GRRR Fresh must contaminated? Any way to save??

[jsavage]

So, I ramped up tonight and started a 5 gallon batch of welches. Sanitized everything thoroughly, took my time, pitched 5 campden tabs and right before I got ready to move the bucket to it's resting spot my wife, in her infinite wisdom, picked up a small rug right beside the bucket and whipped it in the air. Apparently she wanted me to place the bucket on the rug to move it across the wood flooring. Anyway, I grabbed a strainer as quick as I could and ran across the surface of the must. I think I got most of what managed to settle on the surface but I'm sure there's still some gunk in there. I also wiped down the exposed inner sides of the bucket with a rag soaked in SO2 solution. Is this ruined from the get go? I'm assuming it will be ok since I just barely added the campden tabs right before this happened. Anything that fell in should get sterilized..... right?? Should I add more campden tabs? Am I being too paranoid?

 

[Julie]

You are fine. Once you add the yeast and the yeast starts to fall what dust you have in there will fall out with it. Do not add any more campdem tablets or you will have a rough time getting the juice to ferment.

 

[KSmith3011]

Months from now you and the wife can laugh about the "secret ingredients" of your Welches wine.

 

[Drez]

+1 Esp at that stage.

I mean crushing grapes into juice most certainly has bugs and dirt in it, I'm sure no better than a little rug dust. I understand peanut butter is the same. I've heard some beers in Belgian abbeys are made from wild yeast in cobwebs, who knows what else is in there right.

I'm sure the campden will prevent any wild yeast strains so should be safe on that note and by the time there is alcohol in there and you add the clearing and stabilizing agents, you'll have no worries I'm sure.

 

[Savana123]

+1 Esp at that stage.

I mean crushing grapes into juice most certainly has bugs and dirt in it, I'm sure no better than a little rug dust. I understand peanut butter is the same. I've heard some beers in Belgian abbeys are made from wild yeast in cobwebs, who knows what else is in there right.

I'm sure the campden will prevent any wild yeast strains so should be safe on that note and by the time there is alcohol in there and you add the clearing and stabilizing agents, you'll have no worries I'm sure.

Little rug dust is really a good technique that is best in terms of removing all sort of dust and grime from the grapes so that the juice will not get contaminated. It is very important for us to look at the hygienic ways of cleaning the grapes.

 

[JohnT]

I agree,

With the k-meta that you just added, what are you worried about? anything that got into the wine will just settle out.

 

[onetoomany]

if you think about grapes in a field..spiders, dust,bugs,small creatures,ect..what campden doesn't kill the alcohol will..everything just adds flavor