signs of bacteria in wine?

Steve, don't worry, things will be fine. You are making wine not performing brain surgery. You would be surprised at the things that go into the fermenter in commercial wine making - insects, bird poop and many other things. Just try to keep things clean without being fanatical about it.

Don't worry. It takes a lot worse than that to really mess up a batch of wine. Once the yeast get going and you develop a bit of alcohol, most bacteria and other evil spirits will be discouraged. So have patience, and don't sweat the small stuff. Wine is really very forgiving, and kits are darn near foolproof. :-)

Doug

I knew a guy who dropped a dish towel into his primary and didn't find it until he racked into carboys. The wine turned out fine. He says.

Jeff

Don't worry about it. At this stage the wine is nearly invulnerable because the dominant process is the action of the yeast.

The time to start worrying is when the fermentation ends and after the first racking. You'll need to keep air away from the wine by reducing the headspace to near zero and adding sufficient sulfite to keep bad things from growing in it.

Tom S

Thanks to all who replied - I feel much better now. I'd like to say, also, that I am extremely relieved that I found this group. I'm sure I will be calling on your experience in the future!

Thanks,

-Steve