WineXpert White specks on Pinot Grigio

[peterCooper]

Opened a bottle of Pinot Grigio yesterday to top up when I racked and
was left with some room in the carboy.

Earlier, I had bottled about a dozen before messing up and disturbing the
lees so I racked the rest to a smaller carboy and opened up the ones I'd
just bottled to top back up again. No problem.

I racked back again as I said, yesterday, and opened up another bottle to
top up.

I noticed two things, there was an odd smell which I think might be SO2
as I had sanitized well and it's only been a week but I'm not sure. I left it
about an hour and the smell had gone, But... before I opened the bottle,
actually, before I touched it I noticed a couple of white specks sitting on
the surface of the wine.

When I checked the rest of the wine in the sceondary, before racking, it
there were also some white specks on the surface of it. so, I know it is
nothing to do with with carboy because the wine in the bottles didn't go
in there.

Has anyone seen this happen before.
I don't believe that the wine in the obttles was perfectly clear, so it could
be some oddity from a few remaining lees.

Thoughts, suggestions.

Peter

 

[Vaughn]

If it's floating on top...I'd check the corks. I've run into a couple of (literally) flakeycorks.

 

[masta]

Do you use campden tabs in your wine or sanitizing solution? If so it could be pieces of the tabs that didn't dissolve completely.

 

[peterCooper]

That would probably be it. I did use crushed campden tablets. That would
explain the SO2 odor as well, which dissipates after an hour or so.

I know it is not cork for two reasons, 1) I used George's corks and they are
very solid and 2) I sanitized the corks before using them which would have
removed any loose particles.

On that issue though. Do you sanitize your corking machine? There could
be something in the machine that is not properly clean.

 

[masta]

Those darn campden tabs....must be whatever they use to bind it together in tablet form that doesn't dissolve very easy.

I knew there was another reason why I have never used them!


I never actually sanitize my corker per say, but I do wipe the the iris with a paper towel dipped in sanitizing solution until visually clean.

 

[Vaughn]

On that issue though. Do you sanitize your corking machine? There could
be something in the machine that is not properly clean.

I make sure that my floor corker is very clean each time I use it. However, this brings up another question... Is it necessary to lubricate the floor corker? If so, what do I use as a lubricant? (I assume axle grease is out of the question.) I do know that a small amount of resin or silicon is used in manufaturing corks to help facilitate pushing them into bottles (and removing them). But there are other moving parts here that rub together. Suggestions?

 

[masta]

I don't lubricate the brass iris of my floor corker at all and haven't in over 2 years.


This product called Lubrifilm is recommended by some manufacturers:


[url]https://www.haynesmfg.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action &category=1003&keywords=all [/url]

 

[Jackie]

Any food grade lubricant will do. I have the lubrifilm and I love it. I also spray around the iris to help make inserting dry corks easier.

 

[PolishWineP]

I like the campden tabs b/c it's one thing I don't have to carefully measure. I use a motar & pestal to grind them to a lovely powder and get to feel like a mad scientist at the same time!

Those darn campden tabs....must be whatever they use to bind it together in tablet form that doesn't dissolve very easy.

I knew there was another reason why I have never used them!