Oxidation

[dburling]

Are there any cures for wine that has become oxidized? I have a batch of merlot that I screwed up and didnt secure the stopper while bulk aging. It now has an off taste.

 

[ShawnDTurner]

So it smells like sherry? Make a Port!

 

[dburling]

Yes. It smells alot like sherry at this point.

 

[jamesngalveston]

how long has it been bulk aging....how far up was it topped off.
when you say you did not secure the stopper, whats that mean.
left off, are just barely in the neck.

 

[dburling]

James - it has been bulk aging for a total of 6 months. However, 2 months ago I had pulled the airlock off and did not push it back in. It was loose enough to allow air in but was not fully open.

At this point it does have a sherry smell to it. Any advice?

 

[dburling]

Also it was topped up to the bottom of the neck of the carboy.

 

[JohnT]

There is very little you can do at this point. You could try to slam it with k-meta. Chalk it up to a lesson learned and move on.

 

[Fabiola]

Are there any cures for wine that has become oxidized? I have a batch of merlot that I screwed up and didnt secure the stopper while bulk aging. It now has an off taste.

I had a cabernet oxidized, and since I hate to throw it away, I ended up with cabernet cheese, jelly, jam, soap, and candles, they smell wonderful!!

 

[hmoss]

I also have an oxidation question. I was recently relocating and arrived at my destination to see that the airlock had been knocked off of one of my carboys, stopper still in place. It had only been about 10 hours and it was a 5 gallon batch, recently stabilized. Sorry for the total beginner question but-should I be worried about oxidation? I would think that it would be fine since it was only 10 hours, recently stabilized, and the stopper was on, but I'm not sure. And FYI-I have no idea how it smells--been having olfactory problems for a while. I'll have a friend smell it for me the next time someone is over.

 

[Julie]

bring your so2 level in accordance to your ph. Take 1/2 gram non-fat powdered milk per a liter of wine, dissolve this in 5mL of cold water, add all of it to the wine, watch that it does not foam up and stirring vigorously while adding. Small brown curds will form in the wine and this will drop out. Leave it sit for 3 days, then rack, leaving the brown curds behind. then add bentonite to the racked wine, leave this for 10 days then rack again. It may not cure it completely but it will improve id drastically.

I had a wine I did this to, it only had a very slight sherry taste and was brown, took the sherry taste away and removed the brown color. If the wine is severely oxidized it will improve it but not entirely.

Jack Keller did a blog on this a number of years ago.

 

[GreginND]

Add a mother and make some awesome wine vinegar?

 

[sour_grapes]

Hmoss, I wager that you are correct -- that with 10 hours exposure, you will be fine.

 

[JohnT]

I agree,chances are that 10 hours with just a pencil size hole should not be much of a problem. I agree on upping the SO2 level.

 

[dburling]

Julie - thanks for the advice. I will give it a try. Anything is worth a shot at this point.

 

[Julie]

Julie - thanks for the advice. I will give it a try. Anything is worth a shot at this point.

let us know how it comes out

 

[grapeman]

Along the same lines as what Julie is saying is to use a product called Polylact or Polychlar. It contains casein which is in the powdered milk. It also contains another product which helps further. Here is a product sheet http://www.fallbright.com/polylact_scottlabs_instructions.htm for the Polylact
It is a bit hard to find in small quantitites but Fallbright.com carries it in small amounts of both products.

 

[hmoss]

Thanks guys.

 

[dburling]

let us know how it comes out

Julie - I was able to try your suggestion to use powdered milk. I racked it yesterday and am impressed with the change. There are still some off flavors but they were tremendously reduced. I am hopeful that the bentonite will do the rest of the work.

Thanks again! I will post an update in 2 weeks when I bottle.

 

[Julie]

Julie - I was able to try your suggestion to use powdered milk. I racked it yesterday and am impressed with the change. There are still some off flavors but they were tremendously reduced. I am hopeful that the bentonite will do the rest of the work.

Thanks again! I will post an update in 2 weeks when I bottle.

Neat isn't it? If nothing else it maybe good enough to blend with something else.