Started Clearing / Now Cloudy

[bluerdg]

I'm a newbie, got all excited yesterday because two days after starting the clearing stage on my first batch of wine (Boxed Juice Kit), I was able to make out fine newsprint through the top third of my carboy. Carboy has been in same place since I started, I've not opened it up, it's not been shaken, airlock is in place (no activity) but today it's cloudy. After adding metabisulphite, sorbate, and insinglass on Sunday, the carboy was topped up with filtered water a few inches below the bung and the airlock was reinstalled. Monday and Tuesday it appeared that the wine was clearing from the top of the carboy down, I had a three bulb led flashlight on my key chain and as time progressed I could move it farther and farther toward the bottom before it illuminated a haze- above the haze I could clearly see the three individual bulbs in the flashlight and yesterday I was able to make out newsprint about half way down. Today the flashlight is blurred in a haze from the top down. I still have remnant of a clean wine smell from the airlock but there's no activity going on so not getting a lot of gas escaping - I'd assume if I had some kind of bacterial thing going on I'd see some activity in the airlock and a bad odor. I've been so excited about my first batch - sanitized and followed all the instructions to the letter and have had the expected results at each stage. As I said this is my first batch so I've got no prior experience to base my experiences on. Hoping some of the experts here can point me in the right direction for any corrections I might need to make or dispel my fear that I've ruined my first batch.

 

[Lurker]

Probably need some enzymes to get rid of the haze, but wait about a week first. Someone else will come on and maybe have another idea.

 

[Wade E]

Is there anyone else in your house that could have disturbed this cause Ive never heard of it clearing then going cloudy by itself especially ina few days time.

 

[bluerdg]

Is there anyone else in your house that could have disturbed this cause Ive never heard of it clearing then going cloudy by itself especially ina few days time.

I was careful to set the carboy up on a table in a utility room off the kitchen. The table is in a corner against 2 walls with the washer close but not touching on a third side. The carboy is in the corner about 6 inches off the wall on two sides. The only way to move the carboy is to physically pick it up, or to pull the table out from the corner. My wife will use the other side to stack folded laundry but no laundry since Saturday. Something I just thought of - We've got this weird storm system that's developed over us (last night) circular hurricane like rotation with a defined low pressure center- It's pulling in the coolest weather we've had in E. Texas this year. I did notice the room was a bit cooler this morning (63-65ish by the thermometer) We turned the heat on for the first time this morning. I assume that the haze cloud I was seeing before was the haze identified in descriptions I've read about isinglass. Just wondering if the change in barometric pressure and temperature could have something to do with it. I know that those Galileo Thermometers use globes of varying specific gravity and can be effected somewhat by drastic shifts of the barometer. One other observation - Prior to starting the clearing process- the wine had developed a distinctively clearer presentation (fermentation ceased) and normal settling presented a much clearer liquid, but the haze visible was a milky look - After adding the finishing and clearing agents and topping off - the liquid lost the milky semi-opaque look and took on a cleaner more translucent look - if that makes any sense. It hasn't returned to a milky haze it just looks like the suspended haze I was seeing has returned.

 

[Wade E]

Barometris pressure changes can do stuff like this. ive never seen this particular occurence happen but have had wine come out the airlock due to changes like this. I wouldnt worry about this and just give it extra time. Good idea telling us about this baro cvhange as I can 99% bet this is the problem.