I am trying to finish up about 20 gals of elderberry wine that was started by someone else. They passed away and I would like to finish this wine. I am a novice winemaker.
The person who started the wine usually didn't follow a specific recipe, so I am guessing they used past experience, judgement and probably whatever yeast they could get at the grocery store. I know they probably didn't use campden tablets. The wine is in five gal carboys. Some appears to be still be fermenting (bubbling). 3 of 4 carboys have air locks. The other has just a cork and has some white film on top.
I siphoned off some of the wine and measured the sg - it was about .9. I tasted it and it was very bitter/dry. I gradually added 1 pt (500 ml) of wine conditioner (sucrose with sorbic acid) and it tasted better. But it took the whole pint of conditioner for just one gallon. I siphoned off the balance of the wine into small containers to transport in my car. I have added additional sugar to the wine (heated a small amount of wine and let sugar dissolve into) and have returned everything to a clean carboy with airlock.
- At this point the wine has a sulfur smell that I didn't noticed at first. Is this because of the conditioner? oxidation?
- Will the sulfur smell likely go away with time?
- The carboy with the white film on top also has some "head space" - is the film oxidation? Is that carboy beyond hope or could it be saved?