> > Copper will not pull out good aromas Joe, but it can make wine more
> > prone to oxidation.
> I have always noticed that copper does seem to deaden the nose, and contrary
> to other posters, the freshness doesn't come back. This is quite possibly
> due to oxidation of volatiles by the copper. However, as H2S also deadens
> fruit characters, it is a question of balancing one against the other - just
> like all winemaking practices!

Help me understand this Andrew. Are you saying that you have a wine
that has H2S aroma with some nice freshness in the background and then
after copper fining it looses some of that freshness and then never
recovers??

You must have quite the distinguishing palate!



clyde
Steelville, Missouri, USofA
http://www.PeacefulBend.com
http://www.vinic.com

"Clyde Gill" > wrote in message
om...
> > > Copper will not pull out good aromas Joe, but it can make wine more
> > > prone to oxidation.
> > I have always noticed that copper does seem to deaden the nose, and
contrary
> > to other posters, the freshness doesn't come back. This is quite
possibly
> > due to oxidation of volatiles by the copper. However, as H2S also
deadens
> > fruit characters, it is a question of balancing one against the other -
just
> > like all winemaking practices!
>
> Help me understand this Andrew. Are you saying that you have a wine
> that has H2S aroma with some nice freshness in the background and then
> after copper fining it looses some of that freshness and then never
> recovers??
>
> You must have quite the distinguishing palate!
No, I really meant it suppresses fruit characters! But I guess I meant that
by the copper "deadening" the nose, what it did was suppress the fresh
characters that come from the fruit. Did I weasel out successfully?

"Andrew L Drumm" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Clyde Gill" > wrote in message
> om...
> > > > Copper will not pull out good aromas Joe, but it can make wine more
> > > > prone to oxidation.
> > > I have always noticed that copper does seem to deaden the nose, and
> contrary
> > > to other posters, the freshness doesn't come back. This is quite
> possibly
> > > due to oxidation of volatiles by the copper. However, as H2S also
> deadens
> > > fruit characters, it is a question of balancing one against the
other -
> just
> > > like all winemaking practices!
> >
> > Help me understand this Andrew. Are you saying that you have a wine
> > that has H2S aroma with some nice freshness in the background and then
> > after copper fining it looses some of that freshness and then never
> > recovers??
> >
> > You must have quite the distinguishing palate!

> No, I really meant it suppresses fruit characters! But I guess I meant
that
> by the copper "deadening" the nose, what it did was suppress the fresh
> characters that come from the fruit. Did I weasel out successfully?

You may be right about "suppresses fruit characters" Andrew. I don't use
copper unless the stench is pretty bad, and I can't detect the underlying
fruit character.

Yes. You are a successful weaseler outer.

I've been reading everyone's comments about the use of CuSO4. Last year, I had
2 carboys of the same batch of smelly zinfandel. In one batch, I carefully
measured the appropriate dose of copper sulfate. In the other batch, I took a
sheet of copper foil (the kind sold in the craft stores). I cut it into 1 inch
wide strips, tied them together, and then swished them in the wine for a while.


Both methods seemed to effectively take out the H2S. While I have no idea how
much residual copper was left in the wine with the second method, it "seemed"
safe.

Has anyone else used simple copper? I've read about swishing in copper wire,
or even dropping in a few pennies.

Lee