Does any have any information on using pennies or copper scouring pads
to kill sodium dioxide? I just read something about this in a
magazine.

"genekay" > wrote in message
m...
> Does any have any information on using pennies or copper scouring pads
> to kill sodium dioxide? I just read something about this in a
> magazine.

Do you mean hydrogen sulfide?

"genekay" > wrote:
> Does any have any information on using pennies or copper scouring pads
> to kill sodium dioxide? I just read something about this in a
> magazine.

Sodium dioxide is not alive, so killing it should be fairly easy. You
may be thinking of H2S (hydrogen sulfide), which has a rotten-egg smell, and
which sometimes occurs during or after fermentation. Copper is part of the
treatment for H2S, but pennies and scouring pads would be a poor choice.

Pennies minted after 1983 are made of zinc with a thin copper coating. If
the penny is worn, the zinc may be exposed, and you do NOT want zinc in your
wine.

Scouring pads have other substances, including the oils used in
manufacturer, which you probably don't want in your wine.

Whatever the source of the copper, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned first.

Probably the simplest thing to use --- when H2S is a problem --- is copper
wire, which can be cleaned very easily, and where all the exposed surface is
"pure" copper.

However, if you have sodium dioxide (NaO2) in your wine in any significant
quantity, that is an entirely different issue.

"John DeFiore" > wrote in message >...
> "genekay" > wrote in message
> m...
> > Does any have any information on using pennies or copper scouring pads
> > to kill sodium dioxide? I just read something about this in a
> > magazine.
>
> Do you mean hydrogen sulfide?

Nope! In the article, it say's "I don't over sulfur and pour the wine
over pennies. . . to kill sodium dioxide"

genekay wrote:

> Nope! In the article, it say's "I don't over sulfur and pour the wine
> over pennies. . . to kill sodium dioxide"

Do you have a link to the article or was it in print? If it's in print,
it might be a typo!

--
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

> Nope! In the article, it say's "I don't over sulfur and pour the wine
> over pennies. . . to kill sodium dioxide"

In an Internet search, I found several occurrences of the term "sodium
dioxide" (NaO2) used to describe "sulphur dioxide" (SO2), obviously
confusing the meaning of the chemical symbol "S" for sodium. SO2 is found
in wine (since it occurs naturally in the grape skins, and we add it as a
preservative), but there is usually no reason to "kill it".

I still think the author is confusing SO2 with H2S (hydrogen sulfide), as
well as confusing sodium and sulphur.

"Negodki" > wrote in message
...
> I still think the author is confusing SO2 with H2S (hydrogen sulfide), as
> well as confusing sodium and sulphur.

Yeah, but other than that his chemistry is dead on. ;^D

Tom S

"Negodki" > wrote in message
...
> Whatever the source of the copper, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned
first.
>
> Probably the simplest thing to use --- when H2S is a problem --- is copper
> wire, which can be cleaned very easily, and where all the exposed surface
is
> "pure" copper.

Stirring the wine with a clean section of copper pipe isn't too bad either.
Wire might be kind of slow for a batch larger than a gallon or so.

Tom S

"Tom S" > wrote:

> Stirring the wine with a clean section of copper pipe isn't too bad
either.
> Wire might be kind of slow for a batch larger than a gallon or so.

You are correct, of course. But it's difficult to clean the inside of copper
pipe (and it is pretty dirty when you buy it). How do you clean it? Dip it
in acid and flush it with water?

"Negodki" > wrote in message
...
> "Tom S" > wrote:
>
> > Stirring the wine with a clean section of copper pipe isn't too bad
> either.
> > Wire might be kind of slow for a batch larger than a gallon or so.
>
> You are correct, of course. But it's difficult to clean the inside of
copper
> pipe (and it is pretty dirty when you buy it). How do you clean it? Dip it
> in acid and flush it with water?

How about a bottle brush and Bon Ami, followed by lots of water?

Tom S

"Tom S" > wrote in message
m...
>
> "Negodki" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I still think the author is confusing SO2 with H2S (hydrogen sulfide),
as
> > well as confusing sodium and sulphur.
>
> Yeah, but other than that his chemistry is dead on. ;^D

LOL, Tom!!

How about putting a cap on the end? Perhaps with epoxy instead of
solder.

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 19:08:22 -0700, "Negodki" >
wrote:

>"Tom S" > wrote:
>
>> Stirring the wine with a clean section of copper pipe isn't too bad
>either.
>> Wire might be kind of slow for a batch larger than a gallon or so.
>
>You are correct, of course. But it's difficult to clean the inside of copper
>pipe (and it is pretty dirty when you buy it). How do you clean it? Dip it
>in acid and flush it with water?
>
>