Wine starting to have vinegar taste - kegged

[cruelkix]

I brew beer for the most part. Decided to try one of those wine kits. Got a Malbec.

Wine was pretty fruity to start. After about 3 months it got to be very drinkable. Not sure how long its been since I made it, maybe 6 months, and it is starting to get a bit of a vinegar taste to it.

As stated it has been in the keg with beer gas (75% nitro, 25% CO2) on it at VERY low pressure.

Any ideas what went wrong? Should I just wait longer and see where it ends up. We are drinking it very slowly, mostly cuz I dont really drink wine, and my wife doesnt think it is all that great (too fruity to start, now vinegar....), so I'll be able to give an update in another 3 months. Do you ever get a vinegar taste that goes away with further aging?

 

[insubordinateK]

I would suspect an infection of bacteria which produce lactic and acetic acids causing a vinegar taste. You want some acid for tartness, but I believe this batch has gone too far in one direction. Drink it up because I doubt it will get better.

 

[WIP]

It has started to go VA. Time to drink it up before it goes completely undrinkable, or let it go and use it for vinegar.

 

[WIP]

You can up the so2 level if you want to delay it for a bit. Add Kmeta to kill as much bacteria as possible.

 

[cruelkix]

Thanks for the adivce. I've never gottena single infection in my beer. Can't believe I got one the first time I try wine. Craziness. I guess its time to start drinking wine every night instead of beer haha.

 

[WIP]

That is bad luck my friend. Did you use your Kmeta/campden tabs properly?

 

[beccabrew]

Commercial wines contain more potassium metabosulphite than the wine kit comes with, if your planning on having your wine kicking around for any more than 3-6 months you should add a quarter teaspoon of extra potassium metabosulphite, this allows it to sit longer. Temperature also ages it faster so if it's in a room warmer than 18 degrees that may have aided in turning it I vinegar. Otherwise if that's not the case, it could totally be an infection unfortunately. Don't give up on wine kits. I promise you can make some awesome Wine!

 

[cruelkix]

Commercial wines contain more potassium metabosulphite than the wine kit comes with, if your planning on having your wine kicking around for any more than 3-6 months you should add a quarter teaspoon of extra potassium metabosulphite, this allows it to sit longer. Temperature also ages it faster so if it's in a room warmer than 18 degrees that may have aided in turning it I vinegar. Otherwise if that's not the case, it could totally be an infection unfortunately. Don't give up on wine kits. I promise you can make some awesome Wine!

That could be a definite issue. I've been storing it at room temp in the keg. Its a red, so I thought room temp was fine..... oops.

 

[samc]

Good article on wine kit woes ! WineMaker Magazine - Kit Winemaking Index - Wine Kit First Aid

 

[DoctorCAD]

That could be a definite issue. I've been storing it at room temp in the keg. Its a red, so I thought room temp was fine..... oops.

Been storing my kit wines at room temperature for years without a single occurrence of viniger-ing.

I'm guessing it isn't turning into vinegar, its just oxidized and sour tasting. I think you would have to add a vinegar starter to make it turn.

 

[cruelkix]

Where would it be getting the oxygen from tho? I've had it on nitro the whole time.

 

[WIP]

Been storing my kit wines at room temperature for years without a single occurrence of viniger-ing.

I'm guessing it isn't turning into vinegar, its just oxidized and sour tasting. I think you would have to add a vinegar starter to make it turn.

No, there are common bacteria that can turn wine to vinegar.

I have left wine in a 5 gallon bucket and the lid popped up a bit, one month later, vinegar. (not just sour or oxidized)

 

[insubordinateK]

No, there are common bacteria that can turn wine to vinegar.

I have left wine in a 5 gallon bucket and the lid popped up a bit, one month later, vinegar. (not just sour or oxidized)

Acetic acid (main component of vinegar) is a product of oxidation of alcohol. Exposing wine to air will cause this.

 

[WIP]

Agreed. Did you read what I was replying to?

 

[insubordinateK]

Agreed. Did you read what I was replying to?

Sorry I guess I wasn't following you. However the OP has a good question. His wine is protected from oxygen. I don't have a good answer.

 

[WIP]

Acetobacter only needs a small amount of oxygen to do it's work. Chances are, some oxygen was held in suspension when the wine was racked, or some was left in the headspace of the keg.

 

[cruelkix]

Had some tonight and it was fine. Strange ... Maybe the picnic tap I am using to dispense got some air in it and what was in the line got the vinegar taste... I swear i tried clearing the line and it tasted the same tho. Color me confused.

 

[WIP]

Awesome! Glad to hear it. Maybe you should clear the line into a bottle if it has sat for a while. You can use the bottle for cooking.