I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
port style wine.

A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like sediment
that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.

Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to why?
Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it up?

"alien" > wrote in message
...
> I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
> alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
> port style wine.
>
> A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
> surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
> racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like sediment
> that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
> demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
>
> Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to why?
> Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it up?
Solid, flakey, kind of ash white/grey?

So are you saying that it was floating on the surface such as a film? Did it
look like soap scum? If so then it sounds like a film yeast such as
Mycodermia (sp?). Usually not fatal so long as you remove as much as
possible as soon as you see it, and keep your sulphite levels up. It
requires Oxygen to propagate so the less head space the better. When racking
over try to remove the film first so it does not get mixed into the wine.
HTH


John Dixon
"J F" > wrote in message
...
>
> "alien" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
> > alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
> > port style wine.
> >
> > A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
> > surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
> > racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like sediment
> > that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
> > demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
> >
> > Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to why?
> > Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it up?
> Solid, flakey, kind of ash white/grey?
>
>
>

J Dixon wrote:
> So are you saying that it was floating on the surface such as a film? Did it
> look like soap scum? If so then it sounds like a film yeast such as
> Mycodermia (sp?). Usually not fatal so long as you remove as much as
> possible as soon as you see it, and keep your sulphite levels up. It
> requires Oxygen to propagate so the less head space the better. When racking
> over try to remove the film first so it does not get mixed into the wine.
> HTH
>
>
> John Dixon
> "J F" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>"alien" > wrote in message
...
>>
>>>I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
>>>alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
>>>port style wine.
>>>
>>>A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
>>>surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
>>>racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like sediment
>>>that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
>>>demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
>>>
>>>Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to why?
>>>Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it up?
>>
>>Solid, flakey, kind of ash white/grey?
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
No it was a crumbly looking lump, same colour as the sediment. It
appeared very quickly, overnight almost and there appeared to be less
sediment at the bottom of the demijohn than before. It was left behind
when I racked the demijohn.

Could be just the lees coming to the surface with either a mild
fermentation, or a Malolactic fermentation but keep a close eye on it. Film
yeasts will start as a thin "scum" on the surface and build like laundry
flakes/soap scum. As long as it smells and tastes ok now and nothing
reappears then you should be fine. Keep it topped up and sulphited and let
us know if anything develops. HTH
John Dixon
"alien" > wrote in message
...
> J Dixon wrote:
> > So are you saying that it was floating on the surface such as a film?
Did it
> > look like soap scum? If so then it sounds like a film yeast such as
> > Mycodermia (sp?). Usually not fatal so long as you remove as much as
> > possible as soon as you see it, and keep your sulphite levels up. It
> > requires Oxygen to propagate so the less head space the better. When
racking
> > over try to remove the film first so it does not get mixed into the
wine.
> > HTH
> >
> >
> > John Dixon
> > "J F" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >>"alien" > wrote in message
> ...
> >>
> >>>I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
> >>>alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
> >>>port style wine.
> >>>
> >>>A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
> >>>surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
> >>>racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like
sediment
> >>>that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
> >>>demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
> >>>
> >>>Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to
why?
> >>>Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it
up?
> >>
> >>Solid, flakey, kind of ash white/grey?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> No it was a crumbly looking lump, same colour as the sediment. It
> appeared very quickly, overnight almost and there appeared to be less
> sediment at the bottom of the demijohn than before. It was left behind
> when I racked the demijohn.

Could be just the lees coming to the surface with either a mild
fermentation, or a Malolactic fermentation but keep a close eye on it. Film
yeasts will start as a thin "scum" on the surface and build like laundry
flakes/soap scum. As long as it smells and tastes ok now and nothing
reappears then you should be fine. Keep it topped up and sulphited and let
us know if anything develops. HTH
John Dixon
"alien" > wrote in message
...
> J Dixon wrote:
> > So are you saying that it was floating on the surface such as a film?
Did it
> > look like soap scum? If so then it sounds like a film yeast such as
> > Mycodermia (sp?). Usually not fatal so long as you remove as much as
> > possible as soon as you see it, and keep your sulphite levels up. It
> > requires Oxygen to propagate so the less head space the better. When
racking
> > over try to remove the film first so it does not get mixed into the
wine.
> > HTH
> >
> >
> > John Dixon
> > "J F" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >>"alien" > wrote in message
> ...
> >>
> >>>I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
> >>>alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
> >>>port style wine.
> >>>
> >>>A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
> >>>surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
> >>>racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like
sediment
> >>>that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
> >>>demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
> >>>
> >>>Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to
why?
> >>>Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it
up?
> >>
> >>Solid, flakey, kind of ash white/grey?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> No it was a crumbly looking lump, same colour as the sediment. It
> appeared very quickly, overnight almost and there appeared to be less
> sediment at the bottom of the demijohn than before. It was left behind
> when I racked the demijohn.

Could be just the lees coming to the surface with either a mild
fermentation, or a Malolactic fermentation but keep a close eye on it. Film
yeasts will start as a thin "scum" on the surface and build like laundry
flakes/soap scum. As long as it smells and tastes ok now and nothing
reappears then you should be fine. Keep it topped up and sulphited and let
us know if anything develops. HTH
John Dixon
"alien" > wrote in message
...
> J Dixon wrote:
> > So are you saying that it was floating on the surface such as a film?
Did it
> > look like soap scum? If so then it sounds like a film yeast such as
> > Mycodermia (sp?). Usually not fatal so long as you remove as much as
> > possible as soon as you see it, and keep your sulphite levels up. It
> > requires Oxygen to propagate so the less head space the better. When
racking
> > over try to remove the film first so it does not get mixed into the
wine.
> > HTH
> >
> >
> > John Dixon
> > "J F" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >>"alien" > wrote in message
> ...
> >>
> >>>I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
> >>>alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
> >>>port style wine.
> >>>
> >>>A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
> >>>surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
> >>>racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like
sediment
> >>>that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
> >>>demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
> >>>
> >>>Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to
why?
> >>>Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it
up?
> >>
> >>Solid, flakey, kind of ash white/grey?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> No it was a crumbly looking lump, same colour as the sediment. It
> appeared very quickly, overnight almost and there appeared to be less
> sediment at the bottom of the demijohn than before. It was left behind
> when I racked the demijohn.

"alien" > wrote in message
...
> I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
> alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
> port style wine.
>
> A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
> surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
> racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like sediment
> that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
> demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
>
> Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to why?
> Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it up?

Sounds like "Mother of Vinegar" a floating mass of vinegar producing
bacteria....

"alien" > wrote in message
...
> I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
> alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
> port style wine.
>
> A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
> surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
> racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like sediment
> that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
> demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
>
> Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to why?
> Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it up?

Sounds like "Mother of Vinegar" a floating mass of vinegar producing
bacteria....

"alien" > wrote in message
...
> I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
> alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
> port style wine.
>
> A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
> surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
> racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like sediment
> that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
> demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
>
> Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to why?
> Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it up?

Sounds like "Mother of Vinegar" a floating mass of vinegar producing
bacteria....

B0B wrote:
> "alien" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
>>alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
>>port style wine.
>>
>>A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
>>surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
>>racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like sediment
>>that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
>>demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
>>
>>Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to why?
>>Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it up?
>
>
> Sounds like "Mother of Vinegar" a floating mass of vinegar producing
> bacteria....
>
>
I hope not, no vinegar smells yet. I'm keeping a close eye on it. I
stabalised the wine with sorbate/sulphite, would that be enough to stop it?

B0B wrote:
> "alien" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
>>alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
>>port style wine.
>>
>>A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
>>surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
>>racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like sediment
>>that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
>>demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
>>
>>Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to why?
>>Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it up?
>
>
> Sounds like "Mother of Vinegar" a floating mass of vinegar producing
> bacteria....
>
>
I hope not, no vinegar smells yet. I'm keeping a close eye on it. I
stabalised the wine with sorbate/sulphite, would that be enough to stop it?

B0B wrote:
> "alien" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I have some Elderberry wine that I started early september. I maxed the
>>alcohol out on the yeast (about 18%) and it's turning into quite a nice
>>port style wine.
>>
>>A few days ago I noticed that something large was floating on the
>>surface. I sulphited it and left it, but it didn't go away. So today I
>>racked it. The large something was left behind and looked like sediment
>>that had clumped together (about half of it). When I rinsed the
>>demijohn it dissolved under the water pressure very quickly.
>>
>>Only one demijohn has done this, the other hasn't. Any ideas as to why?
>>Is it something simple such as gasses getting trapped and lifting it up?
>
>
> Sounds like "Mother of Vinegar" a floating mass of vinegar producing
> bacteria....
>
>
I hope not, no vinegar smells yet. I'm keeping a close eye on it. I
stabalised the wine with sorbate/sulphite, would that be enough to stop it?