Brett paid me a visit...

[joea132]

After taking my 2011 Chilean Malbec out of the barrel and transferring it back to carboys about a month ago I noticed a slime on the top of my wine. After opening the bung and taking a whiff...WHOA! I believe I have a barnyard smell. The wine never had this when it was in the barrel and the current wine in the barrel tastes great. At one point I checked my sulfites and was down to 5ppm while the malbec was in the barrel. I resulfited to 30ppm.

Do you think I have a tainted barrel? Should I sulfite the heck out of all of my wines as a precaution? I know Brettanomyces is game over for a barrel. I smelled 2 5-gallon carboys and both had it. Do you think my barrel is kaput? If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all...

 

[robie]

First of all, I would get a confirmation of what exactly it is. I believe you should be able to find a lab that can test it. I know Wine Maker Magazine sometimes has an ad for a testing lab.

An infestation of Brett can be very serious and long term. But, don't panic until you find out more.

 

[GreginND]

I like a little Brett in my wines - emphasis on little.

 

[joea132]

I've narrowed the problem to the barrel by process of elimination. I'll be sulfiting the heck out if the current good batch in the barrel and ill chuck the malbec. I'll also be replacing all if my hoses and systematically decontaminating my equipment. The convenient part is important moving so that process won't be as difficult.

 

[robie]

If the problem truly is Brett, I would think the barrel could never be used again.

Do some reading up on it; like how it affected Stag's Leap Winery for many years.

 

[wineman2013]

Brett is pretty rare in a homewine making setting.
Did you top up with something like an organic French wine?

Or is it used oak?


Brett doesn't produce slime , myconderma does though.
So2 and topping up prevent this.
Match so2 to ph , high ph wines are more vulnerable and need more so2.

Steve

 

[joea132]

Thanks wineman. I'll have to research myconderma. I was adamant about topping and I did have my sulfites drop to 5ppm at one point. At that point I quickly brought it to 25ppm. The wine in the barrel now has been bumped to 50ppm. I always factor my pH in a calculator to add the correct amount of SO2.

 

[joea132]

After approaching the issue again today I saw an oily residue on the surface. It also had white mold spots. The smell is still horrific. I can say it sounds more like flowers now then Brett. I was monitoring my sulfites and I did keep them around 25ppm. I took the other wine in the barrel into consideration and sulfited to 50ppm to try to protect it. It's amazing how fast the so2 drops in a barrel. The atmosphere in my basement is very dry this time of year. My Walmart temperature and hygrometer says 25 percent humidity. I'm considering putting a humidifier in the storage area. The wine level drops in the barrel like crazy in my basement!