"Saul_Sabia" > wrote in message
om...
> "Nocontamino?" > wrote in message
>...
> > Hi,
> >
> > I am in the process of brewing a 15L. BK Chardonnay kit following the
180
> > day process taken from Jack Keller?s website.
> >
> > Now I just finished the Day 80 ?racking cycle?, but during the racking I
> > found that my tap was leaking (I use food grade Fermenters dedicated for
> > Wine, as I don?t own a glass carboy?yet). Being almost at the half way
mark,
> > total panic came over me and the only solution I could come up with was
to
> > wash and sterilize my arm and fasten the tapbolt by putting my arm in
the
> > wine. Yeah fine! it?s OK to laugh.
> >
> > Now the $64.000 question, did I just waste 80 precious days of wine
making
> > and contaminate my batch beyond repair?
> >
> > Any feedback would be highly appreciated
>
> i think sterility is far more important in the beginning than half-way
> through. half-way through the yeast is going, it's killing off its
> competitors, its producing a good 5 or 6% alcohol, and between the
> alcohol and the relatively anaerobic environment, the must has a fighting
> chance.
>
> but before the yeast is going, before its established, before the alcohol
> is made, that's when you've got to make sure you're clean and as sterile
> as possible.
>
> i've just had to chuck a 3 gallon batch of coffee wine 20 days into the
> ferment because i discovered that my technique wasn't particularly sterile
> enough (i highly recommend not brewing at 3 am when you haven't had enough
> sleep anyways).
>
> little white growths and a ring around the inside of the fermenter does
> qualify as bad, right?
>
>
> pfft. time to get bleach, and not rely on vinegar, mildly soapy water,
> and a prayer, in that order.
>
>
>
> Saul Sabia
>



No one mentioned that plastic ferments might impart a plastic taste into
your wine after 180 days. I hope your containers are new and have not had
pickles stored in them. BTW, I have stuck my arm in the wine with no ill
after effects.

Regards,

KB