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Rust during fermentation

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Ryan of Arabia

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Hi guys, new to this forum,

I was wondering if i could get some help determining whether or not to keep the last batch of homemade wine i made.

So basically I'm a newbie, i made a few bottles before, and the last batch was about 6 gallons. I had it in a plastic bucket, then after a few weeks i transferred it to a big glass jar that had a metal cover (pretty stupid) i did that for two reasons, 1. To siphon the wine and have more of the yeast settle at the bottom of the glass jar, since supplies are very difficult to come across here, and 2. The glass jar has a drainer just above the bottom which makes it perfect for filling the bottles quickly and easily.

Now everything went will, done bottling the wine, taste very sweet but nice nevertheless. When i went to clean the glass jar, i saw a huge amount of rust on its cover from the inside. So much time and money went into this and I'm afraid that i cannot really drink that wine anymore.

are some pics, your advice and thoughts are highly appreciated and valued, can i still drink that wine? Or should i throw it away??
 

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Any idea if the rust was there before you fermented the wine?

There was no rust, i cleaned it up before hand with rubbing alcohol. But humidity, especially when i wrapped the whole jar with a plastic wrap.

Another thing to note, is that it wasn't wet, it was dry rust.
 
Is rust, in the amount(diluted across the liquid volume) toxic?
 
Wine is still safe to drink. Ecen if a few rist particles manage to fall in, it wouldn't be significant enough to be dangerous fo a 1-time.

The hole on the top, for an air-lock? Was that previously for a knob or handle?

Do you have access to plastic wrap? Nect time, skip the lid for plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band or string.

Can you remove the rust? Mild acid and some scrubbing? If you can mostly remove the rust, give it a wipe with a very thin coat of cooking oil. Oil will prevent rust from condensation.
 
I will definitely throw away the top, and use plastic wrap or something, but i am worried that rust did fall in the wine. The rust was not flakey any might have not fallen into the wine, but maybe some water was hanging on the top did.

I guess i should have a glass, taste it and then decide if there is any thing odd about it.
 
I will definitely throw away the top, and use plastic wrap or something, but i am worried that rust did fall in the wine. The rust was not flakey any might have not fallen into the wine, but maybe some water was hanging on the top did.

I guess i should have a glass, taste it and then decide if there is any thing odd about it.
Even if some did fall in, it would not be enough to be toxic. And be careful, you brain can make you think there are off-flavors even if there isn't.
 
I have one of those glass gallon serving jars with a plastic spigot on it. The lid is metal and has rust. I have never noticed any ill effects when using it. Have a brew fermenting in it right now in fact.
 
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