Should I add more campden?

[jdriver84]

Just splash racked my dandelion a second time, there was still a faint scent of rotten egg in it after the last racking. Anyways, in a rush I made the mistake of using my syphon without having cleaned it from the last racking. So it's been sitting there a week without cleaning. I'm a little worried about bacteria now, should I add more campden? Or will the initial dose added with my recipe be good enough? I'm sitting around 6 weeks right now.

 

[mmadmikes1]

You got a rotten egg smell from stressing the yeast. If you add campden right now before it is finished fermenting you may(probably) stress it again. I would not chance it. Some times you gota go for it and if it does mess up you will have to chalk it up to learning mistakes. Not every mistake can be fixed. Hopefully you have enough alcohol by now to kill any bacteria. I would guess you do. Stir the batch with a copper pipe and that should get rid of rest of egg smell

 

[jdriver84]

The wine stopped bubbling almost a couple weeks ago now. SG was appropriate to the recipe I had been following. Is there still fermentation even taking place at this point? My temperature dipped a little low on a few cold nights. Could that be what stressed the yeast? I have the most of the stink out after a couple splash rackings. Should I give it one more splash and a stir with a copper pipe yet?

 

[Wade E]

If the sg has been stable for more then 3 days then its done fermenting or stuck, what is the sg now and what was the beginning sg of this.

 

[mmadmikes1]

If it is finished go ahead and add campden. Dont slash rack it again until you sir with copper to much O2 is aiso bad for finished wine. Sounds like you are going to be fine

 

[jdriver84]

It started around 1.09, now the hydrometer bottoms right out in my cylinder.

 

[jet]

It started around 1.09, now the hydrometer bottoms right out in my cylinder.

Bottoms out? You might want to check your hydrometer and take that measurement again.

 

[jdriver84]

It goes right down to about .98, which is setting right on the bottom of my graduated cylinder when it is filled just to the point of pourng over.

 

[jdriver84]

Fot the copper, what do most people use. Would getting a 3 foot piece of copper pipe frm the plumbers suffice for a copper stir stick?

 

[mmadmikes1]

Yes it would do just fine. You can reach bottom of carboy with room to spare

 

[MDPLS]

I have a similar situation... I racked from the primary at 1.04 with no odor detected. Now the airlock is bubbling with an odor of eggs. I added 1 tsp of yeast energizer and spalsh racked three times... the smell is still there. Would stirring with a copper pipe help? If so, how long should I stir? Thanks for your help...

The wine is a Vintner's Harvest 96 oz Black Currant juice following the 3 gallong recipe.

 

[robie]

I have a similar situation... I racked from the primary at 1.04 with no odor detected. Now the airlock is bubbling with an odor of eggs. I added 1 tsp of yeast energizer and spalsh racked three times... the smell is still there. Would stirring with a copper pipe help? If so, how long should I stir? Thanks for your help...

The wine is a Vintner's Harvest 96 oz Black Currant juice following the 3 gallong recipe.

You need to make sure the problem is one that copper can cure.

First, put about a half cup sample in a glass. Smell the wine and remember how strong the starting smell is. Add two or three clean, shinny pennies to the glass and swirl for a minute or so. Smell the wine in the cup and determine if the smell has lessened.

Repeat this if necessary until the smell diminishes. Even though a copper penny has some other things in it besides copper, it will still work for this test.

If it does diminish considerably, you have SO2 and copper will correct the problem. It just might take more than one application and more than one splash racking.

Stir your whole batch of wine with a cleaned, sanitized copper tube. Or, you can tie onto your stirring spoon one of those copper pot scrubbers that is a bushy mess of copper. Just make sure it is new, clean and sanitized.

Either way, stir until the smell is gone. Try not to stir in any air.

Several splash rackings may require you to add some additional Kmeta to compensate for the additional oxygen introduced during racking.

I was able to use this method to save an expensive Pinot Noir kit. Hope it works for your wine.

 

[SpoiledRotten]

Wow! This is really getting facinating. So many tricks to making wine.

 

[Arne]

Just remember the new pennies are not made of copper anymore. Believe they are made from zinc. I do not know if the copper color is acturally copper or something else. Copper plumbing pipe or electrical wire is still all copper as far as I know. Best to use a peice of either one of them instead of pennies. Sanitize it first. Arne.

 

[robie]

Just remember the new pennies are not made of copper anymore. Believe they are made from zinc. I do not know if the copper color is acturally copper or something else. Copper plumbing pipe or electrical wire is still all copper as far as I know. Best to use a peice of either one of them instead of pennies. Sanitize it first. Arne.

Didn't know that. Thanks!

 

[robie]

Interesting! Just read that US pennies ARE made of zinc blanks and electro plated with copper. That's why they still work in the SO2 experiment.

From now on, I'll recommend using something that is solid copper.