Crud or Critters?

[J-Dewey_1980]

I have two 6-gallon batches of wine I started last October. One is apple and it looks similar to what I would expect at this stage. The other is new for me which is an apple-rhubarb blend. It was also moving along fine until I racked it off the gross lees in late December. Since then, it has developed what I would call pellets of “crud” that have floated up near the head/neck (see pics). I did add k meta when I racked, but I fully dissolved that in a bit of wine before I added it, so I don’t think it’s clumps of undissolved powder. I appears it could be mold or growth of some kind? I have monitored it these past several weeks and it doesn’t seem to really get worse (nor to clear up).

So, naturally, I am questioning… Is this just residue and maybe something to do with the high pulp count of rhubarb? Is it residual yeast (maybe just wishful thinking)? Is it something more sinister that I am not seasoned enough to recognize? I am due to change out the airlocks again now, so if I should re-rack into a clean vessel and back into the carboy, I am open to that. Just looking for any clarification or experience others may have in this regard? If I have to pitch it, that would be a terrible shame, but I am more about being here to enjoy the next batch than risking it.

 

[J-Dewey_1980]

If this is helpful, I did use both pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient in the early stages. The wine should be 12.5% or so ABV.

 

[Ohio Bob]

If the last racking was December and it’s now March, it’s time to rack anyway. I would get a good turkey baster, one that collects fluid and tends not to drip any out. Suck up as much of the white as you can before racking to a clean carboy, not a bucket, that introduces too much oxygen to the wine. If you don’t have a carboy it’s highly recommended to get one.

Rack the wine and dose with Kmeta as usual. I don’t think it’s necessary to double dose, given your pictures.

Also keep the carboy well topped off. Limiting the headspace reduces the likelihood of something growing on the surface.

 

[Rice_Guy]

* What pH? I do a lot of wines with apple. There are several families of wild lactic acid bacteria which metabolize malic acid. They are a major risk at pH 3.5 and not so much at 3.2.
* fiber is heavier than wine, fiber should settle. Rhurbarb and apple fiber should present as brown where as your image is white. Is the particulate soft and mushes smoothly when rubbed between fingers?
* I wonder if you have an aerobic infection which would float at the wine~air layer and then mixed to push some of it into the neck of the carboy. What meta treatments? After going to a Pembachi seminar I am doing a double dose of meta at racking as a kill step in case there are wild lactic bacteria. Daniel’s graphic pointed out that we need less total SO2 by givin fewer but bigger doses.
* when I have had surface film, I have wiped with a paper towel > treated with meta > slowly layered a rain alcohol in the neck