Wondering if I killed my bucket...

[Jeff Wilson]

Let’s get this part out of the way. I know. I am an irresponsible and wasteful person. I am shamed. But I ask your forgiveness and advice, o great internets.

August of 2020, I started a blueberry/ginger wine. Somehow, not sure why, transferring to the secondary got delayed, then delayed more, then basically didn’t happen. Then I put off cleaning it up which went through the same cycle. Today (about 10 months later), I’m finally getting around to it. Obviously, I am going to dump the wine but wondering about the condition of the bucket (and a long plastic spoon I left in the must). I have never let something sit in a standard ”Ale Pail” for so long and not sure if any bacteria, odors, or other unpleasnatries that can leach into the plastic after such a long time. I will say there was not any perceivable mold anywhere and only a thin residue of fruit gunk on the sides maybe a half inch above the surface of the wine. The must was straight-up primary juice, never racked, so still has the lees and fruit pulp from 10 months ago.

Any thoughts if the pail is still dependable if properly cleaned and sanitized? Or would you be concerned about future batches even if all seems ok after cleaning?

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

I there is nothing noticeably wrong with it why would you dump it? What gives you the impression it requires dumping? If it doesn’t smell spoiled and doesn’t taste like vinegar you should be fine unless I’m missing something.

 

[passedpawn]

The bucket can be used again. Just clean well, then sanitize with starsan or your favorite surface cleaner. If you want nuclear option, use a bleach solution, then rinse very well (I've done that on infected messes that hurt my eyes).

 

[Maylar]

A full bucket of One Step soaked for a couple days would do wonders for it.

 

[AkTom]

Don’t dump until you taste it. If you don’t like it, condense it.

 

[bernardsmith]

My guess is that the wine is likely oxidized but that does not necessarily mean that it is undrinkable. Taste the wine. If it is drinkable then drink it. If it contains a vinegar mother then you have vinegar. But there is no need to junk the wine. As for the bucket, a good washing (without abrasives) and a good soaking in K-meta or very dilute bleach which you wash out more times than you think is necessary is all you may need to bring the bucket back into use again. (What I might do is use the bucket as storage container for K-meta solution.).

 

[Snuffy]

Was this sealed or open for 10 months with a spoon in it?