# What is this thing?



## DerrickPeavy (Aug 15, 2021)

I have made a cabernet from fresh crush. Just now put it into kegs with nitro. Couple of problems. First, at every racking stage, I have had a film on top. It's pink. The first time I saw it, I assumed it was bacteria. So when I racked the first time, I made sure that it stayed in the fermenter (as much as possible). But with every stage, it comes back, but the clumps are larger, there isn't more, it's just more clumpy. It always floats on top, even in a glass. It even came back after SO2 additions and after 10 days of dualfine, during which I had nitrogen on it as well. I am just wondering what to do to fix it. I've filtered as much as I can, and now it's in keg under 10psi of nitrogen.


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## franc1969 (Aug 16, 2021)

I don’t know - but i had similar on my zinfandel. I kept it very topped up and wiped away the film.


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## Rice_Guy (Aug 16, 2021)

From the look of it, the pink is an artifact,,, or grape pigment which has infiltrated a microbial mass.
SO2 is a normal control, as well as eliminating the oxygen in the head space. Do you have a pH reading? low pH/ 3.5 reduces micro issues.

_oh welcome to wine making talk_


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 16, 2021)

So I could add some potassium metabisulfite? What strips do you use to measure PH? I thought I had measured that but it's not in my notes and I don't think I have any strips. I'm not panicked, I think it will be fine, but I do need to fix it this week. It's also topped off with nitro. I've kept the line on it all night at 10 psi.


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## Rice_Guy (Aug 16, 2021)

As a general rule we don’t add more than 50 ppm of SO2 , you can ignore the rule while letting the wine age but will taste the sulphur if you run over 100 ppm on bottled wine.
pH is best measured with a pH meter since the red pigments hide the color change in the paper strips. I ran pH paper when I started wines/ had not budgeted a pH meter, ,,, you will get a better color reading if you dilute the wine 1:1 or even 1:4 with distilled water. (do not use tap water)


DerrickPeavy said:


> So I could add some potassium metabisulfite? What strips do you use to measure PH? I thought I had measured that but it's not in my notes and I don't think I have any strips. I'm not panicked, I think it will be fine, but I do need to fix it this week. It's also topped off with nitro. I've kept the line on it all night at 10 psi.


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## ibglowin (Aug 16, 2021)

That definitely looks like Mycoderma to me or "Flowers of Wine". It will definitely destroy your wine if not taken care of. Hit it with a heavy dose of Kmeta and make sure its topped up and stoppered tight. Myco needs air. I usually spray Kmeta solution on top and let it just sit. If it comes back, hit it again, rinse, repeat.






Mycoderma aka Flowers of Wine : Bacchus & Barleycorn, Ltd.


Bacchus & Barleycorn, Ltd. : Mycoderma aka Flowers of Wine




www.bacchus-barleycorn.com


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 16, 2021)

I can add SO2 today


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 16, 2021)

Thanks! Is a meter like this accurate enough? "Fermentaholics Digital pH Meter, pH Meter with 0.00-14.00 pH Range Test for Brewing Kombucha, Wine, Beer, Mead, Fermentation pH Tester with ATC" - at Amazon, picture included here.

I can add SO2 today.




Rice_Guy said:


> As a general rule we don’t add more than 50 ppm of SO2 , you can ignore the rule while letting the wine age but will taste the sulphur if you run over 100 ppm on bottled wine.
> pH is best measured with a pH meter since the red pigments hide the color change in the paper strips. I ran pH paper when I started wines/ had not budgeted a pH meter, ,,, you will get a better color reading if you dilute the wine 1:1 or even 1:4 with distilled water. (do not use tap water)


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## Rice_Guy (Aug 16, 2021)

Yes,
Most meters today give 0.01 accuracy which is actually more than we need, the difference I see is that below $50 they may not last very long

Edited NOTE SO2 is more efficient at killing infections as the pH is reduced


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 16, 2021)

OK. Now you have me worried. From what I read, the wine is spoiled. But some kmeta / SO2 can save it? How do I know if it has already spoiled the wine by converting the alcohol to acetic acid and water? This batch has been in an oak barrel for 7 months, topped off with CO2, but of course O2 could still seep in. So if it is flowers of wine (which, BTW is really hard to find picture of and is why I came here), then it's had a lot of time to spoil the wine. I do have a refractometer but I thought it gave innaccurate readings at this stage. Thoughts?



ibglowin said:


> That definitely looks like Mycoderma to me or "Flowers of Wine". It will definitely destroy your wine if not taken care of. Hit it with a heavy dose of Kmeta and make sure its topped up and stoppered tight. Myco needs air. I usually spray Kmeta solution on top and let it just sit. If it comes back, hit it again, rinse, repeat.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## ibglowin (Aug 16, 2021)

Easy way is to just sample the wine. The end process for Myco is acetic acid (vinegar) so it is very easy to tell if the wine is too far gone. How long has this been out of the barrel? If only a few weeks then you should definitely do a through cleaning of that barrel with a mixture of KMETA/CITRIC Acid.


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 16, 2021)

*October 7, 2020*
picked up 10 gallons (apx) of must at vineyard
total volume with skins appears to be 9.5 gallons


*October 8, 2020*

Prior to pitching yeast from vineyard

Hydrometer readings: did not cool to 68. Was apx 75 to 80.
1.080 gravity
10.75% potential alcohol
19.25 balling

Adjusted for temp
1.081 gravity
10.75% potential alcohol
20 balling

Refractometer reading:
18.5 brix


*October 14*

Refractometer reading:
6 to 7 brix

Hydrometer
1.0 balling



*October 17*

Prior to rack and press

Hydrometer
0.25 balling



*October 21*

Racking off gross lees
Added malolactic acid and nutrients and about 5 oz french oak
Wyeast 4007 was malolactic acid, 2 packs
Added opti malo as well (12gram)

Hydrometer
0.25 balling


*December 13*

*There was a film on top (see pic)*
Racked off to new tank, added 1 tsp (2 grams) of Potassium Metabisulfite for 5 gallons juice

Tested acidity, but was inconclusive using the strip.
Also, tetrets kit was not conclusive for SO2, so?
Decided to barrel off on the 21st


*December 21*
*New film on top, same as what was in the tank on 12/13*
Racked to barrel, added 1 tsp (2 grams) of Potassium Metabisulfite for 5 gallons juice


*August 4, 2021*
Racked from barrel to tank
* New film on top, same as what was in the tank on 12/13*
Racked to clarify and added stage one of dualfine


*August 5, 2021*
Added stage 2 of dualfine


*August 15, 2021*
*New film on top, same as what was in the tank on 12/13. *Took pics. Used fine strainer to remove as much as possible
Rack to kegs and added nitrogen


The wine tastes very green, raw oak as well. But it's clear and alcohol seems to be present via smell


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## ibglowin (Aug 16, 2021)

Sounds like the wine is fine still just hit it hard with KMETA and before you put the stopper back on spritz the top with more KMETA and then stopper tight (and make sure you don't have too much headspace).


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 16, 2021)

It's about 4 gallons total wine I think, I have it split into two, 2.5 gallon kegs. So, fair amount of head space in the little corny. But I can easily fill that with nitrogen. What would you suggest as amount of SO2? More than 50 ppm? 



ibglowin said:


> Sounds like the wine is fine still just hit it hard with KMETA and before you put the stopper back on spritz the top with more KMETA and then stopper tight (and make sure you don't have too much headspace).


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## BarrelMonkey (Aug 16, 2021)

DerrickPeavy said:


> What would you suggest as amount of SO2? More than 50 ppm?



For general maintenance I'd try to target 30ppm SO2, but I think 50ppm would be a good place to start given that you have had film growing recently. Some (maybe most) of the SO2 will get taken up immediately. I agree with @ibglowin that in addition to adding SO2 to the bulk wine you might spritz the top with, say a 6% w/v solution of K-meta before purging with N2 and capping the kegs. You have airtight stoppers on the kegs, right?


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 16, 2021)

Yes, they are the half size corny kegs, air tight with gas in and out valves. And when you say K-meta, you mean Potassium Metabisulfite, right?



BarrelMonkey said:


> For general maintenance I'd try to target 30ppm SO2, but I think 50ppm would be a good place to start given that you have had film growing recently. Some (maybe most) of the SO2 will get taken up immediately. I agree with @ibglowin that in addition to adding SO2 to the bulk wine you might spritz the top with, say a 6% w/v solution of K-meta before purging with N2 and capping the kegs. You have airtight stoppers on the kegs, right?


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## BarrelMonkey (Aug 16, 2021)

DerrickPeavy said:


> Yes, they are the half size corny kegs, air tight with gas in and out valves. And when you say K-meta, you mean Potassium Metabisulfite, right?


Yes, Kmeta = KMBS = potassium metabisulfite.


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## Ajmassa (Aug 16, 2021)

welcome to the “wth is growing on top of my wine?” club. Both these threads linked below are good informative discussions regarding your EXACT issue j think.

Correcting Flowers of Wine

Lees Rising to the Surface?

Main takeaways from these discussions:
-Many of us deal with this
-We still have no clue what it is or what causes it, only theories. 
-some wines will get it while others under same exact conditions don’t.
-the wine seems unaffected despite the reappearing surface crud
-ph doesn’t seem to be a factor 
- I can’t speak on the larger surface area of a tank but my routine in Carboys & demijohns with small necks has been scooping out the crud & wiping clean the sides with rolled up paper towels, heavy handed so2 management, and like @ibglowin said- a confident spritz or two of kmeta sanitizer solution directly into the vessel after Ive cleaned it. And then just keeping your eye on it repeating as necessary. (I use 3tsp kmeta & 1tsp citric in a 32oz spray bottle as my sanitizer)


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 16, 2021)

Thanks! And yes, it's kind of maddening. Either way, SO2 seems like the next step. So I'll release pressure and add tonight, then seal again and add nitrogen. 

Given how the mass sometimes looked like a fungus - the lines, the circles, the webbing, I suspect something like that. But I do think there may be some floating lees. I did press pretty hard on the skins with my wine press. I once spent a week as a cellar hand and saw how hard grapes were squeezed with bladder presses and came out really dry, so I figured I needed to go pretty hard with the home press. But maybe I went too hard. Even after 10 days with Dualfine, there is still sediment when I let a sample sit for a while.




Ajmassa said:


> welcome to the “wth is growing on top of my wine?” club. Both these threads linked below are good informative discussions regarding your EXACT issue j think.
> 
> Correcting Flowers of Wine
> 
> ...


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 16, 2021)

OK, next question (HA! - you thought that was all). I aged in a 5 gallon barrel. I topped off on a regular basis with CO2. I used to brew beer, so I have a lot of stuff I have been able to repurpose.

Instead of using the supplied spout that came with the barrel (see pic), which has an aluminum piece in it, I used a wine stopper with a silicone seal. It was great - no leaking at all! The wine aged in my home office which is usually 68-74 degrees, probably too hot and that's probably why I have the above issue. But what else can you do in Atlanta? It's hot, it's humid.

So, after I rack it off of the barrel, I look at the wine stopper and it's discolored. I used the stopper because I assumed it was stainless steel. It was heavy and so, you know? But it turns out it was chrome plating over... something?

I then let the stopper sit in a PBW solution. So the pic I have here is after that to clean it up, which caused some pitting - just to be clear, the PBW caused the pitting, not the wine, which is very odd.

Here's my question, assuming I can recover form the unknown stuff floating on top of the wine, have I inadvertently poisoned my wine with chromium or some other chrome plating alloy?


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## winemaker81 (Aug 17, 2021)

@DerrickPeavy, my first thought regarding the fining failing is dissolved CO2, but after ~10 months the wine should be degassed. You're filling the headspace with CO2 -- I have not heard of that being a problem with fining.

At this point I'd add the standard treatment for a wine that won't clear -- pectic enzyme. This is rarely needed with grape wines, but it doesn't hurt.

Yeah, you can go heavier on SO2 during bulk aging, and if you have any type of infection, it's wise to do so. Last December you hit the wine with a quad dose (1 tsp/5 gallons) and that _should _knock out most things.

SO2 works by binding to contaminants, and gets used up. The more unwanted "stuff" in the wine, the faster the SO2 gets used up. I agree with @Rice_Guy about having too much SO2 at bottling time. I don't do SO2 testing, but it may be worth it for you do to that before bottling, especially if you add another high dose of SO2.

Is this a new barrel? If so, you may have left the wine in it too long, as new smaller barrels impart a LOT of oak character in a very short time. This is likely affecting the flavor.

I am not a fan of filling headspace with gas. Even if added carefully, all gases mix with the air in the headspace to some extent, and you have NO idea what the mix is, so having significant amounts of O2 is a risk. As a barrel evaporates and the space becomes larger, the risk increases.

If you top with wine, you know 100% what's in the barrel. I plan 10% loss over a year for 54 liter barrels, e.g., 16 gallons of wine for a 14.25 gallon barrel. For smaller barrels the percentage loss can be higher, and this is affected by temperature and humidity.

Regarding the chrome fixture, I do not have an answer, other than knowing heavy metals in wine are poisonous. I found this on WebMD, which provides a minimal background.

Heavy Metals Found in Wine (webmd.com) 

Do a lot more research, not only for the wine but for any residue left in the barrel. I'm a big fan of doing what can be done to save a wine, but if there is a possibility it is poisoned, dump it!

In the future, I suggest using only equipment marketed specifically for winemaking. Wine is acidic and equipment suitable for beer may not be suitable for wine.


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 17, 2021)

Thank you! I got mixed messages on the aging in barrel from different people. Another home winemaker (from MoreWinemaking.com) said that he left his in barrel for a long time (months) without issue. Other places and people said no, only a month or two. It was a new barrel. The flavor is off at this point, hard to know if it's just the over oaking or what. But definitely a wood taste. Hoping that aging will mellow that.

As for infection, I use star san religiously and generously. At every stage, even on fittings and often dip my hands in a solution as well. And I used two rounds of SO2 in ample amounts as you noted.

I am not opposed to throwing it out if I have to. It's my second attempt from grapes. I figure there is a learning and mistake curve. I'm also troubled by what appears to be just over 10% ABV. Would have expected 12 or higher.

I am waiting on a PH meter right now before doing anything.

And I've asked my local wine supply store (we actually have that close by) for pectic enzyme if they have it.

*Any advice on how to affordably test for SO2 at this point?* The tetrits aren't that effective for red from what I can see.

I've had the wine under nitrogen now for two days in the 2/5 gallon corny kegs. Curious to see if the stuff comes back on top. I did a sample pour last night to check SG and it looks like the stuff that was floating on top may have been pushed to the bottom due to pressure as it came out when I tapped it and that means it has to be at the bottom of the keg.

My main concern right now is any interaction with the chrome. That has me worried. And mad. I mean, it is a wine stopper. So I made the dumb assumption that it would be safe. Other than that, all material is stainless. The fermenting tank and carboys are stainless and made for wine and beers. 

*Any advice on testing for metals (affordably)?*




winemaker81 said:


> @DerrickPeavy, my first thought regarding the fining failing is dissolved CO2, but after ~10 months the wine should be degassed. You're filling the headspace with CO2 -- I have not heard of that being a problem with fining.
> 
> At this point I'd add the standard treatment for a wine that won't clear -- pectic enzyme. This is rarely needed with grape wines, but it doesn't hurt.
> 
> ...


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## winemaker81 (Aug 17, 2021)

@DerrickPeavy, ask a question of 10 winemakers, you'll get at least 11 opinions.  

Even if you do everything right, things can go wrong. Most the time it doesn't, but nothing is foolproof. Keep up with hygiene and always look for ways to improve.

Regarding barrels, size matters. More specifically, the ratio of interior surface area to total volume. The higher the ratio, the faster oak flavoring is imparted to the wine. When you hear of a winery aging a wine for 5 years in a new barrel, it's a 60 gallon barrel, not a 5 gallon.

The wine itself also matters -- a heavy red can handle more oak than a lighter bodied one without being overwhelmed. And your taste matters -- some folks like the wine to taste like they are chewing on the wood, while others like a mild flavoring.

I don't do SO2 testing -- I've never seen the need. I add 1/4 tsp K-meta at each racking and before bottling, and have never had detectable sulfur fumes.

Last fall I had my first personal encounter with hydrogen sulfide, and triple dosed the K-meta and stirred the heck out of it. I later dosed it with Reduless (product to manage H2S), more K-meta, and kieselsol/chitosan to force precipitation. I never smelled SO2 and still don't, although to be honest, it's hard to smell anything when H2S is present.

So ... I strike my previous comment and suggest that if you can't smell sulfur, don't worry about it.

I suspect the problem with the chrome tap is that it's for dispensing, not aging. Contact for an evening is trivial; contact for months on end may not be. Also, folks will sell items while having no clue that their product is dangerous.

I tried searching for "test wine for chrome" and got pages of results for WINE (compatibility layer for running Windows programs on Unix/Linux) and Chromebooks. You might try "heavy metal" instead of chrome. Also check the local universities for Agriculture programs, specifically grapes. They may do testing or be able to point you someplace that does.

Let's not give up hope on the wine. You can always dump it later, if you need to.


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 17, 2021)

Thanks! Agreed. And I definetely know about the barrel volumes - nothing beats the smell of piping in 60 gallons of wine into a barrel. This is a cabernet and it never seemed to have much oak or char flavor when I tasted, always tasted green, so I kept it going. 

I'll keep looking for a testing option and will call the extension service again - can't seem to find anything online either.



winemaker81 said:


> @DerrickPeavy, ask a question of 10 winemakers, you'll get at least 11 opinions.
> 
> Even if you do everything right, things can go wrong. Most the time it doesn't, but nothing is foolproof. Keep up with hygiene and always look for ways to improve.
> 
> ...


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 17, 2021)

@winemaker81 one other question - what about filtering? Would that remove too much of the wine character? I have a filter case would just need to order a 5 micron filter, or whatever is appropriate.


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## winemaker81 (Aug 17, 2021)

DerrickPeavy said:


> what about filtering?


If the wine is not clear, you'll quickly plug the coarsest filter. Filters are good for polishing, not clearing.

IMO, manually remove any foreign material and give pectic enzyme 2 weeks. Let's regroup then.


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## Rice_Guy (Aug 17, 2021)

The US food system is quite regulated, ,,,, we can not put food in containers which are known to be toxic. The silicone gasket wine stopper is a product intended for contact with food/ beverage. (and I have a few of those fancy silicone gasket stoppers which I have used) 
My assumption with mine is that they are a nontoxic food grade composite. Mine are not magnetic (steel). One with a white corrosion looks like aluminum, one which is shiny looks like anodized aluminum.

Good question


DerrickPeavy said:


> Here's my question, assuming I can recover form the unknown stuff floating on top of the wine, have I inadvertently poisoned my wine with chromium or some other chrome plating alloy?
> 
> View attachment 77605
> View attachment 77606


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## sour_grapes (Aug 17, 2021)

DerrickPeavy said:


> Here's my question, assuming I can recover form the unknown stuff floating on top of the wine, have I inadvertently poisoned my wine with chromium or some other chrome plating alloy?
> 
> View attachment 77605
> View attachment 77606




It looks like stainless steel. SS generally DOES contain chromium, but not in a form that is dangerous. (You probably eat with it every day!)


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 17, 2021)

That's what I thought, but it's not magnetic!



sour_grapes said:


> It looks like stainless steel. SS generally DOES contain chromium, but not in a form that is dangerous. (You probably eat with it every day!)


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## sour_grapes (Aug 17, 2021)

DerrickPeavy said:


> That's what I thought, but it's not magnetic!



Good! Almost all food-safe forms of SS are nonmagnetic. (The exceptions including 18/0, or 430, which is both foodsafe and magnetic.)


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 17, 2021)

Picked up the pectic enzyme. Also, did a PH sample with strips - diluted the wine 1:4 with distilled water, PH appears to be higher than 4.4. Sad face. Will test again when I get meter. The wine doesn't smell like vinegar. But it doesn't quite smell like wine either. Just kind of neutral.




winemaker81 said:


> If the wine is not clear, you'll quickly plug the coarsest filter. Filters are good for polishing, not clearing.
> 
> IMO, manually remove any foreign material and give pectic enzyme 2 weeks. Let's regroup then.


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 18, 2021)

Recombined today after 3 days in kegs under nitro. Wine smelled fantastic! Still low alcohol. But, PH is high and vineyard winemaker where I picked up the grapes looked at pics and definitely feels the SO2 and PH are off. Added the pectic enzyme and another 1/4 tsp of SO2. Will probably add tartaric acid to bring PH down once I can test with a meter.


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## winemaker81 (Aug 18, 2021)

All sounds good. Use 1/2 or 1/4 of the tartaric you think you need. Stir it in and let it rest a week before tasting. Add more if you think it needs it. You can get on an acid yo-yo, fixing and unfixing the acid level until you mess the wine up.

Also, pay attention to your tastebuds. If the tastebuds say the wine is good and the pH meter disagrees, keep in mind the pH meter will NOT be drinking the wine ...


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 27, 2021)

So 9 days so far with pectic enzyme. Tested PH with a meter this morning. Reading is 4.01. I tested a white wine sample from a bottle I purchased at the local market. White wine was at 3.8. I also calibrated the meter before use, so I am going to guess the 4.01 is accurate. 



winemaker81 said:


> All sounds good. Use 1/2 or 1/4 of the tartaric you think you need. Stir it in and let it rest a week before tasting. Add more if you think it needs it. You can get on an acid yo-yo, fixing and unfixing the acid level until you mess the wine up.
> 
> Also, pay attention to your tastebuds. If the tastebuds say the wine is good and the pH meter disagrees, keep in mind the pH meter will NOT be drinking the wine ...


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## winemaker81 (Aug 27, 2021)

DerrickPeavy said:


> Reading is 4.01.


What does the wine taste like? A white should have a bit of a bite to it. Does it taste flabby and/or lifeless? If so, a small amount of acid should help. Go light and let it rest a week before tasting again. It takes time for the acid to integrate.


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## DerrickPeavy (Aug 27, 2021)

Well, this is a cabernet. I only tested the white to make sure the meter wasn't giving just a calibrated reading. It has a nice color and the aroma is OK, not as good as I would prefer. Still has a green wood taste. But otherwise neutral. 




winemaker81 said:


> What does the wine taste like? A white should have a bit of a bite to it. Does it taste flabby and/or lifeless? If so, a small amount of acid should help. Go light and let it rest a week before tasting again. It takes time for the acid to integrate.


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## winemaker81 (Aug 27, 2021)

DerrickPeavy said:


> Well, this is a cabernet.


I lost track of variety .... 

Keep in mind the wine is still young. It won't have the taste you're expecting for p another 6 months, possibly a year or more. To put this in perspective, the wine is a 9 yo child, so expecting it to act like an 18 yo is not feasible.

At this point, don't focus on the numbers. You've recently addressed other issues. Let the wine rest another month, then taste it.


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## winemaker81 (Aug 30, 2021)

@DerrickPeavy, read my tasting notes in my *wine stix experiment*. The ups and downs of the tasting are surprising, but may give you a boost in understanding that your wine is going through cycles that don't make apparent sense.


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## DerrickPeavy (Sep 11, 2021)

August 18, I added pectic enzyme. Capped off with CO2. Checked at one week. Looked good. Checked at two weeks. Looked good. Kept the bubbler topped with star san, and capped each peak with CO2. But, today, September 11, I opened to take add tartaric acid and... the blob is back! Pics attached along with a close up under a magnifier. I skimmed as much as could off with a fine mesh strainer. Then, I added the tartaric acid and some more SO2 and closed up again. Not sure what to think. When I opened, there was an off smell, kind of bacterial like. Once I skimmed it off, there was more of a wine odor. So? I also sprayed the top with star san. Just don't know how much more clean I can be.


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## BarrelMonkey (Sep 11, 2021)

DerrickPeavy said:


> But, today, September 11, I opened to take add tartaric acid and... the blob is back! Pics attached along with a close up under a magnifier. I skimmed as much as could off with a fine mesh strainer. Then, I added the tartaric acid and some more SO2 and closed up again. Not sure what to think. When I opened, there was an off smell, kind of bacterial like. Once I skimmed it off, there was more of a wine odor. So? I also sprayed the top with star san. Just don't know how much more clean I can be.



It's not uncommon to find this sort of film growing in barrels if you leave them too long between topping and a large headspace forms - and your wine is also relatively high pH, which also can promote unwanted growths.

The best way to get rid of it is reduce the airspace and maintain SO2 levels. When I'm topping a barrel that I know has film, I always 'overtop', filling the barrel through a wand that's submerged under the surface and adding wine until it flows out of the top. No airspace = less chance of spoilage microorganisms. However, if this is all your wine in this container, topping might not be an option unless you use, eg a commercial wine of the same varietal to fill the headspace. 

SO2 is also your friend. If you have things growing in there, I would bet most of your SO2 has been consumed so it's good that you added more. (How much, 50ppm?) And hopefully that tartaric add will bring down the pH and discourage further growth. Did you test the pH after addition of the tartaric?

Finally, are you saying that you sprayed the top of your _wine _with StarSan? Not sure about that, I've only used it for sanitizing empty vessels and hoses. I would spray with, eg 6% w/v KMBS instead.


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## DerrickPeavy (Sep 11, 2021)

BarrelMonkey said:


> It's not uncommon to find this sort of film growing in barrels if you leave them too long between topping and a large headspace forms - and your wine is also relatively high pH, which also can promote unwanted growths.
> 
> The best way to get rid of it is reduce the airspace and maintain SO2 levels. When I'm topping a barrel that I know has film, I always 'overtop', filling the barrel through a wand that's submerged under the surface and adding wine until it flows out of the top. No airspace = less chance of spoilage microorganisms. However, if this is all your wine in this container, topping might not be an option unless you use, eg a commercial wine of the same varietal to fill the headspace.
> 
> ...



1 OZ of tartaric acid in 4 gallons of cabernet. The star san was a spray down the sides of the stainless carboy and some on top. Not worried about that, it will break down, I use it to sanitize all the time. I also added 1/4 teaspoon SO2. I will test PH in a day or two. I honestly don't think there is a high percentage of alcohol in there. Sad.


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