Correcting 'flowers' in wine

[Daboyleroy]

@David Violante I usually build first and then answer questions when the yelling starts; this method has worked for 32yrs of marriage so far.

In June it will be 54 “marvelous “ years TO THE SAME WOMAN
same method
easier for forgiveness than..... permission

 

[Jal5]

Update- glad to report that no more film in any of the bottles or bulk aging carboys. We were away for two months so I was a little bit worried what I would find when we got home. It will age a little longer before bottling since we don’t need the carboys right now.

next month on to spring grapes!
Joe

 

[hounddawg]

hum, i found this thread, i have 24 gallons finished apple wine, was fermented all together, then racked into 4#-6 gallon carboys, they are 1 year bulked and getting ready to back sweeten and bottle, I've made country wines longer then I have been on here, about a month ago I went in to check airlocks and 1 has flowers, they were all made together, bunged the same time racked same time, even the k-meta solution was from the same at the same time, yet, I am trying to find out why and what to do about, I have never had wine flowers before, this is after i drew out some samples then i refilled it, so only the neck was and is the airspace, i lowered the level for better pictures,, any ideals, i wish to never have a repeat, ideals needed and wanted,,,
Dawg
Dawgfor

 

[winemaker81]

I’m curious, mine occurred in all the carboys where I used nutrients and bentonite. I’m not saying there’s a correlation, more so asking if that could be a contributing factor? Also, only in the ones that are from grapes. My mead and cranberry don’t have it. No bad smells or tastes either. Here’s a few other pictures. This was when I was tasting and before cleaning and adding to top off...

That looks like grape solids. I've had stuff like that adhere to the top of the carboy numerous times, typically early in the process. I simply racked the wine, cleaned the carboy well, and refilled. I can't recall having off-tastes or smells when it occurred, so I assumed it was light stuff that floated instead of sinking.

@hounddawg, what does the wine smell and taste like?

 

[hounddawg]

That looks like grape solids. I've had stuff like that adhere to the top of the carboy numerous times, typically early in the process. I simply racked the wine, cleaned the carboy well, and refilled. I can't recall having off-tastes or smells when it occurred, so I assumed it was light stuff that floated instead of sinking.

@hounddawg, what does the wine smell and taste like?

it smells like apple, but taste of alcohol, since it has not been back sweetened yet
Dawg

 

[winemaker81]

it smells like apple, but taste of alcohol, since it has not been back sweetened yet

I'd clear out the solids and proceed. Unless the wine tastes bad, IMO you're fine.

 

[hounddawg]

funny, you do something for years, one thing goes awry and you're a baby duck in a new pond,
Thank Yawl so Very Much
Dawg

 

[winemaker81]

funny, you do something for years, one thing goes awry and you're a baby duck in a new pond,

I know exactly how you feel -- my H2S episode last fall was the first time I personally encountered it.

I practiced Soo Bahk Do, a Korean martial art, for quite a few years. The art has no black belt -- in Soo Bahk Do, the belt is midnight blue, which symbolizes that everyone will always have more to learn, and will never fully master everything there is to know. This certainly applies to winemaking!

 

[Jal5]

I would clean that stuff off, spray some kmeta in there and proceed. As long as it tastes and smells good I don't think it is flowers. I had it when I used crushed campden tabs during the last processing the fermentation. This current 6 g I am making uses only the kmeta powder so I will report if there is a difference or not in the future.

 

[hounddawg]

I've used k-meta powder from the start,,
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

hum must be slipping went to ask a question but went blank by the time i got this post pulled up, and no i have not been sampling,,, lol
Dawg

 

[Jal5]

Further update. So the stuff came back in the5 g carboy. I have doused it with kmeta twice and filtered it the second time I added kmeta. Frustrated.
any other ideas?
Joe

 

[Rice_Guy]

* layer grain alcohol gently on the surface
* drop the pH below 3.0
* remove oxygen as with a head space eliminator or argon
* you must have some residual sugar , remove sugar with 1118
* keep free sulphite high/ above spec till you are close to bottling

Further update. So the stuff came back in the5 g carboy. I have doused it with kmeta twice and filtered it the second time I added kmeta. Frustrated.
any other ideas?
Joe

 

[Jal5]

I never added grain alcohol how do I ado it and what does it accomplish?

 

[Jal5]

I will take a pH reading and SG today

 

[Rice_Guy]

alcohol at 18% is toxic to all microbes.
For me the key is to add fairly slow, ,, at the surface line where the infection was to minimize mixing, using a syringe/ pipette. It will mix fairly fast but I may have a few minutes where the local concentration is over 18%.

I never added grain alcohol how do I add it and what does it accomplish?

 

[hounddawg]

ok now i have the one i sent pictures of, and another i found today, ok these were from scratch, 4#-6 gal carboys, i have 2 with no problem, just straight apple,,,, but the 2 apples with the white film , both has cinnamon and all spice, I've got 20 or so carboys 6 gal or larger, all over from 14 to 18 months,, and not a thing on any other of the rest, just 2 of 4 of apple carboys, the two straight apple are just fine, but the only difference i can think of,, is the two with white film have allspice and cinnamon
Dawg

 

[G259]

Infection from the spice jars? I like the Kmeta, and (new to me) grain alcohol solutions above, that's interesting.

 

[Raptor99]

I have wondered about the danger of infection when adding spices to secondary. What I have done is saturate the spices for 10 minutes in a tiny amount of K-meta in a small cup covered with plastic wrap to sanitize the spices before adding them to the carboy. I'm not sure that this is adequate, but it is what I am trying.

 

[hounddawg]

I have wondered about the danger of infection when adding spices to secondary. What I have done is saturate the spices for 10 minutes in a tiny amount of K-meta in a small cup covered with plastic wrap to sanitize the spices before adding them to the carboy. I'm not sure that this is adequate, but it is what I am trying.

sounds good to me, i have been planning to not use spices anymore, these were my first in a non-mead wine, there's a couple on here and if they chime in, we'll both know for sure, but that dose make since ,,,
Dawg