What is that funny Styrofoam Smell !?
 

Just started my first batch of Apple Melomel. Never made apple before,
never used honey before. I used a few different kinds of fresh apples
and blended them into a liquid, then strained the mess in nylon bags to
remove the most of the pulp. I'll never do that again. I started the
fermentation just as the weather got cold (that means under 60DegF here
in Louisiana). It took a little while for the fermentation to really
take off. I'm guessing due to the colder weather. About the time my
air lock started really bubbling, the stuff took a nose dive from
smelling like apple cider to apple styrofoam. I'm wondering if I left
it on the heavy lees too long (about 10 days) and this might be one
those H2S issues I've heard about or if it's just a smell from using
honey. Any insight/advice?

hap

What is that funny Styrofoam Smell !?
 

Are you sure it's 'styrofoam' smell?
I'm scratching my head trying to guess what in your brew could smell
like styrofoam = expanded polystyrene (vinyl benzene).

If 10 days on the lees is too long for apple melomel, then I could
imagine an ethyl acetate (used to be the most popular solvent in blowing
styrofoam) smell, which would suggest the sulfite level might have been
low and thus led to the beginning of spoilage.

You got me there.

Gene

hap wrote:
> Just started my first batch of Apple Melomel. Never made apple before,
> never used honey before. I used a few different kinds of fresh apples
> and blended them into a liquid, then strained the mess in nylon bags to
> remove the most of the pulp. I'll never do that again. I started the
> fermentation just as the weather got cold (that means under 60DegF here
> in Louisiana). It took a little while for the fermentation to really
> take off. I'm guessing due to the colder weather. About the time my
> air lock started really bubbling, the stuff took a nose dive from
> smelling like apple cider to apple styrofoam. I'm wondering if I left
> it on the heavy lees too long (about 10 days) and this might be one
> those H2S issues I've heard about or if it's just a smell from using
> honey. Any insight/advice?
>
> hap
>

What is that funny Styrofoam Smell !?
 

I really don't understand the example either but H2S has a pretty
pungent odor. It's like rotten eggs, skunks, you just know there is
sulfur in there. I make meads that are on the lees for months, but
never used apple or pulp of any kind either. My meads go really slow
too.

Joe

What is that funny Styrofoam Smell !?
 

"hap" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Just started my first batch of Apple Melomel. Never made apple before,
> never used honey before. I used a few different kinds of fresh apples
> and blended them into a liquid, then strained the mess in nylon bags to
> remove the most of the pulp. I'll never do that again. I started the
> fermentation just as the weather got cold (that means under 60DegF here
> in Louisiana). It took a little while for the fermentation to really
> take off. I'm guessing due to the colder weather. About the time my
> air lock started really bubbling, the stuff took a nose dive from
> smelling like apple cider to apple styrofoam. I'm wondering if I left
> it on the heavy lees too long (about 10 days) and this might be one
> those H2S issues I've heard about or if it's just a smell from using
> honey. Any insight/advice?
>
> hap

I was told to slush it around to get air into the wine to get rid of smell
that I had, but I ended up using Bocksin.

What is that funny Styrofoam Smell !?
 

The smell has reduced quite a bit and now it just has that yeast smell,
nothing sour or rotten. I used one campden for each gallon, but I
havent done a titrets test. I'm guessing the sulfite level is right.
It's bubbling away nicely. This was the first time I used Champaign
yeast also, so I'm wondering if it gave off a different smell than what
I was used to. The smell came at the same time fermentation took off
so that makes sense to me. I'll make another batch soon, something
other than apple and not use honey. I'll use champaign yeast again to
see if that's all it was. As far as this batch goes, I'll just wait
and see what happens.

thanks,
hap