my wine tastes a bit like vinegar

[mickyboy]

hi all
i have recently made some batches of wine.

1 youngs definitive medium red kit ( fills six bottles)

2 tescos pure red pressed grape juice (4 litres)

3 tescos pure white pressed grape juice (4 litres)

for the red and white wines i followed the recipe for liddles grape juice.

all 3 wines once fermentation hade finished were transfered to demijohns and have been standing in a cool place for 14 days.

all 3 wines look clear, the reds have a full bodied colour.

however trying a small amount of each ,its a bit vinigary its not really drinkable, the red pressed grape juice on its own tastes much better than the actual wine.

the alchol content of the red wine tescos is about 13.5~% (if my og readings etc were correct)

i know 14 days is not long ,but wonder if the acidy taste will disapear.

thank you all

[Frothy]

That's bad luck.

Vinegar is produced when you get an Acetobacter infection.
When the wine is fermenting it is protected from infection but once it's finished it is at risk. What happens it that if air gets to the wine this bacteria will form a film (with jelly like qualities) on the top of the wine and slowly turns the alcohol into vinegar. You can avoid this by keeping the wine cool after racking, avoid agitating it, add some more sulphur dioxide by using campden tablets (at the recommended dose) and minimise the air space in the second demijohn. Traditionally wine would be fermented and conditioned outside so it's nice and cool.

If you've actually got vinegar, It won't go away with ageing. A little whiff on the nose is nothing to worry about as fresh fermented wine often smells a little odd, but if it tastes of vinegar unfortunately I think it may be a gonner.

Frothy

[mickyboy]

thanks frothy.

i phoned youngs homebrew to inquire why my youngs larger and medium red wine seemed to taste a bit like vinegar??

i was lucky enough to be able to provide a sample of larger and wine to my local homebrew stockists, who was awaiting a delivery from youngs, the samples were then returned to youngs.

i recieved a phone call today, it appears my wine does in fact taste of vinegar and is no good,the exact cause is harder to pinpoint ( i had a hard job getting it to ferment/ not sterilzed equipment thouroughly)

the larger however is ok its as expected, but to me tastes very weak (if my calculations re og fg were correct about 5%) but tastes weaker than carlsberg bog standard larger.

youngs have sugested i try a larger kit but use half the amount of sugar and use spray malt to make up as instructions, also to use a premium beer yeast (muntons premium beer yeast instead of what came with kit) or too use beer kit enhancer???

i asked if adding more sugar would make a higher % beer , but the advice was to reduce the amount of liquid (30 pints rather than 40) if possible f gravity about 1.006 then transfer to pressure barrell or bottle..

i will have another go at larger , but the only way to make what i have taste better is to mix it with some tennats super or simular.

still does not solve exactly whats amiss with my attempts at wine.

thank you