bad chokecherry wine

[Busch]

I know it is difficult, but can you describe the bad taste? Here is an article that describes several different types of bad tastes in wine: 7 Common Wine Faults and How to Sniff Them Out | Wine Folly

Thank you for this guide. I think it might be oxidation like was in the link & also Rice Guys reply

 

[Busch]

can you identify astringent flavor? A common place to get astringent is green banana peel, ,, a feeling of drying the mouth, a feeling where the smoothness is gone in the mouth, pomegranate has some astringent.
,,, astringent is said to be related to long chain tannin complexes which can be removed with a protein fining agent.
oxidized ethyl alcohol (acetaldehyde) is a burn in the back of the throat at high level and apple like aroma at low level.
… acetaldehyde can not be removed
flavors go through the mouth in waves, sweet is fast followed by acid, ,, bitter (tannic) and astringent take longer.

letting air on a wine will change it from a sweet alcohol to the acetaldehyde (oxidized ethyl alcohol) and may allow growth of vinegar producing Acetobacter. As a rule NEVER allow free access of oxygen to an alcohol solution.

Thank you for the education! I think after reading your comment & a link suggested by Raptor99, I think it is oxidized. It is sort of brown looking, not red anymore. I posted my notes on what I did in this thread. Sooo, next batch after pitching should I put the airlock back on carboy until I am ready to bottle??

 

[hawkwing]

K.. let me see if I can describe this well enough from my notes:

Started with 1 G wide mouth jar w/airlock - all equipment sanitized & dried
64 oz Cran-Pomegranate
32 oz Mango Juice
32 oz Concord Grape juice
16 oz Cran-Raspberry Juice
1 c sugar
Dissolved 1/2 tsp yeast on 2/26/22 & was at 18 SG
on 3/5 - I noted the color had gotten very red and SG at 20 (?). Was in a colder room so gave it a few more days to ferment.
3/13 - SG @ 1 but was fizzy & tasted tart and at 17% ABV (?). Soaked .26 oz of chips for 2 days.
3/15 - Pithed the wine w/ 1/2 tsp k-sorbate & covered carboy with cheesecloth
3/18 - Still fizzy so put in another 1/2 tsp K-Sorbate
3/26 - Pitched again. SG at 1. Flavor was really light & not juicy or sweet. Tried back sweeting - and NO tasted worse.
Let it sit with cheesecloth on top of carboy. Today (4/12), You can smell the pomagranet and maybe a slight vinagar smell, but on taste - BLICK. Hard to describe, but yeah kinda vinegarie. It does leave a dry tongue, and what I can only describe as tasting off.

I thought this was a chokecherry topic?

I believe K-sorbate doesn’t kill yeast just prevents it from multiplying. Need to add k-meta too. Is a there a reason you aren’t letting it stop fermentation before adding it?

 

[Busch]

I thought this was a chokecherry topic?

I believe K-sorbate doesn’t kill yeast just prevents it from multiplying. Need to add k-meta too. Is a there a reason you aren’t letting it stop fermentation before adding it?

I'm sorry, I had just done a search for wording similar to my problem & didn't notice the topic. I did let it go until end of fermentation & then added the K-Sorbate. I just thought I didn't add enough because it was still fizzy

 

[hawkwing]

I'm sorry, I had just done a search for wording similar to my problem & didn't notice the topic. I did let it go until end of fermentation & then added the K-Sorbate. I just thought I didn't add enough because it was still fizzy

Try agitating it to release the carbon dioxide. Stir it lots and rapidly. But if it’s fizzing lots it’s probably not done fermenting.