White Layer - What is it?

[satishnbr]

I have used concord grapes and my fementation is complete. I had a fast fermentation with in a week. I have verified the SG and confirmed fermenting is done. I have used campden tablet to stabilize the wine and kept the wine for clearing in carboy.
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I have noticed a white layer is formed on top of the wine in the carboy and slowly building up. When I racked it first time, i removed this white layer as much as possible. When I racked it again 3 days back, I can see the white film layer getting formed again.

What is this layer ? Fungus? Do I need to be worried? how do I get rid of it ?

 

[grapeman]

I would rack it and leave the layer behind. Then add k-meta to it to make sure it is adequately protected. I can be flowers of wine or evenjust a buildup of wine diamond like materials. I have gotten them before form on the top. If you bump the carboy they can drop to the bottom. If that happens, rack it off them, check sulfite levels and you should be OK.

 

[Dufresne11]

Agreed... I would rack and sulfite as soon as you can... you don't want to mess with low sulfite levels and the nastiness that can follow

 

[Wade E]

This could also be a problem called (Campdenotdissolvedenoughus) Camden tablets not dissolved enough. These Camden tablets are made of sulfite powder and a filler to hold them together and when not crushed and dissolved correctly they wont dissolve anymore in the wine causing a white film. Just another reason not to use these and to use sulfite in cheaper powder form.

 

[satishnbr]

White layer after racking

When I noticed this white layer first time, I racked the wine again leaving the layer behind. I syphoned the wine from bottom carefully leaving the white layer behind. I had around 3 gallon wine in the carboy. After racking, i crushed 3 campden tablets, and dissolved in water and added to the wine.
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Even after racking and sulphiting this, the white layer is formed again in 3 days. I always sanitize all the equipments very well each time with K bisulphate. Should I rack it again, and suphite this ? will it be too much sulphite?.
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Any advice?

 

[Wade E]

What size carboy is this in as if there is too much headspace this will keep occuring from too much 02.

 

[satishnbr]

White layer after racking

This is a 5 gallon carboy. I have little more than half wine left. Too much head space and Q2 could be a reason. Anything can be done on this? Now i have racked it again, added 3 dissolved campden tables and put an airlock.

 

[Wade E]

You absolutely have to get that wine into vessels with with little to no headspace. I have seen this before and is how I knew you had a small volume in a big vessel. It will stop only if you take the extra 02 out of the equation.