Skeeter Pee Possibly Ruined From Popped Airlock?

[Vertumnus]

So at some point in the last nine hours after I had done an SG test on my skeeter pee which is in the final stages of clearing, the air lock popped off and left it exposed to oxygen for who knows how long, not to mention the fruit flies which are my bane. According to my ABV calculations, it's only about 9.2% and so probably not strong enough by itself to repel spoilage. Am I screwed? This was meant to be my first successful batch and I probably jinxed it by telling everyone about it and how great it was going to be, you know, counting my chickens before they hatch and all that. Next time, I'm not going to say a word until it's actually in the bottle for a few days, that's for sure.

 

[dralarms]

I'd filter the flys out, put the airlock back on and let it ride.

 

[pjd]

Nine or less hours wont hurt that skeeter pee. I don't know when you started it but it probably is still gassy so probably did not affect it at all. I make wine in Pennsylvania but i winter in Florida. during the 2012-2013 winter season I had one air lock dry out on a California Shiraz. I have no idea how long it was exposed to oxygen but I can tell you, it was one of my best wines I ever made. My opinion is a little oxygen can be a good thing. I certainly would not worry about a few hour of exposure. Wine is just not that fragile!

 

[Julie]

Like others have said, it is fine. It takes much longer than nine hours for your wine to spoil. The alcohol, even at 9.2% will protect it to an extent.

And, there is no need for you to use that type of language! I am quite sure your intelligent level can describe the fruit flies.

 

[jojabri]

Totally agreeing with everyone else's suggestions. Ditto on the fraggle-lagglelin' fruit flies, they have been horrible this year!

I bunked my first batch of Skeeter Pee, so I can tell ya, even if you bunked it and it does go bad, it's not a total loss. Bunked Skeeter Pee makes one AWESOME household cleaner.

 

[Vertumnus]

Thanks for bearing with me and relieving my anxieties, lol. Was just surprised when I opened the closet door and an open carboy is staring me in the face with attack squadrons of flies already preparing for their assault . Ended up fitting my first universal bung instead of the traditional drilled bung. Fit in there much easier than I'm used to with the normal #'d bungs

If this experience and similar ones have taught me anything, it's that I much prefer the universal or, especially so, the water-less airlocks. I got one of those recently and have been especially happy with it. I believe the material is silicone, which allows for an easier and snugger fit and of course it's nice not to have to worry about spills or dried-out airlocks in addition to the height advantage. I just wonder if I'm missing out on seeing my wines happily bubbling away...

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

You can always add some sulfites to help protect it from the bacteria that the fruit flies carry so you dont make pee vinegar, just add the recomended dose, dont add extra just because the flies probably peed in your pee. Good luck, WVMJ