So back in '09 I had lost 45 gallons of cab sav due to some sort of contamination, I believe. No one could tell me what it was, but it tasted, simply, bad. Not drinkable. I know it was contaminated only because I had several demijohns, and the bad ones had been topped off with what must have been a bad cab franc, which tasted abysmal (but fine at the time of topping). So, my wine making friend saved the best of the worst. Still not drinkable in my estimation, but he was planning to make vinegar. Long story short, he tricked me yesterday and served me some of the "bad 09". Upon first sip, I declared it was among the best homemade wines I had ever had and asked him where it came from.
So I ask you, should I worry at all about any "contamination" is the fact that it tastes ok now evidence enough that there is nothing harmful about this stuff?
Side note: once he told me it was my bad 09, I immediately detected the off notes that turned me off years ago, but now more subtle.
So anyway, what's the worst that could happen???

Worst that could happen is to get vinegar as was the intention of your chum.

On Monday, May 20, 2013 10:10:38 AM UTC-7, This old stinky cab wrote:
> So back in '09 I had lost 45 gallons of cab sav due to some sort of contamination, I believe. No one could tell me what it was, but it tasted, simply, bad. Not drinkable. I know it was contaminated only because I had several demijohns, and the bad ones had been topped off with what must have been a bad cab franc, which tasted abysmal (but fine at the time of topping). So, my wine making friend saved the best of the worst. Still not drinkable in my estimation, but he was planning to make vinegar. Long story short, he tricked me yesterday and served me some of the "bad 09". Upon first sip, I declared it was among the best homemade wines I had ever had and asked him where it came from.
>
> So I ask you, should I worry at all about any "contamination" is the fact that it tastes ok now evidence enough that there is nothing harmful about this stuff?
>
> Side note: once he told me it was my bad 09, I immediately detected the off notes that turned me off years ago, but now more subtle.
>
> So anyway, what's the worst that could happen???


You definitely have to watch for contamination but I always make sure it goes through the whole process until I sample the wares. Time cures a lot of problems so what it was you sampled too early. Usually tastes like crap until the last few weeks.

On Thu, 5 Dec 2013 21:36:16 -0800 (PST), dncswclds
> wrote:

>
>You definitely have to watch for contamination but I always make sure it goes through the whole process until I sample the wares. Time cures a lot of problems so what it was you sampled too early. Usually tastes like crap until the last few weeks.

Until the yeast has settled out and the wine is relatively clear, it
will be very awful tasting. If it is to be a sweetened wine, it will
still not taste right until it's sweetened, but the really awful taste
of new wine will be gone as long as you've waited long enough for th
eyeast to drop out or have removed the yeast by filtering it out.

Time is a better answer than filtering, though, as you also filter out
some of the flavor components in the process. I typically do 4
rackings before bottling. Once after fermentation is completed, then
every 30 days. The last one is at bottling time.

Donald