messed up bad on muscadine

[cecilias9]

Well I added
¼ tsp. pectic enzyme, 2 tbsp yeast nutrient to my juice yesterday afternoon. It was about 18 hours ago, and this morning I have all kinds of what I believe is mold on the skins bag and in the juice. I am trying to salvage some of the juice by letting is drip out of the primary fermenter, hoping the slimy stuff will stay on top and not get in the juice I let out. Anyway, is it a lost cause now or should I continue? I added a half teaspoon of sodium bisulfate to the carboy before I drained the juice into it. I think I have about 2 and 1/2 gallons. I was boiling the water with the sugar to add to my must when I discovered the problem. I am completely at a loss as to how to proceed, or even if I should proceed. Any suggestions would be MOST appreciated. My hunch is that the cause is that the grapes did not get washed before they were frozen (will not point any fingers

)... so maybe it is really a lost cause? </span>

 

[robie]

2 tbsp yeast nutrient, had you already added the yeast?

Don't discard it and don't give up! Someone should be able to help you, Ive never had that problem, so I'm no help.

 

[cecilias9]

No, I had not added the yeast yet. I think perhaps I did not have enough sodium bisulfite to kill off all the cruddie stuff? Anyway, I have added about a 1/2 teaspoon diluted in 1/2 cup of distilled water to the juice I drained out of the primary into a carboy and back in a clean and resanitized primary. I plan to wait 18 hours and see what happens. Then I wonder - do I need to add more pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient as if I was starting all over again??

 

[robie]

This is an unusual case, but the pectic enzyme was on the must for 18 hours already. What was left of it didn't go anywhere. I don't know why you would have to repeat. I would like to hear others' opinion on this, though.

Hang in there, Cecilias9!

 

[Wade E]

I highly doubt mold has taken effect in that amount of time. Im guessing you might already have fermentation. Did you sulfite these fruits in any way shape or form to prevent the natural yeast from starting? Take an sg reading as Im betting fermentation started and may eve be done due to warm temps and all that nutrient. Even if it didnt ferment I still dont think its mold as thats way to quick.

 

[cecilias9]

I did sulfite with campden tablets, and my sg was 1.068 when I started and it is still the same. I had added the yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme. I scooped off everything and now I just need to know if I add more pectic enzyme and yeast nutrient before adding the sugar water. I won't add the yeast till the day after adding the sugar water, at least that's what I did last time.

 

[grapeman]

I believe the slimy stuff you refer to is just the result of the pectic enzyme breaking down the pulp and is not mold. I would have left it alone as you had it. If you added campden tablets, that is metabisulfite and now you added another half teaspoon, so you certainly should not have mold. Now getting it to ferment may be a challenge since you have added 3-4 times too much sulfites. I would proceed. No need for more sulfite, nutrient and certainly not more enzyme.

 

[Wade E]

I agree with appleman. You really need to stir this up real good to try and rid the must of high S02 levels and get them to acceptable levels. I would probably splash rack instead actually as that lets more air in and more S02 out. Do that a few times and give it a few hours afterwards and in the meantime make a good starter and add small amounts of this must to the starter to acclimate the yeast to the higher S02 level.

 

[cecilias9]

I do thank you for your advice. It's just that the stuff looked so bad and there was so much of it, and it looked nothing like the fermentation I had on the last batch. I will certainly do as you say and stir things up a lot. So should I wait another 12 hours or so before adding the sugar water? Also, what is a yeast starter? Last time I only sprinkled it on top of the must, as per Waldo's posts.

Thank you.

 

[Wade E]

A yeast starter is really the proper way to add yeast to your wine as youll know the yeast is goo. Its the only way to make beer as the acids in beer are very low making infection much much more likely so making some alc in there as fast as possible is needed. What you do is add the packet of yeast to some apple, grape or OJ along with some nutrient to get it going before hand and once its going you start getting your must ready and then add it to your wine and it will start fermenting your must much faster as the yeast is already established and going. In this case though you want to do as stated above but once it gets going add very small amounts of your higher S02 must to the starter so that your stater will get acclimated to this sulfite level. Its like you easing yourself into cold water so as not to shock your system. Once you have approx. dbled or tripled your starter in size then add it all to your must and it should get going.

 

[cecilias9]

Ok. I get it.

Thank you very much. I shall do as you say.

 

[cecilias9]

So, I made my yeast starter and added it all on July 31st. Everything seems to be going well. The must was 77 degrees on Tuesday, so I have been putting ice packs around the primary. My SG has dropped rather dramatically it seems to me, as it is now at 1.01, but began fermentation at 1.092. So I assume it is time to transfer to the carboy? Just want to make sure...

Thanks.

 

[Waldo]

I would go ahead and transfer it to the carboy. Stir it up good before transfering

 

[gaudet]

Agreed with Waldo, carboy time..... Don't forget to taste it

 

[cecilias9]

Thank you, both! Here we go!

 

[cecilias9]

Question? What should the temperature be after transferring into the carboy? My wine is around 76 degrees. I have been putting ice packs on the primary to bring it down to around 72; do I need to continue to do that for the carboy? Thank you.

 

[gaudet]

I ferment between 72-77 and have had no issues with fermentation or off tastes. I would be more worried if you had higher and varying temps in your fermenting room. I would say you are good if you kept it where you have it, but wouldn't be upset if it went as high as 77 either.

 

[cecilias9]

Yay! Thank you. - Now I watch my SG readings and when it is .099 for several days I rack and degas and stabilize - which should be in about a month? Is that right? I am following my wine journal from last year. It has all of Waldo's instructions

Couldn't have done it without him! Thanks, Waldo.

 

[gaudet]

You got it pegged.

 

[Waldo]

Where are our pictures cecilias? You do know we like pictures don't you