Home made sloe gin has....growth?

[TheDrownedApe]

So made my own sloe gin for the last few years and never had an issue. This year I made a few 50 and 70 cl bottles. The 50cl bottles are fine. The 70cl bottles had gin in them and were emptied and then filled with the sloe gin. I filtered the sloe gin through double muslin twice.

What is this suspension now in the bottle please? I'm guessing I can just filter it again but unsure.

[Turn7]

Possibly not sterilised before use ?

[TheDrownedApe]

Turn7 said:

Possibly not sterilised before use ?

Possibly but emptied out the gin, left bottle for 3 months then filled with gin? Although the smaller bottle not "growing" suggests it might be

[bigmowley]

My 2022 brew did something very similar. I just drank it! Still here but I appreciate my days might be numbered.

[oddman]

Not sure sterilisation is an issue when sloes are hardly sterile in the first place. The bloom on some sloes and plums is
yeast.

I'd be very surprised if anything could grow in such a strongly alcoholic and sweet solution. The osmotic gradient across cell walls of any bugs or moulds would suck all the water out of a cell.

I think the answer is use green bottles and then you won't notice