# Metallic taste



## Brandst (Feb 19, 2006)

Well at the 10th day in the secondary and just tested the SG. Reading was at .996, which is where it should be according to the instructions that came with the kit, will check tomorrow for stability and hopefully add the stabilizer and fining agent. I have tasted it a couple of times through the process and now come to my question. I noticed a metallic taste to the wine this time, is this normal? Or is it something I should be concerned about? Everything else seems to be going quite well.





Steve


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## OldWino1 (Feb 19, 2006)

It will not taste correct until it has been bottled and allowed to age a bit before true tastes can come out. Give it time and you ll be pleased. Beer is the quick one brew let it get fizzy and the chill and drink. The grape just has to be different. Look at whiskeys the longer the aging int the barrels the more expense and the smoother it usually is.


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## rshosted (Feb 19, 2006)

Metallic taste? I've read somewhere what can cause that... Of course I can't remember. If it's a kit, I would at least shoot the maker an email to let them know. If it goes away good, but it's better to give them a heads up so if in six months you try a bottle and it's still there then you have to chuck it. Then maybe they'll be more likely to believe that you aren't trying to get a free kit from them.

I did find this on Jack Kellers site:
*Metallic Flavor</font>: Rarely, the use of
canned (tinned) fruit or berries or even juices can result in a
metallic taste to the wine made from such ingredients. This occurs when
a highly acidic ingredient sits too long in an poorly tinned can and
absorbs flavors from acid-metal interaction. This is not a common
occurance, but the taste does spoil the wine. Nothing can be done to
correct this off-taste, but you can avoid the offending brand in the
future.

*Or 

*Most wines will clarify on their own given enough time and
appropriate rackings, but occasionally one won't. The problem could be
a pectin or starch haze, or perhaps a metallic contamination from using
copper, zinc, iron, or aluminum utensils.

*I've read something else that can add metallic flavor but can't recall from where. Maybe from WineMaker magazine. Maybe someone else will recall for us. *
*


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## rshosted (Feb 19, 2006)

Ok, it was driving me crazy so I went and found what I couldn't remember. It was from WineMaker Magazine Dec 05-Jan 06. By Daniel Pambianchi; :Assessing your wine" (pg 59). (must be in college having to cite stuff, huh




)

Brettanomyces:

Brettanomyces</span>, most often shortened to Brett</span>. can be detected as a mousy or metallic off-flavor and is cused by a spoilage yeast species from the brettanomyces</span> genra. Some winemakers will insist that a small amount of Brett </span>is actually beneficial in adding flavor complexity although this is a controversial topic. At high concentrations, it is definitely considered a fault and points to insufficient use of sulfite in sanitizing equipment. For more iformation refer to "Brettanomyces" in the August September 205 issue of Winemaker. 


Hope that helps.


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## masta (Feb 19, 2006)

I would not get too concerned yet as the wine will not taste correct at this stage.


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## smurfe (Feb 19, 2006)

It should mellow after time in the bottle. I have noticed it in all of my red kits and is more prominent in the VR kits. It has went away in every kit thus far. I will say the last VR kit I made (Cabernet Sauvignon) has held the taste longer than the others but I did bottle the entire kit in 1500 ml bottles so I attribute that to the mix. It is mellowing out. It has been in the bottle amonth and a half or so. Bottle shock is going to increase the intensity of it as well. Give it some time to mellow.


Smurfe


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## Waldo (Feb 19, 2006)

Just remember.......In wine making, time is your best ally


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## Brandst (Feb 20, 2006)

OK, added the stabilizers and fining agent today and tasted a bit of it that I removed to have room for additions. Still seemed like a hint of metal in there but I let it sit in my mouth longer and it resolved into more of a yeasty type flavor. It almost tasted like an ale of some sort, could taste the oak in there as well, starting to come along now that I let it linger a bit. Other than that it started clearing almost immediatlely, only 8 days till I rack to the second 'boy then 28 till ready to bottle. I'll probably let it age an extra month or 2 in the 'boy though. Next weekend I'll be starting the Reisling and the a couple weeks after that my first scratch wine.





Steve


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## smurfe (Mar 17, 2006)

I have been meaning to reply to this post again for a while but kept forgetting. I believe the metallic tastes I get in my wines when they are still young comes from the water I use. I normally use bottled water instead of my tap water as I have a well and don't know the true quality of my water. 


I personally think that all bottled waters have this same taste I attribute to a metallic taste. So far every batch the taste has went away with age so I don't attribute it to any type of bacteria, I just believe it is the water.


Smurfe


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## Brandst (Mar 18, 2006)

Well it will be ready to bottle in about 2 weeks, though I'll probably wait another 2 at least before I bottle. I will taste it again at that time. The taste that I picked up on didn't seem to be there when I racked after stabilizing and fining though so I think it was just me. The water here has some really off flavors in it so I refuse to use it. I do have a RO/DI unit that I use to provide the purest possible water to my saltwater aquarium and use this same water or bottled water for my wine. I think this batch got some bottled wateras I needed a few more jugs in rotation so I don't run out if I do a water change on the tank and a batch of wine the same weekend.





Steve


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