help!!!

[guitarwannabe]

I need help, i have made a few batches of blueberry wine with minimal supplies ``hydrometer, acid test kit, and whatever else i may need`` and gotten by in the past...
so i got cocky

I started 2 batches from scratch, namely a batch of strawberry, and a batch of pear, and everything was glorious until 4 days after i racked them,,everything looked fine; i just checked them both out and they smell like H2S...

I do not know if i can acquire a acid test kit, because my local wine store sucks, i would have to drive 400 km through the great white north to get one, ill get back to you guys on that note tomorrow...

I tried putting a couple pennies in a glass and stirred it for a few minutes, and that seemed to help, although it did not ``cure`` my issue.

So i need to know what steps i can take to ``hopefully save`` what i have....


Thank you in advance

 

[ffemt128]

I have heard that splash racking could help with Hydrogen Sulfide smell.

 

[Fruitwinemaker]

Hi,

It sounds like there has been inadequate nutrients or over use of sterilization in the wine making process.

To get rid of the smell I recommend racking the wine a few times and thoroughly aerating it to help let the sulphides out.

Let us know how you get on.

Fruitwinemaker

 

[BobF]

Pennies are part zinc. I use a hunk of copper wire used for grounding to stir with; the really fat stuff.

I scrub it shiny with those copper clad scrubby pads first.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Yes you need an old penny. All copper. Use a clean wire and or splash rack. Your yeasts became stressed most likely. They need air and nutrients. Plus stirring often also releases co2 making it easier on the yeast as well.

Soon as you can get a hydrometer and you can order off of the Internet for your supplies etc. Check out our sponsors for that.

 

[robie]

I had the same thing happen to an ultra-premium kit. I used an alternative yeast and I didn't provide enough nutrients.

Just guessing, but sounds like when you racked, fermentation was still going pretty hard, so the yeast ran out of nutrients. Normally, once you rack to secondary, nutrient addition is not required. What was the SG when you racked?

The important thing is to determine if copper will take the H2S out. You said you already tried it on a sample, but if you use pure copper, the smell MUST completely subside at some point. If swirling a small sample over copper for several minutes works, proceed. If not, dump it.

Anyway, you likely can save the wine, but it will take quite awhile to get all that H2S out. If it is as bad as it sounds, I would say 4 or 5 months and 4 or 5 total rackings. Each time you rack, let it rest under an air lock for three or four weeks, and rack again, it will get better. Each racking should be a splash racking.

I used copper pennies on a small sample to determine I could get rid of the smell. Once I determined the smell was gone, I used a new, sanitized copper tube to rack through (stuck copper tube in end of my hose and other end of tube in carboy). Once racked, I used the copper tube to stir the carboy for about 5 minutes.

Good luck

 

[robie]

I scrub it shiny with those copper clad scrubby pads first.

The copper glad scrubber, itself, also works great to rid the H2S. Tie it to your long spoon and stir with it.

 

[guitarwannabe]

I had the same thing happen to an ultra-premium kit. I used an alternative yeast and I didn't provide enough nutrients.

Just guessing, but sounds like when you racked, fermentation was still going pretty hard, so the yeast ran out of nutrients. Normally, once you rack to secondary, nutrient addition is not required. What was the SG when you racked?

I just got my hands on a Sg meter,, the fermentation was rocking a bit yet once racked to the secondary,, i took a reading and it now currently at 1.010-pear-which is not that bad smelling its at 7 days in primary, 5 days in secondary

The other is at 0.995-strawberry- rank smelling-this is at the moment.
5 days in primary and 7 days in secondary.


The important thing is to determine if copper will take the H2S out. You said you already tried it on a sample, but if you use pure copper, the smell MUST completely subside at some point. If swirling a small sample over copper for several minutes works, proceed. If not, dump it.

I tried splash racking it on a mini scale and it seems to work well. I am going to attempt to do this on a larger scale now..

Anyway, you likely can save the wine, but it will take quite awhile to get all that H2S out. If it is as bad as it sounds, I would say 4 or 5 months and 4 or 5 total rackings. Each time you rack, let it rest under an air lock for three or four weeks, and rack again, it will get better. Each racking should be a splash racking.

I used copper pennies on a small sample to determine I could get rid of the smell. Once I determined the smell was gone, I used a new, sanitized copper tube to rack through (stuck copper tube in end of my hose and other end of tube in carboy). Once racked, I used the copper tube to stir the carboy for about 5 minutes.

Good luck

Thank you i will update

 

[wjdonahue]

If pure copper doesn't work there probably isn't a cure.
I find that a lot of new students in the class that I teach have the same problem. One of the main causes is lack of oxygenation....really stresses the yeast. When I question them, fermentation is never vigorous.
An interresting contributer to the problem shocked me when I talked to the folks at Lalemande. They referred me to a warning they now have on their web site about using amonium containing products. Hmmm isn't that what yest nutrient is (diamonium phosphate?) It seems that research is showing that during the rehydration and latent phases of the yeast (the first 48 hours after the yeast is added) higher concentrations of any amonium containing compound..including "yeast nutrient" actually damages the yeast and may even kill some of them off....resulting in higher H2S production. I now tell all my students that if they have DAP as a yeast nutrient to throw it away or take it back to the store that they got it from for a refund. Instead I am recommending GO-Ferm for rehydration and lag phases (added at the time the yeast is pitched and contains no DAP), and Fermaid-K from the 3 day point on (contains small amounts of DAP which can be tolerated after the lag phase.)
If you have never used these products....it is amazing the fermentation that results...with verrrrryyyyy little sulfide production. Believe it or not, just finished a heavy red where primary fermentation was complete in 4 days.)
If anyone has any questions....I'll e-mail you the new yeast power point that I have been using in the classes.

Bill

 

[reefman]

Bill,
I'd like a copy please!
Thanks

 

[rhythmsteve]

I had the same problem with a batch of skeeter pee. 1st I whipped it with a wire spoon for about 5 mins to introduce a lot of oxygen. then i took 50' of copper speaker cable and set that in my fermenter for 24 hours stirring occassionally with the wire. Then i splash racked it into a clean, sanitized carboy, and within 48 hrs the smell was pretty much all gone. Also, i was told that acoustic guitar strings would work as well, as long as they're copper wound....something like ernie ball earthwood strings

 

[wjdonahue]

Doug
Would be more than happy to send it to you. The power point is in outline form of one of my lectureson yeast, but really easy to read between the lines.
Just send me a private message with you e-mail address and I'll get it out to you...might take a while, I'm leaving for a while to help my son move from Vegas to Denver.

 

[docanddeb]

Good information!!

Debbie

 

[wjdonahue]

For those of you that wanted the Yeast Power Point, it will be a few days till I can get it out.
Had a blue screen computer crash yesterday, but thankfully the hard drive (and all of the files it contains) is unaffected. I'm posting this from my wife's laptop. Will have the puter fixed in a couple of days and will send it out then.

 

[guitarwannabe]

The copper worked!! I have racked a few times since times since then and have had no issues.. Thanks to all who replied..

 

[Wade E]

Bill, would love to put that up here if possible.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!!

Glad to see it all worked out for you!!

 

[wjdonahue]

Wade
Can I ost it here...don't know how.
Or I could send it to you and you could post it....send me your e-mail in private
Bill