Infected?

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

The RV

Junior
Joined
Oct 11, 2019
Messages
5
Reaction score
1
Hey guys! This is my very first attempt at making wine. I have followed all the rules....I think. Nothing touched the must that wasn't sterilized....I think. But today after primary fermentation, I racked into a carboy and this was at the bottom. Is this batch ruined? I didn't see anything floating in the top. Y'all's thoughts on whether or not to press on or start over?

Thanks!!!

RV


upload_2019-10-11_17-46-17.png
 
Welcome to winemaking.

That sludge is normal. The sediment/yeast slurry you leave behind. More sediment will drop out later too. The “lees”. The solids dropping out over time and help the wine to clear.

No worries. You good
 
And one more question while I am thinking about it. My primary fermenter is a 6 gallon bucket. My carboy is 6 gallons. When moving between the two, I am not able to get to the neck of the carboy. Is space in there ok, or do I need to fill with water or something eliminate that extra air in there?

Thanks again for the help!

RV
 
The wine should be at the top of the neck maybe 1.5-2” from the very top of the carboy. The less air the less chance of oxidation. Some add water or a suitable Wine to top off. I have added sterilized marbles to bring the level up too. Remember the wine is degassing still for a while plus you added kmeta right? That provides the protection of SO2.
 
Perhaps if you included what type of wine this is and what it was made from. Kit? Grapes? Fruit?
 
And one more question while I am thinking about it. My primary fermenter is a 6 gallon bucket. My carboy is 6 gallons. When moving between the two, I am not able to get to the neck of the carboy. Is space in there ok, or do I need to fill with water or something eliminate that extra air in there?

Thanks again for the help!

RV

Topping off with a similar wine is your best bet, IMHO.
 
The good thing about wine is that it is an environment where it is very difficult for a pathogen to live. In my experience, your wine will taste really bad if it is infected with something that is bad for you. Top it up with a similar or complementary wine add SO2 (if you’re not going to do mlf) and let it age.
 
Yes. I did put a crushed campden tablet before siphoning off. And this is peach wine I made with cut up fresh peaches. I’ll see if I can find a local peach wine to top it off with. I didn’t think about that.

Thanks guys!

RV
 
1 campden tablet is for 1 gallon for 50ppm, if you’re doing 6 gallons .... you’ll need 6.
Peach will threw a ton of stuff. Add pectin enzyme after fermentation, prbsly 2 tablespoons for 6 gallons. See what falls out in a week, rack and add another 2 tablespoons pectin enzyme, wait 2 weeks and rack. Let it clear for 3 moths, rack, add 6 more camp den tablets for 6 gallons, wait 3 more months and rack again. You MAY have a clear wine by then. If clear, bottle and wait 3 more months and see what ya got. Just general timeline. I did loquat this spring and boy, it was seriously cloudy, but it cleared and taste great now. Be patient, it wants to be wine if you let it happen.
 
I favored campden tablets for my first 3 years of small batch wine making but I'm changing over to just K-Meta powder so I don't have to crush and dissolve those tablets.

Recommend you save those tablets for the occasional Special one gallon batches.
 
Back
Top