spoiled wine?

[ThomasMorgan]

How can you tell if your wine has spoiled or gone bad during the fermentation process. I currently have a merlot in the carboy and I'm not sure as to the smell. Still has about 5- 6 more weeks to go before bottling.

 

[Johnd]

How can you tell if your wine has spoiled or gone bad during the fermentation process. I currently have a merlot in the carboy and I'm not sure as to the smell. Still has about 5- 6 more weeks to go before bottling.

Some info here would be helpful. Is this a kit, juice bucket, fresh or frozen grapes? What's the history of the fermentation? What have been your racking, sulfite and pH practices? What exactly does it smell and / or taste like? Any pictures of carboy full of wine?

 

[Mismost]

If I may suggest....it has 5-6 weeks to go...keep your nose out of it and leave it alone!

I do not have the best sense of smell, but I can tell that the must smell does change through out the process. It's not done, it'll change some more, just stay on course. Relax and have a beer!

 

[ThomasMorgan]

kit, the skin bag broke open inside primary ferm. I had 3 gallons of mush/juice. No strainer, so I drained into a pot and used papertowels to squeeze out the juice from the skins. the smell is an acidic smell. like bad eggs. it's stopped bubbling completely and been degassed. Oak cubes still floating. Nothing on the top to signify mold.

just gonna let it go another 2 weeks and let it set, then rack it into a clean sanitized carboy for another 4.

 

[Julie]

@ThomasMorgan go to Lowes and pick up a couple of paint strainer bags, they are roughly $5 and they make great fruit strainer bags!

 

[Brickhouse]

kit, the skin bag broke open inside primary ferm. I had 3 gallons of mush/juice. No strainer, so I drained into a pot and used papertowels to squeeze out the juice from the skins. the smell is an acidic smell. like bad eggs. it's stopped bubbling completely and been degassed. Oak cubes still floating. Nothing on the top to signify mold.

just gonna let it go another 2 weeks and let it set, then rack it into a clean sanitized carboy for another 4.

I almost hate to comment on this, because I have not had any experience with skins yet. But I've read up quite a bit so far on the site and it seems to me that this wouldn't be that big of an issue.

Skin bag breaks open in primary...ok...leave it be. When you rack to secondary they'll be left behind. If I'm not mistaken, some put the skins directly in anyway....or at least it's a method.

I can't comment on the smell part.

 

[salcoco]

what is you specific gravity. it sound like you may have completed fermentation. if so you should be racking now and adding K-meta. smell of rotten eggs not good.

 

[heatherd]

kit, the skin bag broke open inside primary ferm. I had 3 gallons of mush/juice. No strainer, so I drained into a pot and used papertowels to squeeze out the juice from the skins. the smell is an acidic smell. like bad eggs. it's stopped bubbling completely and been degassed. Oak cubes still floating. Nothing on the top to signify mold.

just gonna let it go another 2 weeks and let it set, then rack it into a clean sanitized carboy for another 4.

If you have a rotten egg smell, it may be H2S. Here's a link to correctional advice: http://www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com/home winemaking rotteneggs.html

 

[hounddawg]

acouple yeaars back my ffirst try i did 3 differnt country wines 38 gallon total, aftersome aging i wasfixing to pour it all out, these people walked me thre, 32 gallons came out great 1#-6 carboy of blackberry was my only failyure all my fault not enough berries per gallon, the rest to me wasbetter then anything i every boughrt and came close to what i used to get from the oldtimerswhen i was young,,, i really eenjoy drinking my wines, but with out these members this very likely would have never happened, in my humblie opinion, THIS ISTHE VERY BEST FOURM ON THE NET, WITH SOME OF THESMARTEST VENTIORS I HAVE HADTHE HOHOR OF GETTING ADVICEFROM, HANG IN THERE,,,
and the very best of luck to you..
DAWG::








[/B]

How can you tell if your wine has spoiled or gone bad during the fermentation process. I currently have a merlot in the carboy and I'm not sure as to the smell. Still has about 5- 6 more weeks to go before bottling.