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...
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...