Clumps of snowlike stuff in wine

[MN-winer]

I figured after a year of wine making I knew it all. NOT.

I made some Blueberry wine last fall - just 3 liters. My recipe was from Jack Kellers website - I can't recall all the specifics, but boiled water, added blueberries, pectin enzyme, acid blend, added campden, waited a day then pitched yeast. Fermentation never started so I created a starter with a cup of raisens, and things went fine. Initial SG was 1.10 (too high, I know). Raisens increased it I think. Racked to secondary, waited a few weeks, then racked again. SG was .990 so it was dry. I added sorbate, sparkaloid and degassed. It cleared quickly and I waited a few weeks. Then I racked again, added some simple syrup to taste, added 1/2 tablet of campden, stirred it up and then bottled shortly after. The wine tastes fine but I have these fluffy floaty things in the bottom of the bottle. They are not wine diamonds, but float around like snowflakes. It hasn't refermented from what I can see, no blown corks, there are no bubbles in the wine.
I heard in a posting that if you add campden just before bottling there are solids in the tablets that can create something like this. Same thing happened to my Concord, but I decanted and drank it. No problems with taste, it just looks odd.

Any Ideas?

 

[Torch404]

Do you have a picture?
It sounds like Flowers of Wine. Jack Keller recommends filtering and then re-sulfiting the wine. If left unchecked it will eat all the alcohol in your wine.

 

[MN-winer]

Thanks for the reply. It looks like dust particles floating. They are on the bottom and float only when I tip the bottle. Based on Jack's website Flowers of wine don't grow or get worse if the alcohol is over 10.5%, so I'm thinking maybe its not that. I'll see if I can get a picture of it tonight.

 

[Onegin]

I'm anxious to see this picture. I may have something similar happening in a batch of Saskatoon wine I'm making. I tried taking a picture but when I moved the carboy it disturbed the clumps so now they're more like ribbons of dust. Although in some of the pictures you can make out some small clumps.

 

[MN-winer]

The description matches what I have. I think its the campden tablet solids floating around.

 

[xanxer82]

Could be. Do you crush and dissolve the tabs in a little water before using?
I have a pill crusher that I got from CVS for a couple bucks. It works wonders when I use the tablets. I mainly use powdered KMeta. Also dissolved in some water before application.

 

[Onegin]

I use the powder as well, dump it in the empty carboy I'm syphoning it into and expect the wine to dissolve it as the carboy fills. MN where did you read about this condition?

 

[Tom]

Could be. Do you crush and dissolve the tabs in a little water before using?
I have a pill crusher that I got from CVS for a couple bucks. It works wonders when I use the tablets. I mainly use powdered KMeta. Also dissolved in some water before application.

Tabs and K-meta powder should always be dissolved before adding as well as sorbate. Can't tell by the pic but is it hanging on the sides or floating around? If hanging on the wall, give a quick shake and it will fall.

 

[Tom]

I figured after a year of wine making I knew it all. NOT.

I made some Blueberry wine last fall - just 3 liters. My recipe was from Jack Kellers website - I can't recall all the specifics, but boiled water, added blueberries, pectin enzyme, acid blend, added campden, waited a day then pitched yeast. Fermentation never started so I created a starter with a cup of raisens, and things went fine. Initial SG was 1.10 (too high, I know). Raisens increased it I think. Racked to secondary, waited a few weeks, then racked again. SG was .990 so it was dry. I added sorbate, sparkaloid and degassed. It cleared quickly and I waited a few weeks. Then I racked again, added some simple syrup to taste, added 1/2 tablet of campden, stirred it up and then bottled shortly after. The wine tastes fine but I have these fluffy floaty things in the bottom of the bottle. They are not wine diamonds, but float around like snowflakes. It hasn't refermented from what I can see, no blown corks, there are no bubbles in the wine.
I heard in a posting that if you add campden just before bottling there are solids in the tablets that can create something like this. Same thing happened to my Concord, but I decanted and drank it. No problems with taste, it just looks odd.

Any Ideas?

Blueberry takes months to really clear. How long from secondary to bottle?
Bet you rushed to bottle.
after adding clearing how many times U rack, how long from adding clearing to rack..

 

[Onegin]

It was collecting on the sides until I moved the carboy to take a picture, then everything kind of turned into layers. At the time there was a half inch of sediment, and now after sitting 24 hours, its about an inch, so it did fall. It still tastes good, no funky smell either. We'll see.

 

[Midwest Vintner]

what temperature is it when this is happening?

 

[MN-winer]

OK - sorry for the late reply. I probably bottled too quick. I racked only one time after I added clearing agents.

Here are some pics I took. First one is before agitating, the others are after agitating. It looks harmless, but as you say Tom, I probably rushed the bottling.

 

[Tom]

well that how we all learn from our mistake. (bottling to soon or NOT following the 3 "P's" )
Bet it still taste OK.

 

[Wineman727]

well that how we all learn from our mistake. (bottling to soon or NOT following the 3 "P's" )
Bet it still taste OK.

what are the three "P's"?

 

[Tom]

Patience
Patience
Patience
You can't rush winemaking.

 

[grapeman]

It is probably the result of adding the sorbate. The addition of potassium ions without cold stabilization can lead to snow like flakes floating (or sinking) in the bottom of the bottle from instability. The cold temperatures stabilize the wine and the excess ions precioitate out and then may be racked off. It is advisable to make your additions of sorbate and then try to cold stabilize for a bit before bottling to avoid this.