"Stuff" growing in my demi-john!

[Nana Caz]

Hi there,

Hope everyone had a Happy Christmas and will have an equally happy New Year!

Preliminaries taken care of, now down to business...there's 'stuff' growing in my demi-john which has my bramble & elderberry wine in it!!!I have fond memories of bramble wine when I was young so we've been really looking forward to this one. Only just found it because I've kept it covered over so the light doesn't get at it and discolour the wine. That bit's worked a treat but what - if anything - can I do about this stuff growing inside the demi-john? It looks a little bit like the mould that grows on bread so I'm guessing it's yeast based. There's not an awful lot of it ...yet... but what do I do? I don't have any 'spare' demi-johns to rack it into just now, but will have in a few days [thanks to MKG and his tea-bag wine for a New Year's tipple!]

Oh, there's plenty liquid in the bung, I keep that topped up and the demi-john is still full to the neck, so very little has escaped. What else...there's approx half an inch of sediment [lovely deep pink colour]. Don't want to agitate the demi-john [see, getting technical now!] in case the mould stuff loosens itself off the side of the d/john. There's no scum or anything floating on the surface, just attached to the sides. No obvious signs of fermentation. Made at the beginning of October, it has not been racked yet.

Please can anyone help? Thanks,

Nana Caz

[red]

to be honest - its not a good sign - perhaps its gone bad. but you could rack it off and see how it is... if its gone vinegary... then chuck it out and put it down to experience...

[MikeM]

did you clean and sterilise the fruit first? Many fruits contain wild yeasts on them, and it could be one of them. That said, I've seen some highly unnatural things growing on wine musts and the wine has turned out fine. The only way is to rack it and see. May be worth bunging in a camden tablet after you do, just to make sure all the fungi have been killed off.

[Andy Hamilton]

NOt sure where abouts you really mean? If it is growing on around the neck of the demijohn and not on the wine itself then you might be in luck, just steralise a pint glass or something, decant the wine into that, clean the demijohn and put it back in. Personally I would try a mouthful of the wine just to see if it is ok. Can always spit it out if it has turned.

[Nana Caz]

Just an up-date...

Racked the wine, smelt ok and tasted ok...a touch on the dry side but NOT vinegar, thankfully. Sterilised the d/john, racked and added a campden tablet and have had everything crossed that I can cross since then! So far, so good.

Going to try to upload some pictures of what the inside of d/john was like; the wine itself was free from "bits", it was all stuck to the inside of the jar.

Anyway, here goes...

Thanks fro your help guys,

Nana Caz
OK, so it won't let me paste, any other way I can let you see?