Flowers of Wine (Problem)

Question

Flowers of Wine (Problem)

jjmusicnotes

2013年6月4日 15:01

Context:

I am currently working on a batch of jalapeno-cranberry wine. It's been in primary for five days so far and I am beginning to suspect I have flowers in my wine. I was not too concerned earlier this week as I thought it was just residual foam from an active fermentation, but the more time goes by, the more I suspect there is a problem.

Problem:

When I view the must, it appears as if there are little flecks / clumps of yeast floating on the surface and around the edges of the straining bag and the bucket.

Question:

How can I tell if I have flowers for sure? If so, how can I tell between spoiled yeast being the cause or bacteria?

Reference

Topic problems primary-fermentation bacteria wine yeast homebrew

Category Mac

Tarah · Accepted Answer · 2013年6月3日 10:08

The best way to tell for sure is to wait. You can't fix the problem if you have one. You just finished primary fermentation: it's not uncommon to have left over yeast all over the place; you haven't cleared your wine yet, whether with time or chemicals.

You can also see many images of others' infections via Google images. If the flowers are just starting to form, they may be impossible to tell apart from many other, normal conditions. Once your pellicle forms you will usually be able to tell what type of bacteria or yeast infection it is. At that point, posting a picture will elicit a response.

If you have access to a microscope, you could look at a sample. Most bacterial infections will have elongated bodies while yeasts are round. This will not differentiate between infections of yeast and wine yeast without an expert opinion.

Flowers of Wine (Problem)

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