mouldy elderflower champagne :(

[purplekat]

Hi,
I managed to do a lovely batch of champagne last year with bread yeast (don't believe anyone who says it doesn't get very alcoholic - I had to water mine down!)

Tried again this year and it's gone all mouldy on top - I know it did a little last year but it's got lots of penny sized spots of blue mould this time. I think it's my fault as I just left it instead of mixing it every so often like you're meant to. I think it's taken too long to get going as it was bubbling a lot more through the airlock last time.

Anyone know if I'm going to have to start again? - it still smells nice and fruity at the moment but I don't want to poison myself!

[Two_Sheds]

Did you sterilise all your equipment first?

[Rhona]

Mine's gone mouldy too. Everything was sterilised (although obviously I've slipped up somewhere) - but checked the bottles on my first batch and there's spots on the surface, and 'things' drifting around in it. I think I'm just going to ditch the lot and start again whilst there's still elderflowers around.

[Two_Sheds]

Mine's gone mouldy too. Everything was sterilised

... flowers too?

[Rhona]

... flowers too?

I rushed that bit. That'll learn me.

Just come back from the woods with some fab flower heads (a week behind the lottie ones). That's Saturday night sorted out.

[Rhona]

I'm now not sure it was mould. I did see a couple of spots appearing, but they've gone now. What remains is 'clouds' of floating stringy stuff attached to the black bits which weren't strained out. I'm just in the middle of refiltering through a cloth and rebottling the lot. It tastes ok - not fusty or 'damp.' Should I do anything else? It doesn't taste as sweet as previous years - should I add more sugar at this stage? Will it still fizz now I've fiddled with it?

I've got another 20 litres bubbling away as back up anyway... love the stuff (when it works).

[purplekat]

I sterilised everything apart from the flowers and fruit - same as last year.