube and draw a little bit out of the bucket from below the surface. (A cheap wine thief is a wonderful investment, if you don't have one.)

Put that in a glass and taste it. You should taste nothing that will make you recoil or make a face. No off flavors, though it will not be a developed wine yet so it may taste a bit harsh. If it smells good and tastes good, you are OK.

When you rack, be sure to pay special attention not to let any of that surface matter get into your cane or into your clean carboy. That may mean you have to leave slightly more liquid in the fermentation bucket than you otherwise would have. Do it. It will make clearing easier.

It really looks just fine, but it pays to do the smell and taste test. I am always encouraging new winemakers to taste the wine all along the way, so you get a feel for what it is like in the process. It's helpful as you develop your skills.

Yeast has different rates of flocculation (the rate at which it settles to the bottom as lees or in beer, eventually a hard cake) depending on what type you are using. So what you see is normal.

You know your wine is finished when it reaches 1.00 or slightly below on a hydrometer (unless you use a recipe that specifically specifies a different value). You can GUESS when it is finished by looking for cessation of yeast bubble activity, but the hydrometer is the only way to know where you are in the process for certain.

I never let wine sit in the fermenter after it has finished. That's because you risk oxidation if the protective layer of CO2 diminishes after the yeast are done doing most of their work. Transfer to a well topped-up carboy, and the risk is over.

All the best!
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top