Other White Wine Difficulties

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wildridge

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Whenever I try to make white wine I always end up with the same result. A metallic taste in the wine with just a hint of rotten. I've made 2 white kits and most recently an Alexander's Sun Country Chenin Blanc concentrate. I'm 100% positive that I didn't over sulfite and that I cleaned and sanitized everything very well.

I have a private well as my water source. Does anyone think this might be the problem? Or, could it be the fact that I'm using a full package of Lalvin EC-1118 yeast for a 3 gallon batch?

I've made several red wines with this water that turned out excellent, so I'm puzzled.

Edited by: wildridge
 
wildridge,
I make mostly all whites and the only thing I notice is that maybe the sulfite smell and taste lingers a while. I call it a rough taste but it always smooths out after a short while. Never have had a rotten smell though. It must not be your water if your reds are ok. Have you tried any of your whites that have been bottled for a while. I think you will see a difference and even decanting helps too. See what some of the others say but I think you are going to be ok.............Ramona
 
It sounds like you may have a high mineral content in your water.Too much iron will cause off flavors.It may just be more noticable in whites because there lighter in flavor.Im just guessing here.
 
I'm not sure about the metallic taste unless the juice had been stored in the can for too long. I did once have an Alexander's Premium Chablis have a slight rotten smell, but after a year in the bottle it seemed to go away. I remember that decanting for a while helped lessen the smell. Also serving chilled seems to help.
 
I think the next time I make a batch of white I will try bottled water. I bottled some chardonnay and some white zinfandel about a year ago and it tastes awful.

I may try to filter this batch to see where it gets me.
 
I installed a whole house water filter in my celler.I dont have it filtering the whole house though.It has some carbon in the filter,and works good.They only cost $40-50 bucks,and it beats the hell out of packing water.
 
Those Alexanders kits arent a good product in my opinion. Way to much water has to be added to too little juice. Since you have to add that much water Im betting that your water source is mainly responsible for that mineral taste.
 
I find that the smaller kits have a "stewed greens" smell to them. I think it is because to concentrate the juice to that high a degree requires a higher temperature. Were your reds larger kits (15L+)?

That being said, the odor fades with decanting and with time.

As far as the metallic taste, where in Mississippi are you located, and how deep is your well?
 
Hi PeterZ,

I'm located in Northwest MS in Panola County close to the city of Batesville. My well is about 100' deep.
 
Yes, I've used fresh juice for muscadine, which turned out fine, but not for whites. I've only used canned concentrate or 2.5 gallon kits for the whites. I've pretty much convinced myself that it's the minerals in my water causing the problem. My red kits were 6 gallon kits and they turned out fine and I think it's because they don't have to be diluted as much. When I have time I'm going to start a 6 gallon kit and used filtered or bottled water.
 
joe, iv'e always heard that distilled water is not a good choice for wine making as all the mineral content has been removed. Have you used it successfully?
 
I have also read to use your tap water if it tastes good, but I use the bottled spring water, distilled is a no no. One brand of water on the shelf of my local grocery store came from the Memphis Tenn. municipal water supply. Had it come from a tap at Grace Land I might have used it
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Tomy
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Where are you located, Tomy? My tap water is Memphis Muni, and that is what I use for dilution.


Memphis water comes from the Memphis Sands Aquifer, an area from 350 to 1150 feet underground. It has some of the finest water in the country, and Memphis Light, Gas & Water bottles it as bottled water for use in promotions by the Chamber of Commerce.
 
yes I do and have in every kit I've ever made in seven years,nothing going into the wine but water nothing to add any flavor but what I want to add to it myself,at least it makes sence to me
 
I've been useing it from the very first kit I made 7 years ago,no problem,cause you are adding nothing to the wine but water,the way I see it,
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also your not using that much anyway at least I'am not,as opposed to well water with purifiers,or in my case acidifiers,geogeia whit marble,no I'll stick to what I'am us to///
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Hi Wildridge, my name is s.arkvinoker better none as David. Just curious how long have you aged the wine? Personally I use only bottled spring water in my wines to avoid the chance of any side flavors. I've made one Alexander concentrate wine. It was a Gewurztraminer which is white. Not impressed. Five gal. batch out of a 64 oz tin can. Hmmmm I guess the can is well coated. But the sourse of your problem is your well water or part of the problem at the very least I would being willing to bet.
 
Hi David, I haven't aged the Chenin yet, but I tried a chardonnay zinfandel that's been bottled almost a year and it's not good. I'm anxious to try something new with spring water.
 
I also made a no-boil Mexican Cerveza beer kit and an India Pale Ale Kit. The light cerveza had and off flavor, while the IPA was great. So, this trend of off flavors seems to be coming through on anything light flavored.
 

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