2nd batch with weird smell

[Alien77721]

Trying not to get discouraged. About a month ago I made an attempt at Peach wine using the squeeze big method. After it got to around 1.040 I racked it to a clean carboy and put an airlock on it. When it was done bubbling, I took the airlock off and it smelled horrible! Burnt rubber mixed with vinegar! I through it out. Sugar couldn't mask anything. I racked a batch of pickle pear this past Sunday using the exact same method and carboy ( cleaned of course), put an airlock on it at 1.040. I just wanted to check today and it is starting to get that awful smell again! What the heck?! Ive made several other batches and didn't use the airlock and they turned out ok. Is it the airlock? Chemicals? Anything I can do to get that smell gone or should I just throw it out?

 

[Julie]

What is your starting sg? And your should leave it in the primary without the lid snapped down and an airlock on until sg is 1.010 or lower. And are you using yeast or just letting wild yeast do its thing? And what is the squeeze big method?

 

[Alien77721]

Sorry. Squeeze BAG method (like the Dragons blood recipe). It started around 1.095. I leave it in the primary with a towel over it. I'm using kv 1116.

 

[Julie]

Another thing you can do is stir it daily while in the primary.

 

[Alien77721]

Another thing you can do is stir it daily while in the primary.

I did that too. Is it a lost cause?

 

[Julie]

Not yet, what is your current sg? If it is below 1.000 then hit it with some k-meta

 

[Alien77721]

It's at 1.015, but it's still going

 

[BernardSmith]

I think a smell of burnt matches indicates the presence of mercaptans and mercaptans are produced by yeast under stress. Less stress produces hydrogen sulfide - the smell of rotten eggs.
Two things to try - That is try both - not one or the other. First whip air into the wine as if there is no tomorrow and then place inside the carboy some copper scrubbing wool. The idea is that the sulfur will bind to the copper and produce a tiny amount of copper sulfate (not enough to worry about) and that binding to the copper removes the smell- and the sulfur compounds. You might also see if you can attach some of that copper wool to the end of your siphon and rack the wine through the copper into a clean container. That said, I believe that getting rid of mercaptans is a challenge. Always better to prevent their production than deal with them once the yeast have produced them. Sounds like your fruit was lacking sufficient nutrients for the yeast and lacking nitrogen and lacking adequate oxygen...

 

[Alien77721]

Good tip. Will do. Keep you updated

 

[wyogal]

Analysis by my DH (PhD organic chemistry) based on the thread:

Bernard is correct that this smell is one or more mercaptans. Don't use elemental copper (ie copper wool), it will not give good results. Instead use copper sulfate solution and the process known as "copper sulfate fining" -- google that for instructions. You want to oxidize the sulfides. You might solve this problem, but be aware that the very first thing to do is aerate the wine, lots of stirring to the point of pulling air into the wine. If you can bubble air into the wine so much the better. Good luck. The converted sulfates should precipitate out, so you will need to rack again after all this.

 

[Turock]

The reason for the problems is lack of nutrient on a proper schedule. You need to take the total amount of nutrient needed for the batch and divide it in half. Add the first half of the dose when the yeast takes off. The second half goes in when you reach 1/3rd sugar reduction.

Lack of nutrient can produce H2S issues--the burnt rubber smell--, slow and sluggish ferments, ferments that will not complete to dryness, or a ferment that becomes totally stuck. There's lots of nutrient info online. Do some studying and start using nutrient in the proper protocol and your problems will disappear.

 

[Scooter68]

When you get that batch out of the bucket I would give it a extreme cleaning and sanitize it well. Then give it some time in the sun. Plastic buckets can get small scratches that will catch bacteria and nasties of all sorts so you want to make sure they are dead and gone before using it again. JUST IN CASE.

 

[Alien77721]

So would adding nutrient st this stage help any?

 

[Scooter68]

Lack of nutrient can produce H2S issues--the burnt rubber smell--, slow and sluggish ferments, ferments that will not complete to dryness, or a ferment that becomes totally stuck. There's lots of nutrient info online. Do some studying and start using nutrient in the proper protocol and your problems will disappear.

Agree !!! - Lost a batch of Strawberry the got that burnt rubber smell - nothing could get rid of it - by the time I was done trying it was a pale, smelly, low ABV liquid I couldn't stand to drink - only batch I've ever dumped fortunately it was just 1 gallon - but it was only my 4th or 5th batch of wine so it worried me until I got the next batch right.

 

[Alien77721]

Ok. Figure this one out.....I tried an experiment yesterday. I took the airlock off of the 5 gallon batch but left it on the 1 gallant batch. I just checked it. The 5 gallon batch now smells and tastes like it should but the 1 gallong batch with the airlock continues to stink. Anyone with an answer?

 

[Turock]

You should never add nutrient past 50% sugar reduction because the yeast can no longer utilize it.

Get yourself some Reduless--you can get it at MoreWine--and dose the wine to get rid of the H2S. If you don't treat it, you can end up with more problems, like the formation of mercaptans. Be aware that even tho you have no aroma of H2S in the 5 gallons, this does not necessarily mean it is no longer there. Sometimes you can have H2S without any detectable aroma. I would dose the 5 gallons too. Follow the directions that come with the Reduless.