Help! First batch mistake put in

[David Florea]

potassium metabisulfate instead of yeast nutrient to wild grape gallon. One teaspoon. I thought I had a problem when the water turned greenish and strong gas smell. Should I throw it out and call it a day?

 

[rustbucket]

DON'T THROW IT AWAY!

When was the potassium metabisulphite added? How many gallons of wine are you making. What was the specific gravity when you started the wine and what is it now? One teaspoon of Kmeta in a 6 gallon bucket is a lot but not something that can't be dealt with. I'm a little surprise at the color change.

Please give us more information so we can better advise you.

 

[David Florea]

I had about a gallon of crushed grapes in a nylon bag. The recipe called for 7 pints of cold water 1 1/2 Camden pills one teaspoon of yeast nutrient 1/2 tsp of pectin and sugar. Step 2 in recipe. I mistook nutrient for potassium metab. See recipe https://www.defalcos.com/tutorials/...ape-wine-recipe-mustang-and-or-muscadine.html

 

[David Florea]

I had about a gallon of crushed grapes in a nylon bag. The recipe called for 7 pints of cold water 1 1/2 Camden pills one teaspoon of yeast nutrient 1/2 tsp of pectin and sugar. Step 2 in recipe. I mistook nutrient for potassium metab. See recipe https://www.defalcos.com/tutorials/...ape-wine-recipe-mustang-and-or-muscadine.html

 

[Intheswamp]

I wish I knew what to tell you but I'm a greenhorn at this. One thing I noticed is that the recipe is calling for the use of sodium metabisulfite which it seems pretty much everybody says not to use....use potassium metabisulfite instead. I've read where Na-meta can leave a "taste". Maybe salty? Best wishes on your fermentation!!! Ed

 

[David Florea]

I’m probably going to throw the batch out. I use wild grape which is difficult to find in abundance around here. I’ve decimated my vine. Next year maybe? I was trying to be careful with procedure and measurement and messed up on the label. Dumb mistake but a learning experience. I’ve read that potassium meta bisulfate is used but the measurement is 1/4 tsp per 6 gal of wine. I used 1 tsp for aprorimatly 1 gal. So that’s 6x6x6x6 if my math is correct amount. There are probably somethings I could do but really is it worth it? Thanks

 

[gsf77]

I am also new at this wine making adventure but what have you got to loose by proceeding forward with the batch? If it were me I wouldn't chunk it. Maybe some of the others with experience may have a different take on this.

 

[David Florea]

Too late and not worth the hassle.

 

[gsf77]

Yeah sometimes it's more simpler to just start over. I just recently spent countless hours attempting to make some apple wine. The next morning when I went to add some yeast nutrient I discovered one of the two five gallon buckets of juice was full of sugar ants, alive and drowned. I managed to rescue the other one. There were ants on it but not in it.

 

[Scooter68]

Word of encouragement - Many accidents can be recovered from, even overdosing with K-Meta. Ants and fruit flies maybe not.

But for the future Sanitize the Cr@p out of your work area, floor counters etc. Before and after working. Ant follow trails and while they can find stuff on their own... they usually follow traces of food/sugar. If you think you have ants in the area, set out bait traps as far away as possible from your work area and watch them, Also put them outside the house. Keeping them out is better than killing them once they are inside. For fruit flies ALWAYS cover your buckets with a cloth and tightly tied cord securing the cloth. Lids, are a royal PITA to take off and put on and they still leak anyway. Check your airlocks daily if you observing lots of fruit flies. They will infiltrate the airlock and die but you still want to keep them and any of their bacteria well away from the wine.

I have recently been seeing fruit flies land on the cloth of my buckets. I've killed a few but mainly I try to recover the bucket immediately even if I'm working on an addition or measurement.

Keep working at it. Most all of us have made our fair share of mistakes along the way. Unless you have an experienced coach standing at your side it's so easy to miss something along the way, or break a vital container or have equipment die on you etc.

 

[David Florea]

Thx

 

[beano]

Leave it set a couple of days. See what happens. I'm assuming you already pitched the yeast. Just give it a chance. You never know...

 

[David Florea]

Too late it’s finito.