Do I toss this batch? Mold?

[tpunx99gsx]

This is Frontenac grapes. After primary fermentation. Was planning on pressing and moving to my other carboy this week. And this has appeared today.. anyone know what kind of mold this is? Do I toss it?
Thanks in advance
Tom

 

[winechef]

Did you not add kmeta? did you not punch down the cap a few times a day.? was your equipment sanitized?

I'll let others comment on what to do, as I've never had any infection bacteria or mold during fermentation. but it doesn't look healthy to me.

any smells or off flavors?

 

[AFW]

This looks like BRETT.

https://winemakermag.com/article/understanding-and-controlling-brettanomyces

 

[Snafflebit]

Wow. Maybe it is brett, but I have never seen a brett infection before. Does it smell mousy, sweaty? Something in the winemaking steps was missed.

 

[Neb Farmer]

My thought is since you've put in the time and effort so far, scoop off the crud on the top the best you can and go ahead and press. Definitely add the K Meta in the pressed juice, add your yeast and nutrients, and see where it leads you. If you are fortunate, the infection is mainly on the top of your must and what is in the rest is minimal, hopefully to the point that Meta K will knock it out.

If you find that crud all through the must, maybe DON'T press , and just take the free-run juice.

You might want to clean and sanitize your equipment pretty good afterwards.

But you've went this far with the effort and work. A little more time and effort might not be a bad thing

Good luck

 

[Rice_Guy]

Welcome to WMT

Wine (fermented foods) is a multiple variable food preservation system. Mold is an organism which requires oxygen for growth. As noted already we stir to wet floating skins and minimize the growth of aerobic organisms. In a finished wine the exclusion of oxygen is key to success.

OK something grew. It grew because the organism was already there at a low population level. Does the wine taste bad. Yes then toss / no then it should be OK.
On my part I would filter off skins and other solids. Then treat with 50ppm of metabisulphite and then transfer to a carboy. Frequently one can save a fermentation by removing the oxygen. The overall question is how much growth (how long has this been going on).