Winemaking (rec.crafts.winemaking) Discussion of the process, recipes, tips, techniques and general exchange of lore on the process, methods and history of wine making. Includes traditional grape wines, sparkling wines & champagnes.

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Michael Brill
 
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Default Very fine film on wine

I have a stainless tank with a variable top for ouillage. When I take
the top out I notice two things: (1) the top of the wine has a very
fine film covering much of the top. (2) the bottom of the top (the
part that touches the wine) has a slight build-up of a hard, maybe
crystalline, substance. I'm assuming the two are one in the same.
Note that this is not at all stinky, it hasn't gotten bigger in the
past month, it isn't goopy or anything like that. Ambient temperature
is about 55 degrees. Ideas?
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Paul E. Lehmann
 
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Default Very fine film on wine


"Michael Brill" > wrote in message
om...
> I have a stainless tank with a variable top for ouillage. When I take
> the top out I notice two things: (1) the top of the wine has a very
> fine film covering much of the top.


Probably a "Film Yeast"

(2) the bottom of the top (the
> part that touches the wine) has a slight build-up of a hard, maybe
> crystalline, substance.


Possibly dried foam and possibly some tartrates

I'm assuming the two are one in the same.

Probably not.

> Note that this is not at all stinky, it hasn't gotten bigger in the
> past month, it isn't goopy or anything like that. Ambient temperature
> is about 55 degrees. Ideas?


If your wine were in a carboy and close to the neck, or in a barrel that was
just a tad from being full, you could "float it out" by topping up and then
correct the acidity and sulphites.

Since you are in a stainless tank with a constant radius, this might not be
very easy. I suggest racking, checking the pH, raise the acidity if
necessary and sulphite to the proper level.

I would be willing to bet that your pH is greater than 3.5
You can greatly diminish film yeast by keeping your wine at 3.5 or a tad
below, keeping your tank topped up to avoid air space and keep right amount
of sulphites.


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Tom S
 
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Default Very fine film on wine


"Michael Brill" > wrote in message
om...
> I have a stainless tank with a variable top for ouillage. When I take
> the top out I notice two things: (1) the top of the wine has a very
> fine film covering much of the top.


Sounds like film yeast (a spoilage organism), which would be caused by
leaving an airspace over the wine. Isn't the floating lid slightly conical,
with a little faucet in the middle? If so, you should lower the lid with
that faucet open until wine just starts to come out, lock the lid in place
and close the faucet. Then you'll have zero headspace and no room for the
bugs to grow. Even so, if the wine is finished fermenting, you should
maintain adequate free SO2 to prevent problems.

(2) the bottom of the top (the
> part that touches the wine) has a slight build-up of a hard, maybe
> crystalline, substance.


That would be potassium bitartrate. It's harmless.

Tom S


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Michael Brill
 
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Default Very fine film on wine

Thanks Paul and Tom. The floating lid is slightly curved and indeed
has a overflow valve (there is a marble in there to keep air from
getting in). I let the lid just float on the surface and then pump up
the bladder on the outside of the lid that keep it in place and
creates an air-tight barrier. I doubt there is any air between the
wine and lid as a fair amount of wine actually comes out of the
overflow valve. Over the course of a week, up to a half-liter may
accumulate (I've taken to keeping a tarp on top of the tank to keep
out any insects). Why is so much wine escaping? Could this be the
source of oxygen? Otherwise I don't know where oxygen could come
from.

I have not added any SO2 after fermentation as I wanted to get through
malos, but it's not a lot of wine relative to what I've got in barrel
so I'll dose it. pH is in the 3.6 range.

I'm currently using this to top off the barrels, but I'm drawing wine
from the bottom, not the top of the tank. Is this putting the barrels
in danger? Note that I'm planning to let most of the barrels go
through malos very slowly and not planning to make SO2 additions until
Spring.

"Tom S" > wrote in message .com>...

> Sounds like film yeast (a spoilage organism), which would be caused by
> leaving an airspace over the wine. Isn't the floating lid slightly conical,
> with a little faucet in the middle? If so, you should lower the lid with
> that faucet open until wine just starts to come out, lock the lid in place
> and close the faucet. Then you'll have zero headspace and no room for the
> bugs to grow. Even so, if the wine is finished fermenting, you should
> maintain adequate free SO2 to prevent problems.
>
> (2) the bottom of the top (the
> > part that touches the wine) has a slight build-up of a hard, maybe
> > crystalline, substance.

>
> That would be potassium bitartrate. It's harmless.
>
> Tom S

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Michael Brill
 
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Default Very fine film on wine

Here's what's happening (I think): the tank is only about 10% full now
and something's happening to force wine through the release valve on
the lid. Maybe the tank shrinks as it gets cold at night? Then as it
warms up, the lid is suspended above the wine. But why would more
wine come out over time? One would assume the constriction would be
the same every night and it would force out wine on night 1, but no
more after that? In any case, I think I'm going to move this wine to
a carboy as it's only about 20 liters.
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