# Rubbing alcohol smell!



## UglyRobot (Feb 19, 2017)

Hi, new to the site and new to wine making. I recently made a five gallon batch of apple/pear wine and within the first couple of days I noticed that my lid for my primary fermenter was not sealing well at all, so I decided to try and duct tape that sucker down. It did not work very well, so today I decided to put it in the secondary fermenter just so I know I have a good seal on it. It smells like rubbing alcohol when I first opened the bucket. I tasted it and it taste like what rubber alcohol smells like(if that makes any sense). My concern is my batch has gone bad.

I am on day 9 now.

Recipe:
25 apples
25 pears
10 pounds of suger
1 campen tablet
1 packet of Lalvin EC-1118 yeast
Yeast energizer
Yeast Nutrient
Primary is a 5gal bucket I got at menards
secondary is a glass 5gal carboy
I use StarSan on eveything.
---
Crushed fruit and let it soak in water for two days then filtered the fruit out of must before I pitched the yeast.
That may be to much information, but any help would be appreciated!


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## Julie (Feb 19, 2017)

what was your beginning hydrometer reading and your ending hydrometer reading? And you should not have sealed off the lid during fermentation. The must need oxygen at that point.


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## UglyRobot (Feb 19, 2017)

First reading: 1.097
Last reading: 1.008


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## mikewatkins727 (Feb 19, 2017)

What kind of apples? Pears?


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## NorCal (Feb 19, 2017)

Rubber or rubbing? There isn't a lot of flavor to mask the alcohol, most pear/apple wines are quite thin, so low ABV is the best path.


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## hounddawg (Feb 20, 2017)

Granular honey for back sweetening will hide the aalcohool taste but back sweeten way below taste as it will at age three taste like ahoney mead, unless you drink all up before then back sweeten just below taste, I make about 20 gal of apple pear blend for my night cap, high ABV an switch to K1V-1116 for more fruit flavor fr9m now on
Just my opinion
Best of luck
Dawg


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## UglyRobot (Feb 20, 2017)

Smells like rubbing alcohol. Just red apples and I'm not sure what kind of pears...they were cheap....
I don't have a problem with the taste of alcohol just what kinda of alcohol it resembles. I probably back sweeten it with the honey, you know for the old lady. Thanks for the advice!


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## Scooter68 (Feb 20, 2017)

Here's a list from ScottLabs that gives the chemical causes of various "Off Odors" in wine. Don't see Rubbing Alcohol or anything listing the flavors, just the odors. 
In any case this may help some folks figure out the cause of the 'unusual' smell emanating from their wine.

Off-Odor Compounds in Wine
SULFURS:
• 2-Methyl-3-thiophane:	bread	crumb (0.1-1.0	µg/L)
• Ethyl	sulfur:	garlic (15-18	µg/L)
• Dimethyl	sulfur:	olive (1.4-8.5	µg/L)
DI-SULFURS:
• Dimethyl	disulfur:	Brussel	sprouts,	cabbage (30-45	µg/L)
• Diethyl	disulfur:	onions,	rubber (25-40	µg/L)
THIOLS:
• Methane-thiol:	rotten (0.3	µg/L)
• Ethanothiol:	onions,	gas,	garlic (1.1	µg/L)
• Mercaptoethanol:	farmyard,	chicken	house (1-10	mg/L)
ALCOHOLS:
• 3-Methyl-sulfanyl-propanol:	raw	potato,	tubers
• 2-Methyl-sulfanyl-ethanol:	green	beans (1-10	mg/L)
• Methionol:	caulifl	ower,	brussel	sprouts,	cooked	cabbage
(3.2-4.5mg/L)
ESTERS:
• Thio-methyl	acetate:	rotten	vegetables,	cheese (10-40	µg/L)
• Thio-ethyl	acetate:	burnt,	sulfur (10-30	µg/L)
• Methyl	sulfanopropiloacetate	:	garlic,	mushrooms (100-115	µg/L)

http://www.scottlab.com/uploads/documents/SulfurCompounds.pdf


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