What is floating in my wine?

[Stoppadagrapes]

Hello,
I am trying to figure out what is and would cause a brown slick floating on top of my wine.

This was my first year making wine from fresh grapes. I have been making wine from "pail juice" or cold store juice but never from fresh pressed grapes.

In October 2009, I bought Montepluciano grapes. About a 7 gallons crushed.

I had the wine store crush and de stem. I used Lavin Bourgovin RC 212 yeast.

After primary and racking to carboy, I noticed a brown slick on top of the wine. It reminded me of an oil slick. It would stick to a paper towel if dipped in. It had a earthy smell. Never seeing this before I thought it could be from the stems.
Over a couple months I would dip into the top and catch more of this brown stuff.it seemed to be reducing but had not gone away.

Someone one suggested I degas. I did and it seemed to help for a week or so I cleared with Super Kleer thinking I was past the brown. I then waited two or three days and then added 1/4 tsp of Sulfite. getting ready for bottling.
So I racked to a clean carboy and I see the sides are are milky/cloudy, not just the pink lees I normally get. When racking the wine looked clear in the tube.

However now a week later, there is then whitish ring on the edges of the wine in the carboy, similar to what I saw clinging to the sides of the carboy.

I fear to bottle this not knowing what it is and how it could affect the wine.


Does anyone know what is going on and if there is anything to do about it?
Is there any chance this is a bacteria that can survive sulfite?
PS the wine smells fine and is rich color not brown itself.


Thanks for any help.

 

[admiral]

Welcome to the forum. I am sorry you are having a problem. I have seen some other posts about the whitish film but it was related to kits. The kit companies had started including an enzyme to deal with this. How does the wine taste? I am sure others will chime in with ideas. I will look forward to reading their posts. Again, welcome.

 

[Stoppadagrapes]

An enzyme like for pectin? I do not have a haze. It does not seem to cover the surface. Just the edges and started as brown and seemed to get lighter after fining.
Since it did not start white it does not seem to be flowers of wine but then I have not see a photo of it. It does not seem to be blooms or flecks just something like oil in water.

I will taste it later today and report back

 

[grapeman]

Some varieties of grapes will create an oily type substance as a natural part of fermentation. You have been treating it properly. I would let it go a bit longer and rack again. Make sure that the S02 level is adequate at that time and if it has cleared well, go ahead and bottle it. The substance is a very small part of the wine and won't hurt a bit.

 

[smokegrub]

I think appleman is probably right. I had an oily film when I did a Cellar Craft Amarone as had others who had prepared that kit--no problem.

 

[pro71bird]

+1 ....check your SO2 level

 

[Stoppadagrapes]

Further investigation, I might have had more than one problem.
The brown slick seems to be gone however the white might have been something optical due to haze.
The wine had been cleared with Super Kleer. At least I thought it clear.
Recent tests:
Alcohol approx 15% using Vino-o-meter
SO2 approx 42 ppm using Titrets.
For the sample wine was diluted with 50% water and tested until matched color of sample equally diluted. I have no idea if when you dilute with water if the SO2 results have to be adjusted. I had tried with 100% wine but the result seemed to occur over 50 PPM which the test kit says is supect and possibly false. When diluted it returned to the wine sample color at a little more than 40 ppm.
So I do not think it is bacterial.


Looking at these samples it appears maybe I have a haze still in the wine.
The edge is not as clear as I thought after fining with Super Kleer.

Pectin? I am not sure. I did a test with 50mL wine to 200 mL methanol.
Never having done this before, I am not sure what the results indicate.
I have a particulate of some sort from the test that settles to the bottom but I am not sure if it is just from the alcohol. I also tried this with denatured with the same results. I am not sure how to describe it but it does not appear to be gelled or globs which to me would thick. It is more like a pink particulate. Nor does the haze float on the top. It sits on the bottom.

I have photos but not sure if or how I can attach to this post.

 

[grapeman]

I don't know what to think about this other than you may be thinking too much about it and doing too many unfamiliar tests. A test done incorrectly is worse than no test at all.If the wine gets physical sediment it is too soon to bottle if it gets it within a few days. If it is clear and has settled out, then you may bottle. A bit of sediment doesn't hurt a red at all- you just don't want ton of stuff in it. Also it sounds like sulfite levels are high enough, so like you say, it shouldn't be bacterial.

 

[Goodfella]

My advise.... Set that one aside, and let it run its course.


Meanwhile..... Start another wine.

 

[Stoppadagrapes]

Like I said, a milky cloudiness seems to float on the edge and in a glass it is hazy on the edges. I do not have sediment. The methanol test created the sediment.

If I am to let it set, any ideas how to put my level back up in the carboy? I do not have any red left to top off since this was the final racking so I am 1/2 gallon or so. So not low enough to put in the 3 gallon. I heard of using marbles but not sure how many that would take and how you keep from risking breaking the glass with each drop. any ideas besides buying a like wine to put in which then makes it less my wine?


OR
Would it work if I use the system I used to remove the CO2? It is one of those vin vac hand pumps with the seal on a bung that fits the carboy. If I pump out all the air will it still risk spoiling compared to raising the level to the top?

 

[grapeman]

I still think you are overthinking this wine. If it is that low and is clear, I would bottle it if you don't want to purchase topping up wine.

 

[admiral]

I agree with appleman. I would bottle it. By the way, how does it taste? That is also a consideration. I also agree with goodfella... start another wine.

 

[Stoppadagrapes]

I just started a Merlot.

I just added 6 pounds of glass marbles to top it off. I will put in the shed for a little and see if it clears on it own any more in the cooler temps.
I just do not want to bottle if it will get better.

How does it taste? A bit watery/thin. But as the variety is normally, very dry.
So maybe in time it will get a little more body? The problem was the grapes were pressed and de stemmed for me at the wine store so I did not get the skins.

I am not sure what I could do to beef it up.

The wine store now feels the brown oose maybe oil was from the grape seeds getting crushed. The milky film on the sides of the carboy are still mystery to them as well.