Bad apricot wine (was "...Pectinase...")
 

So I added pectinase to the "gluelike" apricot wine I made and
described in an earlier post. Waited a week, didn't help. I filtered
about 1/2 gallon through some cheescloth and save it for interest, and
dumped the rest. It still has the consistency of thin glue. I'll let
it sit in the back of a closet for awhile and see what happens.

Theories?

I have 2:

1. Pediococcus infection. It tasted off, kind of bitter and nasty.
I know pedio this can make beer ropey, but I've never seen it in any
fruit wine I've made, and I've been at it for may years. For what's
it's worth I never use sulphites (tho' I wash the fruit well), so
maybe my technique (or lack of it) finally caught up with me.

2. I used a small hand blender to pulverize the fruit. I didn't go
at it until it was totally liquified, but I hit it pretty good.
Previously I've always crushed using utensils like potato mashers,
etc. Could I have somehow developed the pectin in the fruit by overly
agitating it?

--arne

> 2. I used a small hand blender to pulverize the fruit. I didn't go
> at it until it was totally liquified, but I hit it pretty good.
> Previously I've always crushed using utensils like potato mashers,
> etc. Could I have somehow developed the pectin in the fruit by overly
> agitating it?


Yes and yes

You don't need to go that far. Simply dicing up the fruit will give
the yeast plenty of access. I would have at least tried fining the
wine with some gelatin or something before dumping it....

> 2. I used a small hand blender to pulverize the fruit. I didn't go
> at it until it was totally liquified, but I hit it pretty good.
> Previously I've always crushed using utensils like potato mashers,
> etc. Could I have somehow developed the pectin in the fruit by overly
> agitating it?


Yes and yes

You don't need to go that far. Simply dicing up the fruit will give
the yeast plenty of access. I would have at least tried fining the
wine with some gelatin or something before dumping it....

> 2. I used a small hand blender to pulverize the fruit. I didn't go
> at it until it was totally liquified, but I hit it pretty good.
> Previously I've always crushed using utensils like potato mashers,
> etc. Could I have somehow developed the pectin in the fruit by overly
> agitating it?


Yes and yes

You don't need to go that far. Simply dicing up the fruit will give
the yeast plenty of access. I would have at least tried fining the
wine with some gelatin or something before dumping it....