What to do about a fruit fly in my wine

[wickerman]

I was going to stir/degass a wine I made a few days ago, and I saw a fruit fly floating in it. I removed it as soon as I saw it. What do I do now? Should I just let it be and hope for the best? Or hit it with some campden or something, and re-pitch more yeast? Any advise is appreciated.
Thanks,
wickerman

 

[pumpkinman2012]

You should be fine, at what stage is your wine? Has it fermented yet?

 

[wickerman]

Pitched champagne yeast on saturday, so its been fermenting for about 4 days. Its not going to be very strong either if that make any difference (around 8%).
Thanks,
wickerman

 

[Yooper]

Pitched champagne yeast on saturday, so its been fermenting for about 4 days. Its not going to be very strong either if that make any difference (around 8%).
Thanks,
wickerman

Well, the danger with fruitflies (even one of them) isn't the fly itself, it's that it carries acetobacter. That is the bacteria that "eats" alcohol and produces vinegar. If you do get contaminated with that acetic acid bacteria, the wine will be ruined.

If it's happened, it's happened and not much you can do about it now unfortunately.

Hope for the best, and make sure than any avenues of entry to fruitflies and other critters are closed to protect the wine you make in the future.

 

[wickerman]

I thought that it was totally closed off, but i guess it wasn't. Either that, or one was able to sneak in before I started stirring/before I put the lid back on the previous day. I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed...
Thanks,
wickerman

 

[Inner10]

Don't panic yet, most of the grapes I've crushed probably had dozens of fruit flies crushed up with them...no vinegar yet...but hey if it turns to vinegar you make salad dressing right?

 

[Goofynewfie]

Just send it to me, I will fix it and send it back but some will be lost in the process

 

[wickerman]

My question now is how long will it take before I know if it junk or not? It's only a week old. I'm not in any hurry to dump it, but I don't want to hang on to it for too long if its garbage.
Thanks,
wickerman

 

[ToulouseLePlot]

I make vinegar, its harder than you think. The process needs oxygen. If you are careful with how you expose to oxygen downstream from now and sulphite according to best advice(*) I think you will be OK. The plenty of acetobacter around other than on the shoe of your deceased and unlamented fly.

* I think sulphite kills acetobacter, but haven't checked back to the books... Maybe someone else?