Yeasty taste and fizz

[Griffster]

Hey Wine Folks -


Just tried a bottle of my first wine attemp and the wine has a yeasty smell and after taste and is a bit fizzy - not much, but a little. It's a Vitner Reserve merlot kit. I followed the instructions and everything seemed to go well during fermentation and racking and degassing and all. It's nice and clear. It has been in the bottle for a month.
My question is - will it get better? Does it need more bottle time? Did I screw up somewhere along the way. Is it alright to drink if I can get past the yeasty and fizzy stuff? Can I salvage it?
Would really appreciate and help you wise wine-people can give.Edited by: Griffster

 

[grapeman]

Wine that young can certainly exhibit those characters. A lot of time you think you got all the gas out, but if you rush it, there can still be some in there. Don't worry about it. If you really want to start drinking it, use a decanter and decant an hour before consuming it. That will dissipate any off odors and get rid of some of the fizz.
You can also age a few more months and it will certainly get better.

 

[Wade E]

Definitely needs more time but you probably have a little gas trapped also. I would give it another 2 months in the bottle and then try itbut you still may need to decant for the gas.

 

[Griffster]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll give it some more time and try decanting. Also will degas my other wines better.
I have 6gals in a carboy that has been bulked for a month. I degassed it when I transfered it from the first bulking. Can I degas it again? How long after wine has been sitting in bulk can you degas?

 

[Wade E]

Just degas it right before bottling.

 

[Okie1]

In addition to giving it more time in the bottle, when you do opena bottlein a few months and if you dont have an hour to decant (orif you are like me and just cant wait an hour)you might try what I do sometimes when I want to drink a wine before it is fully ready.


After it is uncorked, tightly hold your thumg over the bottle and shake it vigrously (like you might do with a champaign bottle wanting it to spray) and that will release alot of fizz and it can evenlessen some of the bite a wine may have.


Release the gas and Repeat shaking and releasing until all fizz is gone. Then enjoy.

 

[joeswine]

the yeasty taste can come from sitting on the dead must a little to long,would you say its a little nutty tasting?if so yeast after taste,ggas still in the bottle,like wade and appleman stated just decante before using ,no problem,i don't believe the yeast will go away.

 

[Mark]

My first kit was a VR Shiraz. I followed the directions exactly, but (as you did) learned after it was bottled that getting all the gas out is tricky. It was a bit fizzy and had the same off-taste you spoke of.Decanting an hour or so before drinking fixed the gas thing right away, but the off-taste didn't go away until 6+ months in the bottle. Then it was a pretty decent wine - thin, not up to the bigger kits, but still quite enjoyable.I drank every bottle!

 

[joeswine]

oh ya thats what its all about

 

[Griffster]

Thanks for the advice and comments. Guess I'll have to wait while it does some bottle time. This was my first batch of wine and I've learned alot. Especially patience.
Hopefully the next couple of batches (that are in carboys) will be better. I'll degas the gas out of them and as far as the yeasty flavor - I'll have to givethem time.

 

[PolishWineP]

Bulk aging will also help to eliminate some of the CO2. When you rack it again, fill a wine bottle, put your thumb over it and shake it. Listen closely when you remove your thumb. Do you hear any gas escaping? Do you hear any fizzing? If so, you may want to beat the heck out of the wine again, then let it sit in bulk again. Good luck!

 

[Milwood]

My very first wine was the VR Merlot as well and when I first tried it after a month or two in the bottle I could barely stand it. It had the exact yeasty smell and fizziness that you described. I bottled this batch in August 07. I just opened a bottle a few days ago and it was much better. It probably still needs a few more months until it is ready to really enjoy but patience is the name of the game in winemaking.