Worried about infection

[BenK]

I have a WE Reisling-Tramminer stabilized and clarified and waiting a few days for it's next racking. I noticed two flecks at the top of the wine that look like cigarette ash (I don't smoke) and am worried I have mold in my wine (flecks haven't changed size in 24 hours). Given that the wine is in a carboy the mold will be hard to suction out with a baster. Should I proceed with racking earlier than the directions say so get the liquid off of the mold? How would you handle this? Are there other particulates in wine that could lead to the fleck shaped thing I am seeing?

The directions for this wine say not to top off the headspace until bulk aging. However based on what is going on now I will be topping off at next racking regardless.

 

[sour_grapes]

Not sure this helps you, but there is another way rather than suctioning. You can put a racking cane into the wine, then add liquid (i.e., a "like wine") until the undesirable flecks cascade over the neck of the carboy.

 

[Johnd]

And yet another, take a paper towel and twist it into a long straight shape, feed down into the carboy and touch the fleck. Towel will absorb wine upward, fleck included, pull it out and use the other end if needed for additional floaters.

 

[LouisCKpasteur]

Are you sure this just isn't bentonite somehow agitated up from the bottom of the carboy given your at the clearing and stabilization stage? I don't what that kit come with, but I have noticed I had some bentonite that really stirs to dissolve and I've and Bentonite that clumps.

 

[LouisCKpasteur]

I haven't been doing this long, but I guess I'm skeptical that mold is growing in a pretty good kit wine you've made after fermentation and sulfiting.

 

[BenK]

racked it today. Towards the end of the racking I could not tell if it was disturbed sediment or gel like substance at the bottom of the wine. Once I finished racking and dumped the sediment outside I did not notice any rope like gel substance but it still made me worried I poured some store bought Riesling into a sanitized glass and added 1/4 tsp of KMETA and stirred until it was combined and added it to the wine after the racking. I left a small sample glass in the fridge I will taste once it chills. I was not able to isolate the floaters.

 

[Scooter68]

And yet another, take a paper towel and twist it into a long straight shape, feed down into the carboy and touch the fleck. Towel will absorb wine upward, fleck included, pull it out and use the other end if needed for additional floaters.

Did that very thing yesterday on a Peach Reisling I have just about ready to bottle.