Unsure about my current wine progress...

[anwserman]

...which means I should probably dump it, ha.

Anyway, I started making my quick wine based off of a recipe I have from a wine brewing kit that I purchased. Here's exactly what I've done so far:

1) Mixed ingredients together with sanitized equipment, etc.
2) Waited 24 hours.
3) Added yeast. Added airlock during primary ferment (11/11).
SG of 1.070
4) On 11/14. Drained water from airlock and kept the lid on primary ferment pail loose. Strained crud off of surface, stirred, measured SG of 1.060
5) Strained, stirred and logged the SG each day thereafter.
6) 11/17, come home and notice white floating clumps on the primary ferment. Strained, stirred, and the SG is now 1.043.

The temperature during this all has been around 65-68 degree F.

I'm concerned. I've never made wine before (I've done food service so I know how to sanitize and everything) and the wine is a bunch of fruit I've mixed together. It's mostly strawberry and rhubarb. As for the ferment, it kind of smells bad, and it reminds me of vomit.

But I don't know. I've heard a bunch of different things, that:
1) It might smell bad during primary ferment and clear up afterwards
2) It's partially made from rhubarb, which doesn't smell the best to begin with (to me)
3) The white floating clumps mean that I screwed everything up

I added the correct amount of chemicals to the wine - and the recipe doesn't state to add any more until I put it in the carboy. Any idea what could be going on, based off of what I described above?

 

[Julie]

We have a tutorial section here that you can read. I am confused on why you did what you did. What did you add an airlock then drained the water out of it a few days later? And why are you straining the fruit daily? You are actually taking what is fermeting out of the primary.

 

[dangerdave]

I'm with Julie. I've never heard of anyone straining fruit out during primary fermentation. That stuff should be stirred in with the rest. The "white chunks" were likely clumps of yeast. So, you've been taking out the active yeast and the fruit it was supposed to ferment. Hmmm...

Don't give up on it though! Many a wine can be saved from disaster. Is it still fermenting? If it's not, pitch in some more yeast maybe.

 

[g8keeper]

i agree with the above, but also add that if you had actual fruit and not just juice in the primary, along with stirring you should also be punching down the "cap" that forms, daily, meaning to push the fruit back down into the fermenting wine to keep it wet...that also helps to mix all the "goodies" being extracted from the fruit, back into your batch....dave is probably right, after that short period of time, the white stuff was probably the propagated yeast attacking and breaking down the fruit....

 

[karrlot]

I can't comment on the white stuff, but I can comment on the vomit smell ( and later the horrendous taste).

I've only made 3 batches. While in the primary each of them made my wife furious that our bedroom smelled so bad and threaten me with bodily harm if it made her clothes stink.
It was moved from the kitchen when I heard "Either you get that stuff out of here or I will."

It was moved from the extra bathroom when my daughter almost wet her pants because she wouldn't use the bathroom.

When you taste it while it is still fermenting, again you will think "Holy Vino, How have I managed to screw up this bad. that was a huge waste of time and effort!"

However, when you wait a month or so, you will notice its not as bad as it was. My dad, who likes his wine commented surprisedly "Thats not too bad!"

Relax and wait it out.

 

[thrion]

I think pretty much everyone covered it here, but I will just toss in my "me toos"

By taking the water out of the airlock you are pretty much, well, no longer using an airlock, so not sure why the instructions told you to do that.

As for straining the fruit, do you mean you are squeezing the mesh bag that contains the fruit back into the wine? Or are you actually taking fruit out of the fermentor? That stuff should be going back into the wine...those are the good fruity bits you need to make the wine.

As for the smell, yeah, it can get pretty bad. Home brewers get it too. I have several friends who have all been threatened with being single and have had to find alternative space to let this stuff sit.

And the taste will change with time. The longer it sits, the more it will mellow out and the better it will taste.

Just out of curiosity, which kit are you using?

 

[anwserman]

Thanks all for the suggestions!

Anyway, I uploaded a picture of what the wine looks like now. And I should probably clarify a couple questions...

1) Why use an airlock with no water?
It's an s-shaped airlock. The primary ferment was taking too long (I was researching it!) and I was starving it from oxygen! Having an s-shaped airlock would allow air to get in but would trap any gunk and bad stuff from making it in as well.

2) Why did you dump the pulp.
To me, strain means get rid of the solids. I let all of the liquids drain from the pulp... but yeah. I come from a food-service background, strain = get rid of stuff from the top. So, in the wine making sense, strain means remove the juices from the solid and then re-add.

3) What's your recipe or kit? It's just a quick wine recipe.
3lb fruit
7pts water
1.5lb sugar
1/2 tsp acid blend
1/2 pectic enzyme
3/4 tsp energizer
1 campden, crush
1 pkg wine yeast

Hmm. Crap :/ I didn't put the fruit into a mesh bag (but I was told I didn't have to by a winemaker). The smell of the primary ferment smells more fragrant like wine and not so sour like vomit. I have yet to check the SG of the wine today.

Thank you all for the help!

 

[anwserman]

Also, if this batch is indeed *bad*, would it be easier for a novice to just make a wine using only juice concentrates?

Reading the instructions, it says when when the SG hits 1.030, to syphon into clean glass secondary. That'd be my huge glass carboy that I have. However, it says after that once it hits 1.0-.995 SG, to transfer into clean secondary for clearing. I don't have anything else to put it into. I have all of the tools and the primary plastic bucket for primary ferment, and the glass carbody for secondary. What would I put it in, then?

*I'll check out the tutorial videos too. Thanks!*

 

[Pumpkinman]

I would leave it in the fermenting bucket as long as your hydrometer indicates (obviously by testing it daily) that it is still fermenting, 1.030 is still very sweet and needs to ferment to at least 1.000 or until your SG doesn't move for at least 3 days, at that point if it is near 1.000 it is probably fermented to dry.
Once this happens, you probably should stabilize it with 1/4 tsp of meta per 5-6 gallons, stir it in without creating a vortex that will introduce a ton of oxygen into itl, then rack over to a clean carboy, put a stopper/bung and an airlock with water, meta solution or vodka in it and let its start aging.

I would stop using the source that you are using and start asking a ton of questions, there is some conflicting info so far, but I think that you will be fine.
Everyone here will be happy to help, and they are a fountain of knowledge, the folks on these boards have years of experience, dealing with so many different situations and how to resolve them, this is where you want to get your wine making info.

 

[cohenhouse77]

I have found that the 'vomit' smell was more prominent on batches of which I didn't use yeast nutrient per recipe or otherwise. Apparently the yeast can become stressed due to the lack of nutrients and result in bad odors and off flavors.

Also, rule of thumb is 6 lbs of fruit per gallon. 3 seems a bit weak.

 

[cohenhouse77]

I have a "winemaker" in my ear too. Sometimes we have more to unlearn than to learn.

This forum will save you wasted batches and make this a very enjoyable hobby for you.

 

[dwinemaker]

...which means I should probably dump it, ha.

Anyway, I started making my quick wine based off of a recipe I have from a wine brewing kit that I purchased. Here's exactly what I've done so far:

1) Mixed ingredients together with sanitized equipment, etc.
2) Waited 24 hours.
3) Added yeast. Added airlock during primary ferment (11/11).
SG of 1.070
4) On 11/14. Drained water from airlock and kept the lid on primary ferment pail loose. Strained crud off of surface, stirred, measured SG of 1.060
5) Strained, stirred and logged the SG each day thereafter.
6) 11/17, come home and notice white floating clumps on the primary ferment. Strained, stirred, and the SG is now 1.043.

The temperature during this all has been around 65-68 degree F.

I'm concerned. I've never made wine before (I've done food service so I know how to sanitize and everything) and the wine is a bunch of fruit I've mixed together. It's mostly strawberry and rhubarb. As for the ferment, it kind of smells bad, and it reminds me of vomit.

But I don't know. I've heard a bunch of different things, that:
1) It might smell bad during primary ferment and clear up afterwards
2) It's partially made from rhubarb, which doesn't smell the best to begin with (to me)
3) The white floating clumps mean that I screwed everything up

I added the correct amount of chemicals to the wine - and the recipe doesn't state to add any more until I put it in the carboy. Any idea what could be going on, based off of what I described above?

Dear winemaker, get the wine in a carboy and give it time. With rhubarb wine yeast is everything. Next time try Vintners Harvest MA33, or EC1118, not sure of the brand, but they'll know at a wine supply store. I have found 4 pounds of rhubarb per gallon makes a nice rhubarb wine , but again a good recipe will help. I have found the book " The Joy of Home Wine Making" by Terry Garey a great book for beginning winemakers. She's down to earth and really know her winemaking. Good luck and don't be discouraged. I've been at it for 9 years and I'm still learning.