I started my first batch of eldererry wine last weekend. I've been making fruit wines for the last6 years or so but this is the first of elderberry.After stirring the fermenting bucket I washed off the spoon and found it was stickey or gummy. I thought at first the wine "melted" the spoon a bit, so I went to a metal spoon. It still happened. I never saw this before! It fermented down much quicker than I expected so I racked it to a secondary at .999 (much too late but better than nothing). The 2 gal. stainless steel pot I used had a very hard scum above the liquid line. Dried must I assume. BUT, hot soapy water and a sponge (+ nylon scrubber) didn't get it off! I had to use a steel wool pad to move it. Is this normal??
Question about Elderberry wine
- Thread starter pbrblue
- Start date
Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2005
- Messages
- 15,188
- Reaction score
- 1,211
You like everyone else who has made elderberry wine has now experienced the"green goo" effect. To clean it up, use a bit of olive oil and rub it down. Then use a soapy solution to get rid of the olive oil. It will get rid of most of the residue. You will get it again when you rack. It takes several rackings to get rid of all of it. Don't use steel wood on anything plastic. It will make rough spots in the plastic and give safe harbor for bacteria and other nasties.
