One Step in Wine

[PourDecisions]

Relatively new wine maker here. This morning I made a mistake when pushing down my bag of strawberries in a gallon of strawberry wine I’m making. Just out of curiosity, I tilted the lid of my one gallon fermenter (with airlock attached) to see if the top was clean or funky. When I tilted it right side up, some of the one step I had in my airlock poured directly into my wine. It was maybe two to three teaspoons. The wine is nearing the end of primary fermentation, so I really don’t want to start over. Did I make a terrible mistake and need to start over, or will the wine survive? Also, do I even need to put a cleaner/sanitizer in the airlock for future use? I thought I read something out that somewhere..

 

[sour_grapes]

Welcome to WMT!

I have no worries. That little Onestep in a gallon of wine won't be, IMHO, noticeable, and it won't stop your fermentation.

 

[mainshipfred]

Welcome, I agree it won't hurt anything. BTW, I have a shirt that says "I make pour decisions".

 

[PourDecisions]

Thanks for the reassurance. And it sounds like I need to get a shirt like that!

 

[Ohio Bob]

I would not use a cleanser in an airlock, nor would I use a sanitizer. I only use Everclear because I can get it. Not every state can legally sell it. Another alternative would be to use a bottom shelf vodka. No matter how much gets into your wine, it can only help, not hurt. The same can’t be said for cleansers or sanitizers.

 

[PourDecisions]

I would not use a cleanser in an airlock, nor would I use a sanitizer. I only use Everclear because I can get it. Not every state can legally sell it. Another alternative would be to use a bottom shelf vodka. No matter how much gets into your wine, it can only help, not hurt. The same can’t be said for cleansers or sanitizers.

I think I’ll switch to something like vodka or water. The first and only wine kit I used told me to just use water, and it worked. The cleanser/sanitizer idea came from a book my local homebrew shop sold me. The shop owner told me maybe a splash of vodka in water but didn’t seem too sure. I like the idea of vodka not hurting the wine.

 

[Ohio Bob]

The first and only wine kit I used told me to just use water, and it worked.

Worked for a few months maybe, but things can grow in water. Kmeta is highly recommended if you use water, replenish frequently by adding powder to the airlock. I stopped using Kmeta/water since I couldn’t know for sure if the Kmeta was sufficient. With Everclear/vodka, if you see the liquid, you know it’s working.

 

[Rice_Guy]

welcome to WMT
I am a K meta sanitizer user. We all put meta in the wine so it wouldn’t matter.
For those that get nice vacations glycerol could be used. After a year everything gets a solid cork. When bottling is scheduled a carboy gets a cork with check valve so I can pull a vacuum.

 

[DrGriz]

I have found that vodka (and, presumably Everclear) evaporates more quickly than sanitizer in water. It's only a problem if you keep your airlocked jugs in the back of a dark closet, like I do. You have to pull them out to top off more often with alcohol in them.

 

[winemaker81]

Worked for a few months maybe, but things can grow in water.

EverClear is exempt, but pretty much everything else will eventually grow something, including K-meta solution. I swap airlocks periodically to avoid problems.

 

[PourDecisions]

EverClear is exempt, but pretty much everything else will eventually grow something, including K-meta solution. I swap airlocks periodically to avoid problems.

Seems like swapping airlocks would be a reasonable solution. I’ll incorporate that on top of changing the solution in there.

 

[winemaker81]

Seems like swapping airlocks would be a reasonable solution. I’ll incorporate that on top of changing the solution in there.

I add K-meta every 3 months during bulk aging, and since I'm pulling the stopper anyway, it's a good time to swap in a fresh stopper and airlock. This is mostly in smaller containers.

For carboys I use vented bungs so there's no airlock to watch, and I swap them as well.

I'll make a small batch of One Step and soak everything for 10 minutes, then air dry. This ensures everything is clean before the next use.

It's a good habit to check everything at least once per week. If I see an airlock is getting low on liquid, I typically swap it out rather than refilling it. My winemaking area is in a cellar, so the humidity is typically higher. I don't normally have a problem with airlocks drying up.

 

[bstnh1]

EverClear is exempt, but pretty much everything else will eventually grow something, including K-meta solution. I swap airlocks periodically to avoid problems.

I've had an issue with K-meta growing funky stuff in airlock, but never with vodka.

 

[winemaker81]

I've had an issue with K-meta growing funky stuff in airlock, but never with vodka.

I expand my statement -- I expect any strong liquor will work.

Many moons ago I had a bright idea -- I poured about 1" of K-meta solution into a carboy and covered the top with foil. 3 or 4 months later I checked it, and it had a goodly layer of mold on the liquid. I assume the SO2 eventually evaporated, and once that happened there was nothing to prevent unwanted growth.

Nothing replaces keeping an eye on our equipment and wine.