Fermentation in bottle

[Nathan_s]

I have a viognier that has started fermenting again and carbonating in the bottle. There is a layer of yeast or similar settling on the bottom. If it is bacteria causing this would they settle on the bottom like this or does this indicate that it is yeast? See the picture attached.

The batch was from a Chilean juice bucket that I started 4/25/19. Below is my process.
-4/25/19: 1.096 SG, 3g fermaid k, bentonite and oxygenate with an oxygen stone and pure oxygen for a minute. Yeast was already in the bucket.
-1/3 break add 4.5g of fermaid o
-I neglected to note FG or a date of transfer to secondary but I wait until there is no signs of fermentation activity
-5/22/19: 1/4 tsp k meta
-7/6/19: Transfer again
-7/30/19: 1/4 tsp k meta and degas. I degas with a vacuum pump with the carboy on a large stir plate for a few hours until I see nothing coming out
8/6/19: Bottle using vacuum pump. Each bottle was sanitized with StarSan. I had a bottle a few days later, it was still and I really liked it
10/12/19: I opened a bottle and noticed it was carbonated and all bottles have sediment in them. I opened all bottles and dumped in a carboy with 1/4 tsp k meta. All bottles had carbonation. Current gravity is 0.990

What would you suggest to salvage this batch?

Does this seem indicative of a unfinished fermentation I bottled, a Brett infection or a bacteria infection?

I found this out when I used a bottle of said viognier to top up a Chardonnay. I didn’t notice until after I dumped it in the Chardonnay. I immediately put 1/2 tsp of k meta in the Chardonnay to hopefully shock and kill anything that I introduced to the batch. Do you have any suggestions to make sure I didn’t damage this batch?

 

[1d10t]

How does it taste? If infected with that much 'gunk' you should be able to tell if there are off flavors.

 

[Nathan_s]

Aside from the carbonation bite it didn’t seem off from smelling it and the tiny sip I had. I’m on a drug I can’t drink with for another 7 days so I didn’t explore much. I’ll pull a sample once I’m allowed to and look closer for flaws.

 

[sour_grapes]

I assume you mean that the SG was 0.990?

 

[Nathan_s]

Yes 0.990, editing original post

 

[sour_grapes]

It is not obvious to me what went wrong. I will say that it seems really crazy to me that you bottled it without measuring the SG. I agree that you should have been okay, based on the timeline, but maybe not!

The only guess I can hazard is that: (a) the fermentation was not done on 5/22; (b) you added k-meta, which slowed the yeast down; (c) you degassed and bottled, but there were viable yeast; (d) when the k-meta diminished a bit, the yeast were able to complete the fermentation.

I guess if it were mine, I would uncork them, transfer to bucket then carboy, wait, k-meta, and rebottle.

 

[Nathan_s]

Would bacteria settle at the bottom like that as well? I’m wondering if I lost my k-meta protection after degassing and this is MLF?

 

[stickman]

It's always possible to be MLF, but I would probably agree with @sour_grapes with incomplete fermentation. With your process and given a fairly short timeline, the sediment is usually a mixture of yeast, bacteria, and potassium bitartrate crystals.

 

[1d10t]

Now you see why some people don't bottle for a year? Patience isn't a virtue. It is a tool.

 

[jburtner]

I've had sediment develop in a pinot grigio even after 6-9mos of clearing / fining / filtering. I degassed using the AIO so no carbonation. Was still very good and I just run it through a coffee filter into a decanter when we drink it.

Cheers,
johann

 

[whackfol]

I don't make many whites, but part of my post fermentation addition is Lysozyme to stop ML. Absent a secondary fermentation, I'd have to question whether you got all the CO2 out during your degassing.