next batch ... next problem.

We are just racking another batch of fruit wine (frozen apricots,
strawberries and peaches) and it has a sulfur smell.
How do we get rid of that? And more important, how can we prevent that
the next time? Is adding Campden Tablets ok? And is that caused by
leaving to much head space?

Thanks for replies

Werner

The most common source of sulfur smell (hydrogen sulfide = H2S) in aging
wine is a byproduct of unhappy yeast. Best way that I know to get rid
of it is to stir the wine 'vigorously' to aerate it and drive off the
sulfur smell. Also, judicious addition of copper sulfate stirred into
the wine will remove the smell. Please search the wine FAQ and Lum
Eisman's and Jack Keller's and Ben Rotter's excellent sites 'wine
defects' areas for instruction on how much coppper sulfate to use. You
want to use the miminum effective amount (absolute maximum about 250ppm,
typically 50-100ppm).

You haven't mentioned how many times you've racked your wine off the
sediment. The more yeast remaining in the wine, the more the potential
for hydrogen sulfide generation. I, for one, do sur lie (on the lees)
aging of many of my wines, and I have to stir the lees gently about
every two weeks to prevent 'unhappy yeast' hydrogen sulfide generation.
Please note that maintaining proper free sulfite (SO2) concentration
is needed to protect the wine from oxidation, not hydrogen sulfide.
Typical recommended levels of free SO2 are 20-50ppm.

The air that gets stirred into your wine is temporary (i.e. gets reacted
with the free SO2) and is 'neutralized' by the free SO2 in a day or so.
It is constant exposure to air via too much headspace or an incomplete
seal of the container that leads to oxidation of the wine.

We learn from our mistakes.
Happy winemaking,
Gene

Werner wrote:
> next batch ... next problem.
>
> We are just racking another batch of fruit wine (frozen apricots,
> strawberries and peaches) and it has a sulfur smell.
> How do we get rid of that? And more important, how can we prevent that
> the next time? Is adding Campden Tablets ok? And is that caused by
> leaving to much head space?
>
> Thanks for replies
>
> Werner

Gene- where might one find the FAQ? also, where can one find this group's
archive? TIA bobdrob


"gene" > wrote in message
. com...
> The most common source of sulfur smell (hydrogen sulfide = H2S) in aging
> wine is a byproduct of unhappy yeast. Best way that I know to get rid of
> it is to stir the wine 'vigorously' to aerate it and drive off the sulfur
> smell. Also, judicious addition of copper sulfate stirred into the wine
> will remove the smell. Please search the wine FAQ and Lum Eisman's and
> Jack Keller's and Ben Rotter's excellent sites 'wine defects' areas for
> instruction on how much coppper sulfate to use. You want to use the
> miminum effective amount (absolute maximum about 250ppm, typically
> 50-100ppm).
>
> You haven't mentioned how many times you've racked your wine off the
> sediment. The more yeast remaining in the wine, the more the potential
> for hydrogen sulfide generation. I, for one, do sur lie (on the lees)
> aging of many of my wines, and I have to stir the lees gently about every
> two weeks to prevent 'unhappy yeast' hydrogen sulfide generation. Please
> note that maintaining proper free sulfite (SO2) concentration is needed to
> protect the wine from oxidation, not hydrogen sulfide. Typical recommended
> levels of free SO2 are 20-50ppm.
>
> The air that gets stirred into your wine is temporary (i.e. gets reacted
> with the free SO2) and is 'neutralized' by the free SO2 in a day or so. It
> is constant exposure to air via too much headspace or an incomplete seal
> of the container that leads to oxidation of the wine.
>
> We learn from our mistakes.
> Happy winemaking,
> Gene
>
> Werner wrote:
>> next batch ... next problem.
>>
>> We are just racking another batch of fruit wine (frozen apricots,
>> strawberries and peaches) and it has a sulfur smell.
>> How do we get rid of that? And more important, how can we prevent that
>> the next time? Is adding Campden Tablets ok? And is that caused by
>> leaving to much head space?
>>
>> Thanks for replies
>>
>> Werner

Try he

http://www.malak.ca/rcw.faq.html

The pH measurement FAQ can be found with a google search or I can post
it again.


Joe

bobdrob wrote:
> Gene- where might one find the FAQ? also, where can one find this group's
> archive? TIA bobdrob
>
>

thanx, joe!

does an archive exist? and is it searchable? (I ask a lot for an
infrequent contributor....)

"Joe Sallustio" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
>
> Try he
>
> http://www.malak.ca/rcw.faq.html
>
> The pH measurement FAQ can be found with a google search or I can post
> it again.
>
>
> Joe
>
> bobdrob wrote:
>> Gene- where might one find the FAQ? also, where can one find this
>> group's
>> archive? TIA bobdrob
>>
>>
>

Try Killsin it worked well for me. I here that if you do not do the copper
thing just right you may destroy your wine.


"Werner" > wrote in message
m...
> next batch ... next problem.
>
> We are just racking another batch of fruit wine (frozen apricots,
> strawberries and peaches) and it has a sulfur smell.
> How do we get rid of that? And more important, how can we prevent that the
> next time? Is adding Campden Tablets ok? And is that caused by leaving to
> much head space?
>
> Thanks for replies
>
> Werner

The Google newsreader goes all the way back to the beginning in
September 1993. You not only have everything, you have the Google
search engine. It's 'scary' good.

Here is the link:

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.c...ng/about?hl=en

many tanx!


"Joe Sallustio" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> The Google newsreader goes all the way back to the beginning in
> September 1993. You not only have everything, you have the Google
> search engine. It's 'scary' good.
>
> Here is the link:
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/rec.c...ng/about?hl=en
>