I have a 5 gallon batch of apple wine that has been racked after
primary fermentation, and is ready for the next racking. The wine
seems to be clearing well. The problem is that it has that rotten egg
smell! The juice was from fresh pressed apples that were not
pasteurized or treated in any way. The SG, Ph, and Ta were all in
line. I added 5 Campden tablets and yeast nutrient to the primary and
everything seemed to go well. There was no smell at first racking?
The smell is not over powering, but is there. Any suggestions?

"genekay" wrote :
I have a 5 gallon batch of apple wine that has been racked after
primary fermentation, and is ready for the next racking. The wine
seems to be clearing well. The problem is that it has that rotten egg
smell! The juice was from fresh pressed apples that were not
pasteurized or treated in any way. The SG, Ph, and Ta were all in
line. I added 5 Campden tablets and yeast nutrient to the primary and
everything seemed to go well. There was no smell at first racking?
The smell is not over powering, but is there. Any suggestions?

Probably best to treat it now, than to wait for it to get worse. See:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...roup:rec.craft
s.winemaking%2Bgroup:rec.crafts.winemaking%26hl%3D en%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26
group%3Drec.crafts.winemaking%26selm%3Dvnjhnc6a162 u5f%2540corp.supernews.com
%26rnum%3D1

I tried a concentrate apple and grape mixture for a friend and found the
smell to be quite off-putting. I dumped it because the fermentation did not
kick off well and thought it was ruined but another batch that had trouble
kicking off at the same time had the same smell but turned out just fine
(didn't want to dump 6 gallons but was fine dumping 1).

Perhaps treat as Negodki recommends but I kind of think it will go away
since it may be a constituent smell because of apple.

"genekay" wrote in message
m...
I have a 5 gallon batch of apple wine that has been racked after
primary fermentation, and is ready for the next racking. The wine
seems to be clearing well. The problem is that it has that rotten egg
smell! The juice was from fresh pressed apples that were not
pasteurized or treated in any way. The SG, Ph, and Ta were all in
line. I added 5 Campden tablets and yeast nutrient to the primary and
everything seemed to go well. There was no smell at first racking?
The smell is not over powering, but is there. Any suggestions?

"Patrick McDonald" wrote:

Perhaps treat as Negodki recommends but I kind of think it will go away
since it may be a constituent smell because of apple.

I agree, depending on the smell. I've had apple wine smell "vinegary", but
turn out fine. And most ferments with Montrechet yeast will smell a bit
"rotten eggy" for a few days. Hard to tell from here. But if he does have an
H2S problem, it's best to attack it right away.

"Negodki" wrote in message
...
"Patrick McDonald" wrote:

Perhaps treat as Negodki recommends but I kind of think it will go away
since it may be a constituent smell because of apple.

I agree, depending on the smell. I've had apple wine smell "vinegary", but
turn out fine. And most ferments with Montrechet yeast will smell a bit
"rotten eggy" for a few days. Hard to tell from here. But if he does have
an
H2S problem, it's best to attack it right away.


My apple wine always smells like that to start with - but the smell
disappears over time. I've found aerating it helps, stirring with a glass
rod and pouring splashily from one container to another.

"Pickle" wrote:

My apple wine always smells like that to start with - but the smell
disappears over time. I've found aerating it helps, stirring with a glass
rod and pouring splashily from one container to another.

How do you stir a 55-gallon barrel with a glass rod?

Negodki wrote:

How do you stir a 55-gallon barrel with a glass rod?

Very carefully I'm assuming...


--
charles

"Once ... in the wilds of Afghanistan, I lost my corkscrew, and we were
forced to live on nothing but food and water for days."
- W.C. Fields

"Negodki" wrote in message
...
"Pickle" wrote:

My apple wine always smells like that to start with - but the smell
disappears over time. I've found aerating it helps, stirring with a
glass
rod and pouring splashily from one container to another.

How do you stir a 55-gallon barrel with a glass rod?


A very long one? ( Mine is only 5 gallons, so a bit more feasible

"Pickle" wrote in message ...
"Negodki" wrote in message
...
"Pickle" wrote:

My apple wine always smells like that to start with - but the smell
disappears over time. I've found aerating it helps, stirring with a
glass
rod and pouring splashily from one container to another.

How do you stir a 55-gallon barrel with a glass rod?


A very long one? ( Mine is only 5 gallons, so a bit more feasible

Come on now, folks. I've used this aeration method with larger
containers. If you siphoning or pumping, don't siphon "quietly," as
you usually do, filling the new vessel from the bottom. Instead,
siphon or pump and keep the rod or hose at the top of the vessel, and
splash the runnings around as much as you can, or by run them down the
side of the new container you are racking into. This is a fine way of
aerating any quantity, and I have used it effectively to solve this
problem.

Regards,

Deadend

"Pickle" wrote:
My apple wine always smells like that to start with - but the smell
disappears over time. I've found aerating it helps, stirring with a
glass rod and pouring splashily from one container to another.

"Negodki" wrote (facetiously) in message
How do you stir a 55-gallon barrel with a glass rod?

Charles H wrote:
Very carefully I'm assuming...

"Pickle" wrote:
A very long one? ( Mine is only 5 gallons, so a bit more feasible

Deadend wrote:
Come on now, folks. I've used this aeration method with larger
containers. If you siphoning or pumping, don't siphon "quietly," as
you usually do, filling the new vessel from the bottom. Instead,
siphon or pump and keep the rod or hose at the top of the vessel, and
splash the runnings around as much as you can, or by run them down the
side of the new container you are racking into. This is a fine way of
aerating any quantity, and I have used it effectively to solve this
problem.

Then Negodki expounded with his usual excessive verbosity and acerbic wit:
Do I have to display a "laugh" sign when I make a joke? Obviously a glass
rod is unsuitable for a larger container --- or even a small container
containing crushed apples. Why did I mention it? Because "Pickle" suggested
stirring with such an instrument without specifying, or inquiring, as to the
size of the must, or whether fermenting juice or on the skins. I found the
concept of using a glass rod on a huge barrel of crushed apples amusing ---
because I've broken wooden oars stirring such a large must. It never
occurred to me that anyone would take the question seriously, especially
with a winking "smiley" appended to the sentence.

"Negodki" wrote in message ...

Then Negodki expounded with his usual excessive verbosity and acerbic wit:
Do I have to display a "laugh" sign when I make a joke? Obviously a glass
rod is unsuitable for a larger container --- snip It never
occurred to me that anyone would take the question seriously, especially
with a winking "smiley" appended to the sentence.

D'oh!

I must have been thick that day. Oh well.

Deadend