No reasonable modern brewer would suggest that.
Trust info from quality scientific sources.
http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Quality_Assurance
The contamination (assuming you have one) obviously isn't from the must itself, but rather somewhere in your equipment or additives.
What source?
Live microbes simply don't withstand boiling. It matters whether it's dry vs wet heat.
Okay, so, at the risk of boring you to tears, I'll explain how this happened. My first mead batch, maybe close to two years ago, took forever to ferment and eventually became infected. It infected my equipment, obviously. In my panic, I googled this brewing malady for hours and the only diagnosis that ever fit the symptoms was bretts, to which all solutions pointed to "throw it out." No sir.
Being raised by people whose motto in life was "waste not," I snapped on the rubber gloves and got to work trying everything I could think of to scour that bretts away. I bleached, then tested. Boiled, then tested. Baked, then tested. Scrubbed, then tested. It was during these tests that I realized two things. One, bretts could actually be seen on the hot, drying glass in the sun as small dots - biofilm, I believe. And two, my strong will alone did not negate the advice of better learned, wiser brewers than myself: throw it out. I was defeated.
Subsequent tests with new equipment have all lead to the same results. If I can't afford to replace it right now, it doesn't touch my mead.
Habs - I really hope you get to the bottom of this. You're no stranger to sanitation protocols and what you're experiencing would be nothing less than a nightmare to me.
Good luck bro.
Thanks. Hoping we'll clear this up soon.
There are some spores that survive in boiling temperatures.
There is a high temperature tolerant strain of clostridium, which produces butyric acid. While it can survive in boiling water, it is sensitive to ph below 4. Your wine must could be lower than that, your mead must, maybe not.
Butyric flavors range from very stinky cheese to vomit.
Enjoy your breakfast.
I'm a parent, stinky cheese and vomit are nothing compared to "come wipe my butt" while I'm shoveling food into my face.
Did you include the nutrients in your sugar water tests ?
No. Just sugar dissolved in boiling water, and a tight seal of plastic wrap over the top (not touching the sugar water) so that the test wouldn't be compromised.
But now that you mention it.... maybe another spring water bottle, with some sugar and yeast nutrient would yield answers.