eau de skunk
 

Hi folks -

Racked my gallon lot of sweet blackberry (Tasmanian recipe) tonight, and
it has a rather pungent aroma!

It was started June 22, transferred to secondary under an airlock June
29 and racked for the first time tonight. Taste and sniff test at that
time was normal, although a bit "thin".

Taste tonight normal for an immature wine.

It's the first off-beat behaviour in the dozen or so "country wines"
I've got moving toward bottling.

Any thoughts on what happened, and possible remedy?

Thanks.

Jack

eau de skunk
 

Can you describe it more.
Is it like the smell off Rotten eggs then you have an H2S problem.
This can be solved by racking the wine several times by splashing
it in the new receptor so it will get lots of air.

If it is a smell like a sewer, which I had with my plum wine last year,
it will vanish in due time.

If it smells like someone has mowed the lawn (like my dandelion wine had
when it was pulp-fermenting) that vanished also in due time.

Maybe you can give us another description.

Luc



On Sat, 04 Aug 2007 21:52:34 -0300, Jack wrote:

> Hi folks -
>
> Racked my gallon lot of sweet blackberry (Tasmanian recipe) tonight, and
> it has a rather pungent aroma!
>
> It was started June 22, transferred to secondary under an airlock June
> 29 and racked for the first time tonight. Taste and sniff test at that
> time was normal, although a bit "thin".
>
> Taste tonight normal for an immature wine.
>
> It's the first off-beat behaviour in the dozen or so "country wines"
> I've got moving toward bottling.
>
> Any thoughts on what happened, and possible remedy?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jack

eau de skunk
 

Hello Luc -

Thanks for the prompt reply.

Sewer smell would be closest.

And I'm pleased that it will go away! My first reaction was: hell, there goes
a whole gallon with those hand-picked blackberries!

Jack

Luc Volders wrote:

> Can you describe it more.
> Is it like the smell off Rotten eggs then you have an H2S problem.
> This can be solved by racking the wine several times by splashing
> it in the new receptor so it will get lots of air.
>
> If it is a smell like a sewer, which I had with my plum wine last year,
> it will vanish in due time.
>
> If it smells like someone has mowed the lawn (like my dandelion wine had
> when it was pulp-fermenting) that vanished also in due time.
>
> Maybe you can give us another description.
>
> Luc
>
> On Sat, 04 Aug 2007 21:52:34 -0300, Jack wrote:
>
> > Hi folks -
> >
> > Racked my gallon lot of sweet blackberry (Tasmanian recipe) tonight, and
> > it has a rather pungent aroma!
> >
> > It was started June 22, transferred to secondary under an airlock June
> > 29 and racked for the first time tonight. Taste and sniff test at that
> > time was normal, although a bit "thin".
> >
> > Taste tonight normal for an immature wine.
> >
> > It's the first off-beat behaviour in the dozen or so "country wines"
> > I've got moving toward bottling.
> >
> > Any thoughts on what happened, and possible remedy?
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Jack

eau de skunk
 

Jack wrote:

> Hello Luc -
>
> Thanks for the prompt reply.
>
> Sewer smell would be closest.
>
> And I'm pleased that it will go away! My first
> reaction was: hell, there goes a whole gallon
> with those hand-picked blackberries!
>
> Jack

If it is sewer smell it ain't going to go away by
itself. You will need to do some remedial work.
Stirring vigorously and aerating MAY work or you
may need to add some copper sulphate. Look
through the archives on using copper for H2S
problems - or hopefully perhaps someone will post
again. I hate it when people just tell you to
read the archives.




>
> Luc Volders wrote:
>
>> Can you describe it more.
>> Is it like the smell off Rotten eggs then you
>> have an H2S problem. This can be solved by
>> racking the wine several times by splashing it
>> in the new receptor so it will get lots of air.
>>
>> If it is a smell like a sewer, which I had with
>> my plum wine last year, it will vanish in due
>> time.
>>
>> If it smells like someone has mowed the lawn
>> (like my dandelion wine had when it was
>> pulp-fermenting) that vanished also in due
>> time.
>>
>> Maybe you can give us another description.
>>
>> Luc
>>
>> On Sat, 04 Aug 2007 21:52:34 -0300, Jack wrote:
>>
>> > Hi folks -
>> >
>> > Racked my gallon lot of sweet blackberry
>> > (Tasmanian recipe) tonight, and it has a
>> > rather pungent aroma!
>> >
>> > It was started June 22, transferred to
>> > secondary under an airlock June 29 and racked
>> > for the first time tonight. Taste and sniff
>> > test at that time was normal, although a bit
>> > "thin".
>> >
>> > Taste tonight normal for an immature wine.
>> >
>> > It's the first off-beat behaviour in the
>> > dozen or so "country wines" I've got moving
>> > toward bottling.
>> >
>> > Any thoughts on what happened, and possible
>> > remedy?
>> >
>> > Thanks.
>> >
>> > Jack

eau de skunk
 

Reminds me of something i saw on the food channel. If you take fresh
strawberries and ice and put them in the blender, then take a big whiff as
soon as you take the lid off it's suposed to smell horrible (sewer?) lol.
Could be the same effect.

Thanks Paul!
 

I'll give it a go.

j

"Paul E. Lehmann" wrote:

> Jack wrote:
>
> > Hello Luc -
> >
> > Thanks for the prompt reply.
> >
> > Sewer smell would be closest.
> >
> > And I'm pleased that it will go away! My first
> > reaction was: hell, there goes a whole gallon
> > with those hand-picked blackberries!
> >
> > Jack
>
> If it is sewer smell it ain't going to go away by
> itself. You will need to do some remedial work.
> Stirring vigorously and aerating MAY work or you
> may need to add some copper sulphate. Look
> through the archives on using copper for H2S
> problems - or hopefully perhaps someone will post
> again. I hate it when people just tell you to
> read the archives.
>
> >
> > Luc Volders wrote:
> >
> >> Can you describe it more.
> >> Is it like the smell off Rotten eggs then you
> >> have an H2S problem. This can be solved by
> >> racking the wine several times by splashing it
> >> in the new receptor so it will get lots of air.
> >>
> >> If it is a smell like a sewer, which I had with
> >> my plum wine last year, it will vanish in due
> >> time.
> >>
> >> If it smells like someone has mowed the lawn
> >> (like my dandelion wine had when it was
> >> pulp-fermenting) that vanished also in due
> >> time.
> >>
> >> Maybe you can give us another description.
> >>
> >> Luc
> >>
> >> On Sat, 04 Aug 2007 21:52:34 -0300, Jack wrote:
> >>
> >> > Hi folks -
> >> >
> >> > Racked my gallon lot of sweet blackberry
> >> > (Tasmanian recipe) tonight, and it has a
> >> > rather pungent aroma!
> >> >
> >> > It was started June 22, transferred to
> >> > secondary under an airlock June 29 and racked
> >> > for the first time tonight. Taste and sniff
> >> > test at that time was normal, although a bit
> >> > "thin".
> >> >
> >> > Taste tonight normal for an immature wine.
> >> >
> >> > It's the first off-beat behaviour in the
> >> > dozen or so "country wines" I've got moving
> >> > toward bottling.
> >> >
> >> > Any thoughts on what happened, and possible
> >> > remedy?
> >> >
> >> > Thanks.
> >> >
> >> > Jack