WineXpert Is that pixie dust swirling around?

[raberjr]

We have been making wine for nearly 1.5 years. Wish i would have found this site a long time ago!

So, we are on our fourth batch of wine. We have only used WineXpert kits up to the point. We have made two whites and two reds. The two whites have been Australian Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

The reason i'm posting is that in both whites that we have made there seems to be some sort of 'smoky' substance in our wines. It's not super easy to spot, but if you are looking for it, you can find it. I would also describe it as a 'foggy' substance. It's not sediment. It floats around in a 'whispy' like manner.

So, i know i have a lot to learn when it comes to making wine (that's why i'm here), but assume that we have painstakingly followed all the kit instructions and have kept everything super clean. This is also our 2nd racking. We could have bottled it at this point since we had already added the clarifying agent and other packets needed.

I've included a picture below. Look at the top of the water line and you will see the substance falling toward the bottom of the carboy as we are racking it (the suction from the tube is drawing the substance downward). It might be difficult to see but look carefully.

So, my question(s) is/are, 1). what is this substance and 2). how do you get rid of it? and, 3). have others ever noticed this?

I kinda assume that the reds that we have made have the same substance but you can't see it since the wine is dark.

thoughts? any insights are appreciated.

raberjr

 

[salcoco]

it is a good chance what is floating around is yeast. let it settle than rack into new carboy. than add a fining agent like Super Kleer again. it should clear out then rack and bottle.

 

[heatherd]

We have been making wine for nearly 1.5 years. Wish i would have found this site a long time ago!

So, we are on our fourth batch of wine. We have only used WineXpert kits up to the point. We have made two whites and two reds. The two whites have been Australian Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

The reason i'm posting is that in both whites that we have made there seems to be some sort of 'smoky' substance in our wines. It's not super easy to spot, but if you are looking for it, you can find it. I would also describe it as a 'foggy' substance. It's not sediment. It floats around in a 'whispy' like manner.

So, i know i have a lot to learn when it comes to making wine (that's why i'm here), but assume that we have painstakingly followed all the kit instructions and have kept everything super clean. This is also our 2nd racking. We could have bottled it at this point since we had already added the clarifying agent and other packets needed.

I've included a picture below. Look at the top of the water line and you will see the substance falling toward the bottom of the carboy as we are racking it (the suction from the tube is drawing the substance downward). It might be difficult to see but look carefully.

So, my question(s) is/are, 1). what is this substance and 2). how do you get rid of it? and, 3). have others ever noticed this?

I kinda assume that the reds that we have made have the same substance but you can't see it since the wine is dark.

thoughts? any insights are appreciated.

raberjr
View attachment 46589

View attachment 46588

I have had those wispies in white wine that is still a bit gassy. It would happen when I moved the carboys around. My advice would be to stir it some more to get the gas out. You can also splash rack (stir and splash while racking). When I taste wine that has gas, it's zippy or burns a bit. You can test for gas by sticking some of your wine in a wine bottle, then put your finger on opening of the bottle and shake it; if you hear a pop like suction released you have gas. Do the stirring and splash-racking, and give it some more time before you bottle. I have bottled wine that wasn't clear/degassed and it's a bummer.

Now I give the wine more time to clear and degas on it's own and don't use the clarifiers when I make kits.

 

[Trevor7]

My first WE kit had these "wispies" as well. This was due to my clumsiness letting the siphon hit the lees (sediment) and sending it back into the wine. Lees on the side of the carboy could also produce this as the level of wine drops and the sediment re-mixes. I only owned one carboy at the time, so I continued bottling. All of my bottles had a trace of that sediment in them (the wispies will turn into sediment with time). I was still proud of Batch #1, but I bought a BuonVino filter to compensate for my clumsiness in future endeavors. A handy instruction I found was to "give the carboy a couple of rotations" five days into the clearing stage. This dislodges the build-up on the side of the carboy and allows it to settle ensuring a clearer wine..

 

[raberjr]

I have had those wispies in white wine that is still a bit gassy. It would happen when I moved the carboys around. My advice would be to stir it some more to get the gas out. You can also splash rack (stir and splash while racking). When I taste wine that has gas, it's zippy or burns a bit. You can test for gas by sticking some of your wine in a wine bottle, then put your finger on opening of the bottle and shake it; if you hear a pop like suction released you have gas. Do the stirring and splash-racking, and give it some more time before you bottle. I have bottled wine that wasn't clear/degassed and it's a bummer.

Now I give the wine more time to clear and degas on it's own and don't use the clarifiers when I make kits.

I degassed the wine again and let it settle for several days. Voila! no more wispies! thanks.

 

[heatherd]

I degassed the wine again and let it settle for several days. Voila! no more wispies! thanks.

You are welcome!