Did I ruin my dandelion wine with acetone?

[BigDaveK]

First, like many here I slightly oversize my batches for topping up.
Second, I smell and taste everything - until today.

I smelled and tasted a 4 month old dandelion wine. Just meh, but it's young. Racked and added kmeta. Then I topped up from the extra jar WITHOUT smelling or tasting, about a cups worth. Then I got a whiff of a familiar smell - acetone. Definitely not vinegar. Of course my first thought was, "Dammit!" And my second thought was...well, more colorful. I didn't notice it earlier because I currently have a garlic cooking wine in primary and the basement smells like a garlic warehouse.

So, will 1 cup ruin a gallon or will it add an extra level of complex flavors?

Glad this happened! I've had such a long string of successes that I think I became a little cocky and complacent. Back down to earth.

 

[VinesnBines]

That’s hard to say. I’ve gotten the habit of topping off (very small amounts) with Everclear. Not more than a tablespoon or so. I’ve had mycodermia issues at times so a little Everclear kills that off.

Lesson learned, taste everything that you use to top off.

 

[BigDaveK]

That’s hard to say. I’ve gotten the habit of topping off (very small amounts) with Everclear. Not more than a tablespoon or so. I’ve had mycodermia issues at times so a little Everclear kills that off.

Lesson learned, taste everything that you use to top off.

I'll remember that if I ever have mycodermia issues.

I believe mistakes, accidents, and gremlins are helpful now and then.

 

[winemaker81]

I believe mistakes, accidents, and gremlins are helpful now and then.

The best learned lessons tend to be painful.

I learned to ALWAYS sniff before topping up, and yes, it was learned the hard way.

 

[ratflinger]

You would actually store acetone anywhere near where you make your wine? I would seriously reconsider that strategy.

 

[Jim Welch]

…mistakes, accidents, and gremlins are helpful now and then.

Serendipity!
Quite a few inventions and discoveries are the result of “mistakes”!
Never know, the die is cast now right? Might as well ride it out.
By acetone I’m taking it that you mean another wine that has developed an acetone like smell/flavor fault and not actual acetone right?

 

[Rice_Guy]

. Then I topped up from the extra jar WITHOUT smelling or tasting, about a cups worth.

Assuming a cup in a gallon carboy puts you at about 12%. Drinking any volume of that would cause poisoning.
The good news is that acetone is naturally produced in some microbial pathways,,, acetone is natural and a human would have normal exposure in the ppm level. You should survive a taste and spit like judging in a contest,,, if you want to check flavor.

 

[CDrew]

I took the "acetone" to mean, ethyl acetate which can form in wine exposed to too much Oxygen.

But I can categorically advise against adding tainted wine to good wine. And adding acetone itself sounds like a terrible idea.

 

[BigDaveK]

I took the "acetone" to mean, ethyl acetate which can form in wine exposed to too much Oxygen.

But I can categorically advise against adding tainted wine to good wine. And adding acetone itself sounds like a terrible idea.

Yes, ethyl acetate.
I find it amazing - and a hat tip to Murphy's Law - that the ONE time I don't smell and taste is when there's a problem. Oh well...