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gene

wrote:
> This is my very first batch of wine......so needless to say, it didn't
> get off to a perfect start. I racked the wine from the primary
> fermenter to the carboy, placed the bung in the opening of the carboy
> and attempted to insert the airlock (OK...now I know you place the
> airlock in the opening of the bung prior to inserting it in the
> opening of the carboy....or the guy at the supply store sold me the
> wrong size bung!) Luckily, my neighbor saved the day by loaning me a
> new bung. But...the old one is still in the carboy with the
> fermenting wine. Will this harm the wine in any way or should I rack
> the wine into a new carboy?
>
It depends on what kind of rubber the bung is made from.
A) If it is the kind that has a faint 'sulfury' smell, then I'd not want
it in direct contact with my wine for very long. That sulfury compound
is a mercaptan curing agent, and mercaptans will dissolve into alcohol.
Mercaptan is not a pleasant taste in wine and is hard to remove from
wine without also stripping flavors you want to keep.
B) Other rubber compounds have no 'sulfury' smell; they use an organic
peroxide curing agent which has no detectable affect on the wine.
C) Silicone rubber is 'inert' to wine.

If you are not sure what kind of rubber it is, then it would be prudent
to rack it into another carboy. I'd do it in the next day or so, while
the wine is still giving off carbon dioxide to displace the air you will
contact during the extra racking.

Tis not an emergency situation in any case. The bung might be one size
smaller than ideal... and placing the airlock in the bung first is the
'preferred method' <grin>. Welcome to winemaking.

Gene