Gloopy wine

[John Holland]

Please help; I make various types of wine, all of which are successful except one; elderflower Champaign. In about half of the batches I make, it turns to a gloop with the consistency of egg-whites after about four days of fermenting. It smells and tastes fine. What is happening? Nobody seems to know.

 

[Miraculix]

Dextrins. Some bacteria create these! Sometimes other bacteria eat them afterwards, so it might go away. It might also not.

 

[John Holland]

I’ve been looking further into this, and I think it’s lactic acidosis bacteria, Pediococcus damnosis. I think the reason it only affects my elderflower is because it’s got no fruit in, and has a higher pH. Pd likes it around 5.5, normal fruit must is around 3.5. This is why the only other post I’ve seen with this problem was with Meade. So the answer is, more lemon juice and hope it doesn’t taste too sour.

 

[Miraculix]

I’ve been looking further into this, and I think it’s lactic acidosis bacteria, Pediococcus damnosis. I think the reason it only affects my elderflower is because it’s got no fruit in, and has a higher pH. Pd likes it around 5.5, normal fruit must is around 3.5. This is why the only other post I’ve seen with this problem was with Meade. So the answer is, more lemon juice and hope it doesn’t taste too sour.

Could very well be, but usually yeast itself brings the pH down quite a bit, once it started to ferment. Don't now if that happens fast enough or goes low enough though.

My idea would be that your elder flowers were home to these little organisms in quite a big amount.

 

[bernardsmith]

Could be that if your elderflower wine is made from fresh florets the flowers may be infected. OR the vessels you are fermenting that wine in may have the bacteria Ropiness - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

 

[Coydee]

I’ve been looking further into this, and I think it’s lactic acidosis bacteria, Pediococcus damnosis. I think the reason it only affects my elderflower is because it’s got no fruit in, and has a higher pH. Pd likes it around 5.5, normal fruit must is around 3.5. This is why the only other post I’ve seen with this problem was with Meade. So the answer is, more lemon juice and hope it doesn’t taste too sour.

A common "cure" for Ropiness is to sulphite at 100-150 ppm (2 to 3 Camden tablets per gallon) to kill the bacteria and then stir energetically to break up the chains of bacteria and in order to aerate the wine. Leave it 2 or 3 days and then rack it off the newly formed sediment in to a clean and sterilized container. Wait 2 to 3 weeks and drink it. It won't improve with age.

Usually, the bacteria that cause Ropiness can be killed off by well sulphiting the must before adding the yeast. It is more common in flower wines than other types because there are more places for bacteria to hide.