Gelatinous wine

[timl3000]

In 2010 I made two separate buckets of apple wine to an old reliable recipe using 20lbs of sliced apple per gallon. One gallon of cold water used & 3.5lbs of sugar - no pectinase. In the past I have never had a problem with this recipe.

The wine fermented out to about 18% of about 1.5 gallons in each bucket and cleared well. After racking off, I stored the two brews in a sealed plastic containes for about a year in the attic.

Last week I decided to bottle off the first of the two brews. I started the syphon and it soon became blocked. On examination the wine was 70% thick clear and gelatinous - impossible to syphon. Eventually I manged to salvage about half a gallon - the rest of the first brew will probly have to be tipped. Sadly the wine tastes fine.

Is this due to pectin and has anyone any cure for such a thick soup. Will pectinase acheive a result.

The second brew seems ok.

Tim

 

[robie]

In 2010 I made two separate buckets of apple wine to an old reliable recipe using 20lbs of sliced apple per gallon. One gallon of cold water used & 3.5lbs of sugar - no pectinase. In the past I have never had a problem with this recipe.

The wine fermented out to about 18% of about 1.5 gallons in each bucket and cleared well. After racking off, I stored the two brews in a sealed plastic containes for about a year in the attic.

Last week I decided to bottle off the first of the two brews. I started the syphon and it soon became blocked. On examination the wine was 70% thick clear and gelatinous - impossible to syphon. Eventually I manged to salvage about half a gallon - the rest of the first brew will probly have to be tipped. Sadly the wine tastes fine.

Is this due to pectin and has anyone any cure for such a thick soup. Will pectinase acheive a result.

The second brew seems ok.

Tim

Sorry no one has responded to your post. We all are hoping someone else might have a clue. Unfortunately, I have never heard of such happening, so I really can't help you, either. Give it a few more days for someone to respond.

Did you say you stored it in the attic? Didn't the wine get really hot during that long storage period?

Was the thick portion the same color as the rest of the salvaged wine in that same container?

Was the second container all OK?

 

[SarahRides]

The only thing I can think of is if it had a lot of pectin.......I believe that is the stuff that gels jam and I know apples have a lot in it.

 

[Lurker]

Now that's what I call good body.

 

[timl3000]

Thanks for that - yes I can only think it was caused by pectin. The apples I used were a mixture of good quality cookers and from a wild tree in a local hedge. The second brew was perfect and was made with the same recipe, apples and at the same time.

I have managed to salvage most of it and have added some pectolase to see if that will stabilise it. At least what I have save it both strong and full of flavour. However I binned the jelly as the difficulty in straining it through the teeth outweighed any advantage !

Regards

Tim

 

[timl3000]

Thanks for that - yes I can only think it was caused by pectin. The apples I used were a mixture of good quality cookers and from a wild tree in a local hedge. The second brew was perfect and was made with the same recipe, apples and at the same time.

I have managed to salvage most of it and have added some pectolase to see if that will stabilise it. At least what I have save is both strong and full of flavour. However I binned the jelly as the difficulty in straining it through the teeth outweighed any advantage !

Regards

Tim

 

[Arne]

Did you try it on toast?? It has been many many years since I watched somebody make jelly. I think my grandmother put the juice on the stove, just warmed it up, not boiling and added the sugar and more pectin and poured it into jars. then she sealed it with wax. Wonder if with the high temps in the attic if you didn't just make some alcoholic jelly. What a way to start your day. Arne.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

If your wine had become contaminated with the bacteria that makes vinegar, you'd get a gelatinous mass called "mother of vinegar". BUT, you said it tastes fine, so this shouldn't be your problem. I make home made vinegar with my left-over wine and it does make very good vinegar.

 

[Arne]

If your wine had become contaminated with the bacteria that makes vinegar, you'd get a gelatinous mass called "mother of vinegar". BUT, you said it tastes fine, so this shouldn't be your problem. I make home made vinegar with my left-over wine and it does make very good vinegar.

Lon,
I didn't know there was sucha thing as leftover wine. Arne.

 

[RobGlug]

Fixing 'Ropiness"

I hope you have not thrown this out yet!
This is called 'Ropiness'. It is due to long chains or ropes of bacteria of the gracile bacteria family. There is a simple remedy to fix it.

Two Campden tablets per 5 litres should be dissolved in the wine after it has been beaten thoroughly with a wooden spoon (to break up the chains of bactaria.) After a thorough beating and sterilisation with the potassium metabisulphite, the wine will throw a sediment from which the clean, bright wine should be racked as soon as possible into a clean and sterilized jar. After 3-4 weeks the wine will have completely recovered and will be perfectly suitable for drinking.

Rob

 

[timl3000]

Thanks Rob - I saved all but one inch in the bottom of the bucket. I have added pectinase and will add some metabisulphite tomorrow. It all tastes ok so I'm not disgarding any !!