Can this wine be saved?

[jnmar]

I hate the idea of having to post this so it's taken a few days for me to get up the courage.

On Dec 6th I started my first kit wine, a Cellar Craft California Reserve Blush Zinfandel, knowing we were going to be leaving Dec. 16th for 2 weeks to enjoy a Michigan Christmas. I pretty much followed the directions as written and things progressed very nicely. Racked at 1.000 SG on Dec 15th at which time I briefed my sister, who would be checking on the property and feeding animals for me while I was away.

I left the room thermostat set on 70 degrees and asked her to check the thermo and airlock and to keep the three piece airlock filled half way should there be any evaporation. I had read here that it was best to use K-meta solution in airlock so I had a gallon freshly mixed using 3 TBS/gallon of water. All went well I thought until this past Tuesday when she told me that someone must have added water or wine to carboy to top it off as it was fuller than it was last time she looked. We were due to be back on Thursday so I wasn't concerned. "Oh", she said, "I added some of the stuff to the thingy on top. It was empty". Hmmmmm, well it's alright we'll be back in a couple of days and I'll check on it.

Friday morning early I went out and it was cool inside, checked the thermo and it was on 62. checked on carboy and sure nuff it was full to the top and the airlock was a little over half full with fluid inside the little bubble cap that's supposed to be floating. Not Good! I opened it and the only smell I could detect was strong K-meta. Dang it, I quickly sanitized my thermometer, wine thief, and hydrometer. Checked sg and it was still at 1.00, temp was at 62, and a quick sip told me the whole carboy was indeed thoroughly sanitized with K-meta...lot's of it! I can still taste and smell the stuff.

So, knowing I needed to, at a minimum raise the temp I turned the thermostat back up and decided to just leave it alone for a couple of days or more. It soon will be time to move on to the next step of stabilizing and adding F-pack, etc.

But, will degassing, mixing, racking, massaging, and leaving set get rid of the K-meta smell and taste? I don't have a SO2 test kit yet but I'm gonna have one soon. What would ya'll recommend? Is there a chance to save it or will I just be stuck with 30 bottles of blush Zin sanitizing and topping off solution?

I have decided that the lowered temp, plus barometric changes created enough differential pressure to suck the K-meta solution inside the bubble cap and then it was just a matter of siphoning the fluid back into the carboy...it never really occurred to me that could/would happen. Surprises are spozed to be fun...right?

Thanks for your input. Jerry


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[Bartman]

First, some reassurance: Because the wine was fully fermented, you should be ok, overall.

You didn't indicate the volume of wine before you left, so it's hard to tell if an "air-lock"-full of k-meta was enough to fill that headspace or if something else happened.

Second: is it possible the k-meta solution had just been floated on top and not mixed into the wine? Could you tell the liquid on top was clear or clearer than the rest? Probably too late now, but if not too late and you could recognize the k-meta solution, you might be able to siphon off much of the k-meta, if it was a significant amount.

Third: the k-meta has raised the so2 levels, but those can dissipate over time, by degassing or by bulk-aging, or both. in a carboy for 6 months or a year, I would expect the excess so2 to fade substantially. Worst case, if you already bottled it, let each bottle breathe for 30 minutes or more after opening and you won't notice the so2 once you pour it.

Last option: try to develop a sophisticated taste for k-meta solution, and you might grow to enjoy it.

 

[Wade E]

If you are talking about what was in the airlock getting sucked into your wine then thats nothing and youll be fine. If you are stating that someone topped up your wine with some of that gallon jug of sanitizing solution then you will need to test it to see where its at and most likely some serious splash racking could get it back down depending on how high it is. Seeing as how this is a Blush wine and most likely you would want this semi sweet the sg is probably about right where it needs to be although you probably have that little Suisse (F Pack) to add a little more sweetness and flavor. I agree with Bart that if its just the stuff in the airlock then it just needs to be stirred in as its sitting on top making it smell much stringer then it really is.

 

[Wade E]

Bart, how dare you type faster then me!!!!!!!

 

[jnmar]

Thanks Bart and Wade,



When I left it the carboy was full to within probably 1" or 1 1/4" of
the stopper. I wanted to be sure there wasn't much head space just in
case she forgot or was afraid to do anything with it. I haven't yet
talked to her about it because I don't want her to feel as though she
did something wrong, but I will in a day or two. She only mentioned
filling the airlock that one time though she might have done it more and
just didn't say anything and yes it was with the pre-mixed sanitizing solution. I'll find out more details today.



As an afterthought, I did think that perhaps a lot, or maybe most, of it
might be sitting on top but after I filled the thief a couple of times
and emptied it back into the carboy, an afterthought was all I had to
work with at that point.

I think I''ll just give it a good stirring for the moment and wait until I can call George tomorrow and get the test kit and a few more things ordered. Then test it and report back here.

I only have the three piece airlocks and since this has happened I can see how it might occur again at some point in time. It seems to me that the one piece airlocks might be a better option because they would allow the differential pressure to equalize both directions without sucking the fluid back into the carboy. Correct? What about just using vodka, everclear, or heck even Courvoisier...no wait, that's my sipping stuff. Anything besides having to drink enough K-meta to acquire a taste for it...Ugggggh!

Thank ya'll very much. And I had already planned on bulk aging before bottling. I would really have a difficult time with telling friends I had given a bottle to not worry about the sewer smell...It's really good stuff after it sits a while...oh yeah...forget the "mouth feel" too. lol

 

[Goodfella]

I don't think you need to worry on this one...


When you left the carboy was 1- 1 1/2 inches from the top. You could add a inch of k-Meta solution and still fix it. IMO


Don't sweat it.....

 

[Wade E]

I dont think the different airlock will work any different but I will say that the 3 pc ones seem to evaporate much quicker, not as quickly as you are talking about but within about 2-3 months depending on the temp.

 

[jnmar]

Thanks gentlemen...went out this morning to check it and it once again smelled like wine when I took the airlock off...I did give it a good stirring and drew off a little sample and the wine taste was there with very little if any K-meta smell. I think the very little part was still imprinted in my mind from the other day. I feel so much better about it after ya'lls advice/experience and the much improved aroma.

Tomorrow I will splash rack, degas, and proceed on to next steps then set it back for 6 months or so before thinking about bottling.

Couple of more small questions just for learning's sake.

The instructions say it should have finished at 0.0996 and it's solidly at 1.000 of I can read the sg correctly. Is it unusual for it to have stopped early or should I give it even a few more days weeks to completely finish before moving on?

Next, I have two different hydrometers and both of them are difficult for me to read very well...both want to stick to the sides of the wine thief when trying to read them...just seems like there ought to be a better way. Is it just me and not being used to it or is there a better way to get the most accurate readings?

 

[Wade E]

Some use a refractometer and use a conversion chart to determine where they are SG wise.

 

[Goodfella]

Just get an inexpensive testjar from George, and make sure it is sitting flat (not leaning) and you should be fine.


http://www.finevinewines.com/p-1532-5396.aspx


Less then 5 bucks