a funny tast and odor to wine kits

[Sandman375]

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<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" ="Msonormal">I am hoping I can get some in-site from you regarding the wine making kits I have made to date.
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<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" ="Msonormal">I am new to home wine making 2-3 months. I started with a 4 week kit then I did a second 4 week kit. Last night I bottled a 6 week kit and I have one more 6 week kit warming up to be bottled.
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<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" ="Msonormal">The person I purchased the kits from gave me a lesson on his method for making wine. With only a couple of deviations from the instruction included with the kit. Related to the primary fermentation process. His advice was to clean and sanitize the hydrometer and add it to the primary fermentation pail after the yeast foaming subsides cover with saran rape and seal with rubber bands. This way your are not loosing part of the batch every time you want to check SG.
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<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" ="Msonormal">I take great efforts to clean/sanitize containers/bottles before and after usage.
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<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" ="Msonormal">O.K. now for my question.
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<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" ="Msonormal">I have tasted all of the batches after bottling (what is leftover)in all cases there seems to be an odd taste/odor to the wine. When I questioned this to the store owner his response was wine needs to age in the bottle. Well I also thought it might be related to the less expensive kits (more water). But bottling last night and Amarone at twice the price for the kit I again had a simular experience. The closest I can describe the taste is slightly metallic or like the sanitizer odor to the smell.
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<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" ="Msonormal">The first batch bottled early November I have opened a couple of bottle sense and for the first 2-4 sips I still experience this odor/taste and I don’t know if I get immune to it after that. I was hoping you could offer some me some assistance. I am enjoying the experiences but if the fruit is going to be tainted my continued participation may wane.
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<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" ="Msonormal">Please Advise
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<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" ="Msonormal">George NyeEdited by: Sandman375

 

[grapeman]

Welcome Sandman. Glad to have you here checking the forum out. My first thought was Kit Taste, but that has a sweet smell and taste to it described sometimes as the Jolly Rancher candy smell. What brand kits have you been making. They all use different methods and ingredients for their kits. For wine to be really drinkable and enjoyable, you should give it much more time than the minumum amount of time they list. That is usually inteded to be the time to bottling. 6 -12 months in the bottle is a much better idea to begin to taste the true potential of the wine.


If you want to drink sooner(and don't we all), it would help to decant the wine about an hour before drinking, swirling it in the decanter gently a few times. You are probably just tasting one of the added ingredients for preservation and clearing. With a little more time, they integrate into the wine and it tastes much better. If in doubt, find someone who also makes wine that has had some bottled for more time and ask to try some. i don't know anyone who makes it that wouldn't willingly share with you.

 

[myway22]

Appleman, so you're saying that when you look at the description of the kits on this site, that the recommended aging time should be the minimum amount of time? If it says 3 months and wine peaks at 1 year, how long do you suggest? And do you prefer bulk or bottle aging?

 

[Wade E]

Some of the kits I have done in the past said that it peaks in a year and still have a few bottles almost 2 years later and they are way better than they were after 3 months. In my opinion, bulk aging is better if you dont have the proper cellar condition s to bottle age or if you cant keep your fingers off the wine once its bottled. The reason for this is that it is much harder to change the temp of 6 gallons vs. 750ml. and temp. changes really have an adverse effect on wine. Another reason bulk aging is better is that it really lets all the sediment drop out and and degas a little more. I think just about every kit except the Island mists need at least 4 months before drinking after frementation is done and most big red kits need a lot more, more like 8 months or more!

 

[grapeman]

Appleman, so you're saying that when you look at the description of the kits on this site, that the recommended aging time should be the minimum amount of time? If it says 3 months and wine peaks at 1 year, how long do you suggest? And do you prefer bulk or bottle aging?

If it says 3 months- then 3 months is the minimum-probably 6 would be better. If it peaks in 1 year, then it will be at it's maximum flavor then or soon after. It will maintain for quite a while after this, especially if you add an extra 1/4 tsp of potassium metabisulfite(k-meta). A lot of folks try to set aside a case or so of the wine, seal up the box and don't touch it for a year. When you find it again, you will be pleasantly surprised!


Like Wade said, bulk aging is easier to keep out of and is more stable temp wise in the carboy. Bottles have the advantage though of exchanging minute amounts of air through the corks which the carboys won't do. Also if you bulk age either put a solid stopper in the bung, or else keep the airlock at the proper level.

 

[Sandman375]

Appleman --


Yes drinking the wine sooner is the problem. Its like X-mas morning once it is under the tree (in the bottle)you want to open it as soon as you see it. I should give some more detail..


If all I need to do is wait then that is OK..


I am planning to start a new batch in the next week or so and if there is something I need to change I would like to do it now?



the batchs to date are a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a Amarone (the 6 week kit)


In all cases the smell was simular to the sanitizer but I don't think it was the sanatizer. The tast is hard to discribe but it was matalic. After the first 2-3 sips you tend not to notices it any longer. My concern is that therewas not much of adifference between eachbatch I thought there would be some more underlying differences from the different grapes.


I also did a batch of Macat 23L of juice in the bucket (this was not a kit) I addedbeninite and at the using the kits as a guide I got the typical fining kit. That batch did not have the same overpowing traits.


which got me to thinking...


The only difference is the bucket and the water I added all the other equipment was the same.


So I am starting to think that it maybe my water? It is city water and I drink it from the tap all the time and never noticed any oddities.


anything you can offer would be helpful.

 

[tcb54]

Any time I add water I use bottled spring water. City water has flouride and chlorine which, in my opinion, can impart their taste to the wine, especially if you are adding a good bit of water to the wine.

 

[PolishWineP]

We use city water and don't feel it has affected our wines at all. I never taste anything in our city water, but that isn't the case in all municipalities.
As far as losing wine every time you check your SG, once you have your number, just pour it back into the fermenter. No reason to toss it.

 

[Wade E]

I agree with PWP on adding it back. As long as everything ws sanitized then adding it back wont hurt anything. Im not to crazy about the solid bung idea for bulk aging unless your doing it in cellar conditions. I have seen iy personally in my wine making area with barometric pressures and temp changes with the wine going from 2" headroom to filling up the airlock. So unless your duct taping the solid bung down and even then Id worry about it exploding from not being able to breath

 

[masta]

A quote on use of city water:


"Chlorine and chloramines are of no consequence to home winemaking with kits. All processed wine kits contain a nominal amount of sulphite for shelf-stability. When the kit is mixed with chlorinated tap-water, the potassium or sodium in the metabisulphite grab the chlorine and form potassium or sodium chloride (a similar reaction occurs with chlorarmines), forming a stable salt (literally sodium chloride, table-salt in one case in the amount of 2-3 grains per 23 liters) so quickly as to be instantaneous."


I will only add the reds you have made need to age at least 6 months before you can get a good idea on their true potential and please decant for 45-60 mins before serving as this is also important.


For testing SG this toy is easy to sanitize and use with no waste of wine:


http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=5432

 

[smurfe]

Welcome to the forums. From what I read it sounds like you are sensitive to the dreaded kit taste. I am very sensitive to it as well, particularly from the Vintner's Reserve redkits and many WE Selections redkits. I always detect tastes and odors very similar to what you describe.


As noted, decanting the wine will help but more important, aging the wine will normally take care of it. In my opinion you can throw the "ready to enjoy in "x" weeks" claim out the window and just plan on aging the wine to its full potential. Yes the wine will be quite drinkable in those time frames but if it ages, you will notice a drastic difference.


I have been opening a few bottles that I detected the KT in that are hitting 2 years bottled and it is totally gone and the wine has transformed into a fantastic nectar. Itis reported that the Mosti kits do not suffer from kit taste issues but I can't personally comment on that yet as I have 2 kits going but it will be at least a year before I open a bottle and evaluate.