I have a batch of wine which appears to have a good flavour, but about twenty seconds later an unpleasant, stagnant taste develops. Whats happening?
This sounds like the infamous “mousiness”. It’s a phase which some wines go through, and is due to yeast particles which haven’t settled – probably wild yeasts. Keep the wine for a bit longer – typically 6 months to a year – and you’ll find the mousiness disappears. Everything will be fine. In my experience time is the only remedy. 5 When making dandelion wine I neglected to add nutrient – however sultanas were present. After initial fermentation ceased, I kicked it into life again with a teaspoon of nutrient. This second fermentation is vigorous but seems to have produced an oily film on the surface and the yeast sediment has a spongy lighter coloured layer, have I introduced an undesirable organism into the ferment? Regarding your oiliness problem: I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Your new layer of sediment will be yeast reproducing and generally having a good time because of the added nutrient. The oily film may be from the surface of the sultanas, if you didn’t wash
