"Tom S" wrote in message . com...
If those lees were the source of an H2S problem, I'd return them to the
_vineyard_ before putting them back in the barrel.

I've learned the hard way that it's best to rack reds from the gross lees
ASAP (within hours) after pressing. Fine lees are OK.

BTW, if you treated the wine with copper sulfate, the results should be
apparent within minutes. This reaction goes very fast.

If the lees are the source of H2S and I quarantine them with a couple
of gallons of wine and it doesn't stink after a month or two, then
what's the argument against returning them to the barrel? The
argument for seems to be the additional complexity that can add. But,
like most of winemaking, it seems to be more tradition and opinion
than anything else.

As I posted elsewhere, the copper sulfate worked like a charm -
thanks! I was quite surprised to find the offending odor completely
gone when I checked tonight.

"Michael Brill" wrote in message
om...
"Tom S" wrote in message
om...
At leest (pun intended!) 99.9%.

Tom S

I promise I won't tell anyone you wrote that ;-).

More details... this was actually one out of four barrels. The other
three barrels are fine and have not had any H2S problem. They all
went into the same type and source of 2 year old oak. The only
difference was this batch was heavily "manipulated" while the others
were minimally processed. Specifically, the differences a

* Innoculated with cultured yeast
* 30 ppm sulfites added at crush
* Enzymes added
* Fermaid added
* Hot ferment (let it get to about 95F for a day)
This could be it - the hot ferment may have stressed the yeast.
Cultured yeast are generally bred not to produce H2S and to withstand
sulphur dioxide. Enzymes should reduce the propensity to get smelly, unless
you then super-clarified the juice. Fermaid should have reduced H2S, unless
it doesn't contain any nitrogen - DAP is habitually added commercially.