Thin Film on my Montepulciano?

[vinividivici]

I've got a six gallon bucket of Monte that's been racked twice and then two oak spirals suspended in the bucket since Dec 13th.

When I went to rack this morning, I noticed a thin, powdery film on the surface. I racked until the surface was just above the spigot and stopped, sacrificing about a bottle's worth.

The racked portion was crystal clear and my wife, who was in the basement with me but about twenty feet away said it smelled great.

Is this wine-paranoia on my part? I know there's usually something floating on the surface that doesn't settle, but would like opinions on this.

Here's a pic:

 

[Wade E]

Im guessing this was not topped up properly and not sulfited well? That can usually be saved by racking as you did and hitting with a good strong sulfite level meaning strong then usual! It is a bacteria infection and usually occurs from too much space and low S02 levels.

 

[AlFulchino]

goodness that is ugly...do what Wade said asap...you said it was in a bucket and i take that to mean a typical plastic bucket w a 12-14 inch opening.....if so, that is too severe for what the wine can take unless it had been loaded w so2....either way not a good practice...if your situation is such that you HAVE to use a bucket like this then get some saran wrap and cover that bucket very very tightly and use rubber bands or like to secure

 

[vinividivici]

Im guessing this was not topped up properly and not sulfited well? That can usually be saved by racking as you did and hitting with a good strong sulfite level meaning strong then usual! It is a bacteria infection and usually occurs from too much space and low S02 levels.

That's what I suspected, Wade. Makes a strong argument against bulk aging in plastic buckets, I guess. There wasn't much headspace air, though.

Rather than letting it age some more in the bucket, should I go ahead and add sulfites+ and the potassium sorbate and then bottle? I'm hesitant to leave it in the bucket at this point.

Strong sulfite level = ? Double the usual dose or 1.5 x? Don't want to put too much sulfite in there as my wife has a sulfur allergy, so trying to balance killing the bacteria and not killing my wife.

Bob

 

[Wade E]

I dont know when the last time it was hit with sulfites. If its been over 3 months since id probably be inclined to use about 3/8ths of a tsp. The problem lies in there is so much surface area with a bucket compared to about 1 1/2" with a carboy and that is a lot of exposure to a 6 gallon batch over a lot of time. I ferment to dry in buckets but as soon as its done fermenting I get it out of there and even before I rack from there Ive had the lid snapped shut with all the trapped gases from fermentation blanketing the wine. Once you remove the lid after fermentation there is no safety blanket are your wine is in jeopardy now.

 

[vinividivici]

I used 1.5 tsp of sulfites and 1.5 tsp of sorbates, then degassed vigorously for two minutes. I then bottled and am hoping for the best.

This is the first time I tried bulk-aging in the bucket. Normally, I would rack a couple of times using the buckets/spigots and then bottle.

It's carboys from now on...

 

[Wade E]

1.5 tsps of sulfite? Thats going to need a long time to drop down!!!!!! You didnt need top add sorbate either if you werent sweetening. You probably wont want to open a bottle of that for 2 years!

 

[vinividivici]

1.5 tsps of sulfite? Thats going to need a long time to drop down!!!!!! You didn't need top add sorbate either if you werent sweetening. You probably wont want to open a bottle of that for 2 years!

Hey, you said stronger than usual.

Well, there shouldn't be any bacteria left in the bottles...

Edited to add: That was the total amount of sulfites added for the 6 gallons, not per gallon. I essentially doubled the amount for a 6 gallon batch. Re the sorbate, just following instructions. Not sweetening, either.

 

[robie]

I would never try to bulk age in a plastic bucket. Use a carboy, which has a small opening and a neck. The idea is to not have more than about 1/2 cup of volume of air space above the wine.

 

[Wade E]

1/4 tsp is the amount you add per 6 gallons! You way more then dbled it with 1 1/2 tsps!

 

[Flame145]

Hey, you said stronger than usual.

Well, there shouldn't be any bacteria left in the bottles...

Edited to add: That was the total amount of sulfites added for the 6 gallons, not per gallon. I essentially doubled the amount for a 6 gallon batch. Re the sorbate, just following instructions. Not sweetening, either.

Without weighing it out on a scale, its usually 1/4 tsp per 5 gallons. It sounds like you added too much SO2

 

[Wade E]

Vini. You said you added 1 1/2 are you meaning to say you added 1/2 tsp?? 1 1/2 is way more then dble!!!

 

[vinividivici]

Vini. You said you added 1 1/2 are you meaning to say you added 1/2 tsp?? 1 1/2 is way more then dble!!!

OK. I got it Wade! Enough exclamation points. Also will never bulk age in plastic again. We are now beating a dead horse. Thank you.

 

[Wade E]

Vini, I was just asking so as to steer you into maybe aerating the wine if need be to depleat some of the extra S02 if there truly is a lot of extra, if you dbled it it will be fine after some good aging, if you used the amount stated you should aerate really good before too much gets bound. Not trying to beat you up my friend, just trying to nip this in the bud before its NON fixable.

 

[vinividivici]

OK. Thanks.

Re degassing, I used my 1/2" drill with paddle attached and vigorously degassed the batch for about three minutes, using forward and reverse on the drill. Hope that helped.

I now have all the bottles on the bottom of my new wine rack, so they won't be opened until 2-3 years from now. Also have a couple of small 375 ml bottles so I can test the wine in year one then year two.

Re carboys, I find it much easier to gravity transfer using a spigot. That's why I used the buckets. And I had a couple of oak spirals in the wine, too.

From now on, it's carboys only and topped off properly.



Bob