# Watermelon wine bad smell



## Casper (Sep 8, 2007)

I have a watermelon in a carboy since 2 month and it smell bad. Is it normal, does it need to be blend ?


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## Wade E (Sep 8, 2007)

Can you give us the recipe, temps it has been at, and describe the smell? Ive read on Jack Keller's website that Watermelon is a tough batch to make.


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## Casper (Sep 10, 2007)

The first recipes on Jack web site. Smell like old sucks


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## Casper (Sep 10, 2007)

Sorry forgot the link


http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/watermel.asp


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## Wade E (Sep 10, 2007)

Did you read how some of his batches spoiled on him above that recipe. Watermelon is a finicky fruit and can go bad very easy, not sure what it is about them but it just happens. You might try hitting it with 1/4 tsp. of k-meta and kill off any bacteria that could be causing this but after that Im at a loss for words.


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## PolishWineP (Sep 10, 2007)

Casper,
I hope your wine turns around for you. I know that sometimes wines develop an odd smell for a while, but I've never heard of an old sock smell before. Maybe you'll have to serve it with Limburger cheese...


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## Casper (Sep 12, 2007)

I just rack it again and put some k-meta and give it another month. No success after it goes in the drain. Will be my first batch that I loose.


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## ms.spain (Sep 12, 2007)

I had to pour out 3 gallons of watermelon wine about 6 months ago. Last summer I used one of the recipes on Jack Keller's site.I definitely believe that it spoils QUICK.I made a big starter with Premier Cuvee', kept the cut-up watermelon/juice in the fridge till right before I added it to the starter.I really babied this one. It fermented out and even cleared pretty well.But the smell- YUK!!!I guess it spoiled before it could ferment to a high enough alcohol level. 
IF I try making this wine again, I'm going to try this: Make a huge starter and slowly adda sugar/water mixture (the amountsin the recipe) slowly until this is going really well. Practically making a "sugar wine" base first.Then I'll try adding the watermelon.


I hope you have better luck than I did!




Believe me, this is NOT a slam against Jack Keller- He's "the man"! I think , just like Jack says on his website, melons are difficult to ferment.


One of these days, I'll tackle it again!

*Edited by: ms.spain *


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## pkcook (Sep 13, 2007)

Casper,


Watermellon wine (any mellon wine for that matter) is difficult to make. I have only made 3 batches of wine that was bad and watermellon was the one that didn't even make it out of the primary! I also didn't do well on a grapefruit and pineapple wine either.


I read that if you want to make watermellon wine, the trick is to cool your watermellon and refrigerate the juices as soon as you get it from the mellon and ferment it as cool as the yeast will tolerate. Personally, I'd have to have a glass of great watermellon wine to encourage me to risk it again.


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## Casper (Sep 13, 2007)

I think this was my mistake, I put it in the fridge for the first 24 hrs, and removed it for fermentation. But I should have it fermented in the fridge. That's OK we learn with mistakes. 


Thanks for the replies


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## grapeman (Sep 13, 2007)

I think it would have been too cold in the refrigerator for the yeast to work. If the low temp tolerance is 65, ferment at 65-66 deg- 34 would never take off. I think having a yeast starter made ahead of time would help so as soon as the juice is available, get that yeast in it and going. I certainly would forgo with the K-Meta so it didn't go 24 hours before beginning. Maybe I will snag a hundred pounds of watermelon from my brother's farm and try a batch- maybe a red and a yellow!


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## Wade E (Sep 13, 2007)

I would go with ascorbic acid to help the fruit from going bad instead of the k-meta which will hold you back a day from fermenting.


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## Casper (Sep 14, 2007)

I have a fridge that I modified to keep the temp between 10 to 12 degrees Celsius.


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## smokegrub (Sep 14, 2007)

Perhaps making a strong starter and adding small amounts of watermelon juice at a time would work. That way, the juice could be cold at addition and not have a dramatic effect on the starter.


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## pkcook (Sep 14, 2007)

Casper,


As I understand it, what the recipe maker had in mind on the one I mentioned was have your watermellon ice cold when you beginning juicing it,and keep the juice cold until you have all you are going to need to make the wine, then pull it out and let the juicewarm to where the juice is just in the low range of the yeast, and innoculate it. 


I agree with omitting the k-meta and leaving it at room temp for 24 hours. That is what I did and it just woudn't take that amount of time and warm temp.


PC


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