Pinot Grigio - Musty Smell

[ShaunDanz]

My wife has a very acute sense of smell and taste, and therefore is very particular about the wine she drinks. Mostly she drinks Italian Pinot Grigio. Therefore, I've made three batches of Italian Pinot Grigio from various kits over the last several months. The wine looks crystal clear and was racked twice before bottling. The corks were soaked in sanitizing solution for about 30 minutes before bottling.

At about the three month mark (two weeks after bottling), we open a bottle of each to test and she detects a slight musty smell but otherwise the wine tastes fine. We plan on letting each of the batches age to six months but I'm wondering if that smell will go away? Is this what "bottle shock" smells like? Or is that the smells of lees?

 

[robie]

It is hard to say without smelling it myself.

In which specific sanitizer (brand/type) did you soak the corks?
Soaking corks is not a recommended practice, but it generally doesn't cause this kind of problem unless the sanitizer contains chlorine.
Did you in any way expose the wine making equipment to chlorine?

Is the musty smell a wet cardboard smell?

Wine, as it matures, goes through many awkward phases. It can go from good to not so good, back to good several times.

 

[ShaunDanz]

No chlorine. The sanitizing solution I use is called 1-Step and supposedly doesn't contain Chlorine. I will probably discontinue soaking from now on if it is not recommended.

Let me see if I can get a better description of the musty smell that she detects. This will require opening a bottle and tasting it -- YAY!

My hope is that you are correct and my wine is just going through an awkward stage because it is so young and was just bottled three weeks ago.

 

[robie]

Some corks have a thin coating on them; it can act as a lubricant for getting the cork in (and out) of the bottle.

The sanitizer possibly can wash off that coating and it can also possibly invade the cork.

What some do it put the corks in a colander and pour sanitizer (preferably Kmeta) directly over the corks one time. If you keep your corks sealed up and clean, that is generally enough.

Some of us create a corkador. That's a food grade bucket that seals up well.
We take a small jar and putin a cup or so of Kmeta and leave the lid off the jar. That jar is set down inside the bucket. We then place the corks around that jar, then seal up the bucket. In 12 to 24 hours, the fumes from the Kmeta will fill the bucket and kill off anything that might harm.

You can get free 2, 3, or sometimes 5 gallon food grade buckets with lids from the bakeries at places like Wal-Mart and Target. They will give them to you so they won't have to fill their trash bins with them. (Their cook/cake doe and icings come in them.) Clean and rinse those guys and they become perfect for corkadors and even fermentation.

Good luck!

 

[ShaunDanz]

So, I figured out what the "musty" smell is. I just finished racking another batch of Pinot Grigio and had some lees leftover and had my wife smell them. That's the "musty" smell she is smelling in the wine. I rack the PG three times (including the racking after primary fermentation), so I'm surprised that she can still smell the lees. My hope is that the smell will dissipate by the time the wine reaches six months of age.

 

[winemaker_3352]

How long did you leave the wine in contact with the lees?

If left too long - it can impart flavor and/or aroma into the wine.

 

[ShaunDanz]

It is usually on day 40 that I rack off the lees. (I rack off the gross lees on day 7). As an experiment, I'm making a new batch now and I just racked off the lees on day 24. I should have an update in a couple of months as to whether there is a musty smell. Personally, I don't detect the musty smell, so this experimentation is just fine with me -- I prefer reds, but I will drink Pinot Grigo!

 

[robie]

Don't quite understand what you are doing, but 40 days on the lees is a long time, depending on what you mean when yo refer to lees.

After 40 days the wine is naturally going to take on the smell and taste of the lees.

Are you trying to do surlies and batonnage (lees aging and stirring)?

A small dose of bentonite might absorb some of that smell. You would need to experiment with a bench trial.

 

[ShaunDanz]

The WineExpert International instructions state to stabilize, clarify, and degas at around day 17 to 20. They then have you rack off 8 days later. Instead I've been waiting 20 days later so that the wine is even clearer and I had read that Pinot Grigio could benefit from contact with lees. I believe I will discontinue this process going forward and rack the wine off of the lees on day 28 instead of day 40. I can then bulk age and rack again three weeks before bottling.

The instructions have your stabilize and degas by churning up the lees on day 17 to 20. Do you think it's a better idea to rack off the lees and then stabilize and degas?

 

[DoctorCAD]

No chlorine. The sanitizing solution I use is called 1-Step...

One-Step is a CLEANER>>>not a sanitizer.

 

[robie]

The WineExpert International instructions state to stabilize, clarify, and degas at around day 17 to 20. They then have you rack off 8 days later. Instead I've been waiting 20 days later so that the wine is even clearer and I had read that Pinot Grigio could benefit from contact with lees. I believe I will discontinue this process going forward and rack the wine off of the lees on day 28 instead of day 40. I can then bulk age and rack again three weeks before bottling.

The instructions have your stabilize and degas by churning up the lees on day 17 to 20. Do you think it's a better idea to rack off the lees and then stabilize and degas?

Concerning your question, I would follow the instructions. WineXpert knows how it should be done.

Now I understand what lees you are referring to. You are adding the clarifiers and letting it set a little longer. In that case your lees are mostly yeast and that is not a big problem, so I don't know from where the mustiness is coming.

Maybe what your wife is tasting is the result of lees aging, which gives the wine a heavier yeasty, nutty flavor. However, that is not a musty smell/taste, like you say you are getting. I'll bet if you haven't bottled yet, you can rack it and get rid of that taste. As I said, bentonite for a couple weeks can help.

 

[robie]

One-Step is a CLEANER>>>not a sanitizer.

One-Step is a cleaner/sanitizer combo.

 

[ShaunDanz]

One-Step is a CLEANER>>>not a sanitizer.

Ruh roh! No rotten wine yet but that makes me think I better order some real sanitizer soon.

 

[robie]

If you used one-step, your equipment should be sanitized OK.. There are better methods, though, and likely more thorough methods to insure sanitation.

Most of us use a sanitizing solution of Kmeta. 3 tablespoons per gallon of water is the norm; never try to get by with less than this ratio. You can dunk things in it, put a couple cups in a sealed carboy and shake it well, and you can also put solution in a spray bottle and spray with it. Spraying it works well, since Kmeta sanitizes primarily via its fumes.

Another is StarSan, which is a contact sanitizer. I also put it in a spray bottle and spray things like the stirrer, spoon, hydrometer, wine thief, hoses, ..etc.

Both these are good, but you really need both. If you have to choose, go with the Kmeta sanitizer solution. I can't imagine making wine without either, but that is just me.

 

[ShaunDanz]

Thanks for the advice. I just placed an order from The Winemakers Toystore for a couple more kits, some kmeta and some Star San.