First batch of wine

[jakefinley]

so i racked it yesterday and as i was getting towards the end of the jug it started to smell like rotten eggs. is there any thing i can do to save it? will adding campden tablets do anything

 

[sour_grapes]

I would rack it back and forth several times, to let the H2S (rotten egg smell) dissipate.

I would add campden tablets only if they are called for at this stage of your protocol. I say it that way because I cannot tell if you have already added the normal amount of campden tablets after the cessation of fermentation. Campden tablets won't attack H2S, but are necessary for preserving the wine against spoilage and oxidation.

 

[wineforfun]

jake,
Get some smaller bungs with holes in them so you can use them on regular 750ml bottles. That smaller-filled jug I would have had in 750's so you didn't have so much headspace.

 

[jakefinley]

thank you sour grapes. now should i siphon it out or can i pour it through a funnel with a filter in it, also how many times should i rack it and how many days should i wait between racks?

 

[sour_grapes]

Generally, we use a siphon to avoid stirring up the junk on the bottom.

My suggestion for "splash racking" was to let the wine aerate a bit. So, for this purpose, you don't need to wait at all between rackings. I couldn't really say how many times; probably do it a few times, then wait until the next day and see how it smells then.