Ha ha ha

[SarahRides]

I have to laugh, because if I don't, I'm going to cry! My first batch of non-kit wine (grapefruit), missed a step somewhere. This batch took me FOREVER to clear! Hadn't looked at it in 2 months, opened up the tote to check on it and this is what I found. Glad the bottles were contained!

 

[UglyBhamGuy]

Been there, i grieve for your loss.

 

[Tom]

Looks like sediment to me

 

[Dugger]

Oh, the power of fermentation!!

 

[ffemt128]

Looks like the step forgotten was sorbate before back sweetening and it refermented and blew the corks. I feel for your loss.

 

[Arne]

Been there Sarah. I had 2 left that didn't blow. Put em in the refrig. and got em good and cold. Nicest apple sparkling wine ya ever saw. 'Woulda swore I sorbated it, but either the sorbate didn't work or I missed a step. lol, Arne.

 

[Runningwolf]

Sarah sorry to see that happen after all of your time, labor and love that went into it. I agree it looks like lack of sorbate. But now the good and positive; lesson learned, but even bigger than that was the fact you had it in a closed tote. Could you imagine if that was on a wine rack in you dining room or other area and what a mess that would have been.

 

[Wade E]

Ive only had that happen once to me over the years and I believe it was caused by my son screaming while I was in the process of stabilizing my wine at the time. I wrote down that I had added the sulfite and sorbate and right when I was about to add it I heard a blood curdling scream from upstairs. He was about 3 1/2 at the time and into everything so I ran upstairs, it turned out just to be a bug in his room. I then went back downstairs after killing the bug and assumed I had added the stuff and a few months later had corks blowing in my cellar and one bottle top blow right off! At least yours was in a Tote!

 

[SarahRides]

Yea, I obviously missed the sorbate, no idea how that happened! (I can't even recall having an excuse! ) My only consolation is that even after backsweetening it, it tasted pretty terrible before bottling. I was going to let it sit for a loooooooong time with the hopes it would get better. Lesson learned.
Grapefruit

 

[sly22guy]

This is the reason i let my wine sit in the carboy for another couple weeks after sweetening before i bottle. Sorry for your loss!

 

[jtstar]

Sorry for your lost I had that happen to one bottle shortly after I had just started learning how to make wine

 

[bdcl1977]

It look's like a sad day in Sterling, sorry for the loss. My wife saw the photos and said that had better not happen in her house....guess I may be relocating!

 

[SarahRides]

Thanks everyone! As my collection of carboys increases, I'm bulk aging more (instead of in the bottle), so if this happens again at least I'll know before it's corked! It actually smelled really good as it was going down the drain.

 

[sly22guy]

should've saved it for cooking with!!!