Fermenting wine in grey brutes

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havlikn

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I ferment wine in Grey Rubbermaid brutes from Home Depot. I red extensive posts on here that people use them with success. I did 18 gallons of Chardonnay and it was left with a plasticky flavor to it. Now I have 24 gallons of Gewürztraminer aging in SS vct tank that was fermented in the brute. I racked the wine today and it seemed to impart a plasticky taste to the wine. I am getting really concerned because the Chardonnay is pretty much shot, I plan to mask the taste with a peach flavor kit, but don't want to waste more wine and time. Has anyone else had challenges with the brutes?
 
I ferment wine in Grey Rubbermaid brutes from Home Depot. I red extensive posts on here that people use them with success. I did 18 gallons of Chardonnay and it was left with a plasticky flavor to it. Now I have 24 gallons of Gewürztraminer aging in SS vct tank that was fermented in the brute. I racked the wine today and it seemed to impart a plasticky taste to the wine. I am getting really concerned because the Chardonnay is pretty much shot, I plan to mask the taste with a peach flavor kit, but don't want to waste more wine and time. Has anyone else had challenges with the brutes?

I do my big batch fermenting in brutes, but I don't use the grey ones, I use the white ones. Not for any reason other than I get them pretty competitively from a local restaurant supply superstore. I don't imagine that they are any different as long as they are food grade containers. I've never noted a plastic or off taste as a result......
 
I've used the gray 32gal brutes for red wine fermentation and have not noticed any unusual flavors. Both are stamped NSF.
 
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There are two types of gray, Food safe, NSF and not. I use two that are NSF as are my white ones. I've never gotten a plastic taste. Perhaps yours are not NSF?
 
I've got a white 20g Brute which I am very happy with and will get another - ordered from amazon. They are quite heavy when full or even 1/2 or 2/3 full....

Have not had any plastic taste issues yet.

Did you use kit or grapes or other juice bucket? Any additives like tannin nutrients kmeta sorbate oak bentonite superkleer chitosan etc or similar?

Cheers!
johann
 
Mine say nsf. Must be my wine making skikls

That's a bummer, but I don't think your skills are the issue. I wonder if there was some residue that didn't clean off for you before use, from the plastic process. I suppose you could try filling them with water and see if it absorbs some flavor. Then being en engineer, I'd try it again with some vodka added to say 15% then sugar? If no plastic taste you could presume you "cleaned" it out with your fermentation. I've never heard of that problem and lots of folks use brutes and other plastic fermenters.
 
Before you decide the wine is wasted, why don't you let it age in carboys for awhile? I won't be in a hurry to want to change something because you think you have a plastic taste. While it ages, wine goes thru a lot of changes. I would let it age for a few months before tasting it again.
 
I ferment wine in Grey Rubbermaid brutes from Home Depot. I red extensive posts on here that people use them with success. I did 18 gallons of Chardonnay and it was left with a plasticky flavor to it. Now I have 24 gallons of Gewürztraminer aging in SS vct tank that was fermented in the brute. I racked the wine today and it seemed to impart a plasticky taste to the wine. I am getting really concerned because the Chardonnay is pretty much shot, I plan to mask the taste with a peach flavor kit, but don't want to waste more wine and time. Has anyone else had challenges with the brutes?

I just took a gander at my 2 each 20 and 1 each 30 gallon grey Brutes. They all are LDPE containers and NSF and all have HDPE lids (not that this should matter). I have made both red and white wines in them an have not experienced a problem with the flavor of the wines. Check the date stamp on the bottom of the container. If it is fairly recently produced, I suppose there could be some residual out-gassing. My 20 gallon containers were produced in October 2013 and September 2014. My 30 gallon was produced in July 2014. I don't know where you are located but I suggest setting them out in the sun for a few days and then cleaning and sanitizing them well before using them again (for a small batch).
 
Juice bucket. Only thing added has been yeast, nutrient, and so2

@ Havlikn - Just wondering what kind of timeframes you are talking about in this case. You mention that in addition to the brute you have also used a SS container. No glass or oak? How long were the wines in the brute and how long bulk aged in the SS?

I hope the flavor you are experiencing fades and best of luck it may also be young wine taste or maybe a result of retained co2 or something you use to clean/sanitize with?

I have noticed that my brute will retain the yeasty ferment aroma for a little while even though I religiously use hot water oxy-clean scrub-brush after/before each use as well as eau-de-kmeta-spritz - I don't feel like that is an atypical experience either.

Cheers!
-jb
 
The wine went from route to stainless steel vct. I have been keeping the sulfite levels appropriate. It has been aged only two months so far. I spoke with a guy today who suggested I add yeast halls to pull possible off aromas and flavors into the hulls
 
I read online that diethyl sulfite causes a sensory description of rubbery. Has slanting every heard or dealt with this. I figure I could try a bench trial if there is a remedy
 
I've experienced the rubbery. I don't equate it to plastics but that is one problem not being able to small them together. The rubbery I had was more like a tire on a hot day. I've never used yeast hulls but have also heard they can help absorb off odors.

Do the brutes have the same off smell to them?
 
No, it is a different scent. The more I'm thinking of it, the more I'm thinking it was something in the process given I have made other wines in the containers without any issue.
 
Sounds like you may have a mercaptan issue.

can the smell also be described as a "burnt match" or "hot tar" smell?

How long has fermentation been complete?
 
Fermentation has been done for a couple months. I don't smell sulfur or hot tar.
 

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