HELP! Cloudy wine
  • keentobekeentobe
    Posts: 1
    Hi there just wondering if you could please offer some advice. I have made some elderflower wine..put into demijohns put bubbler on and removed red cap..didn't know until today that I was ment to put water in bubbler and keep cap on...I started fermentation last Sunday and only discovered this today..so for 6 days it has just been sitting there..upon putting the water in and placing red cap on I have noticed the bubbles in the bubbler but my wine is cloudy. .will this still be ok??? I just hope I haven't spoilt the process. Hope u can help. Many kind thanks...kelly
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,876
    So it sounds like...
    Your wine has been fermenting for 6 days?
    You put the bubbler/airlock on with no water in it to start?
    Wine is currently cloudy?

    All of these things are fine. As long as the wine is fermenting along nicely nothing would have had much of a chance to get in through the airlock. I wouldn't use straight water in the airlock anyway. Use cheap vodka or your sanitizer of choice.
    During fermentation your wine is definitely going to look cloudy, maybe fizzy even.

    Also, welcome to the site!
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,412
    I agree, right now it should be cloudy. Thats suspended yeast doing its job. The risk you have is that some bad yeast or bacteria got in there before to filled it, time will tell on that
    But its probably fine. I prefer vodka over water, its pretty much guaranteed to prevent anything bad finding its way into the fermenter, even if cooling causes it to suck a bit in.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,412
    And welcome to the site!
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    Yeah, use cheap vodka in the airlock. Wine is a more patient game and funky stuff will grow in your airlock if you only use water.
    Just remember to keep the vodka down there and top the airlock up every month or so because you'll lose some to evaporation.

    As far as having it ferment openly for the first few days....that's not going to be a problem.