white film on top of mead in carboy?

[Bobwhite]

It smells fine and is starting to clear its been in the carboy for 3 weeks now

I'm going to rack it tomorrow and check SG and taste it

Its like a milky looking film that's 1/4 thick right under the air lock and more is creeping its way up the side of the glass to the top almost looks like lees rising for some reason?

Any thoughts ?

 

[Deezil]

I'd add 1/4 tsp K-meta to the carboy you're racking into, and then rack the wine on top of the k-meta powder. When there's an inch or two of wine in the receiving carboy, give it a good shake, and between the incoming wine splashing and the shaking, the k-meta powder should dissolve pretty well.

Whatever you do after that, dont stick your friggin nose to the carboy though. It wont smell of wine, it will smell of k-meta. (Wanna know how I know? lol)

 

[Bobwhite]

OK lol thanks for the advise I guess I'll try and leave the film behind ? What do you think it could be ? Wax ? Or bad stuff lol

 

[montanaWineGuy]

What's the fruit? I had some nasty film on my elderberry must last year. Smelled like puke. I racked it carefully, and after several rackings it wasn't an issue. It was my first wine, and my reading was, it was yeast poop. Haven't seen it since on anything else, so I guess it was unique to elderberries.

 

[Deezil]

It could be wax, but I'd think it's unlikely unless you know you bought unprocessed, unfiltered, basically straight-from-the-beekeeper, honey.

More likely, its some sort of surface-infection. Leaving it behind wouldn't be a bad idea, but K-meta should knock it out either way. Personally, I leave it behind.


Elderberries are unique in that they can throw a green sort of gunk that can be near-impossible to get off of equipment. Different issue though, than the white substance mentioned by the OP

 

[Bobwhite]

OK this was raw honey from my neibor who is a bee keeper so mabie that's my problem ?

 

[Deezil]

That's definitely not a problem, lucky man!

Either way, whether its wax or an infection, I would still rack and leave it behind, add K-meta and keep an eye on it for a bit. It should be just fine, but I prefer to be on the safe side personally.

 

[Bobwhite]

OK will do I'm gonna rack it tonigbt and I will give an update if it tastes OK or has gone sour

 

[Deezil]

Dont do anything drastic if it doesnt taste perfect; Meads take their sweet time pulling themselves together, and they can go through some pretty funky phases before they "come out the other side"

 

[Bobwhite]

OK good deal this is my first mead so I'm kinda lost ha ha

I have made several fruit wines though and concords from fresh grapes

 

[Bobwhite]

What do u top up a mead with ?

I was thinking just sanitized water and back sweetening with honey later if needed ?

 

[Deezil]

I usually try to down-size as the batch gets smaller so I dont have to add anything. If that doesnt work, I have some basic Mead that I use.. You could probably get a bottle at the store if you didnt have anything else and didnt have a smaller vessel.

 

[Bobwhite]

OK I topped with a bottle of mead

It has some funky taste but deff not spoiled so I think I'm good now thanks so much for the help !

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

So besides wax particles raw honey also has some proteins in it from the pollen, when doing a real raw honey ferment lots of stuff comes out on the top sometimes, depends on the honey source, how the beekeeper extracted and stored their honey. We are doing a sourwood mead right now, lots of white stuff building up on top, nothing fuzzy or slimy, just the raw stuff floating to the top. WVMJ

 

[Bobwhite]

OK thanks good to here

 

[Bobwhite]

OK so I just racked my mead away from the white build up at the top again and its looking a lot better but I took a sample of it and it has a kinda funky taste I don't know how to describe it it doesn't taste spoiled I don't guess but just don't seem right and not very plesent to taste

I tryed watermelon wine once and its the only wine I've had go sour and it was horrible made u wanna spit it out and gag this mead isn't like that but just don't seem right

Is it normal for a young mead to taste odd like this or do I have a problem ? I topped up with resolved honey for some back sweetining to try and help the flavor of it I put a little honey in my sample glass and it really helped with the odd taste so I'm hoping for the best

BTW this mead is only about 2 months or 3 old at the most

 

[Deezil]

Yeah, the funk is only just beginning. It's going to go through some odd phases before it comes out the 'other side'.

Meads take longer than most other types of wines, it's a real waiting game. 3 months old, is just getting started.

 

[Bobwhite]

OK thanks I figured it was OK but thought I'd ask I'm gonna let it sit now for a few months before I rack again and proly won't bottle until at least a year so hopefully b then it might taste like mead ha ha

 

[Jc5066]

From when I have made mead, and reading other posts mead takes a long time to come together taste wise. Bulk age a minimum of a year. Then at least another 6 months before I'd sample my first bottle.