Blueberry Wine - Sulfur Smell

[ivvo]

I'm pretty new to making wine at home. Got a wine making kit (fermenter bucket, carboy, hydrometer, tubing, airlocks, etc) for xmas and my first batch, an Island Mist Green Apple Reisling, is in the secondary and seems to be doing well. My second batch, blueberry wine from Vintner's Harvest cans of blueberries is not doing so well, though.

The recipes is from the can label. I used two 96oz cans of Vintner's Harvest blueberries in liquid and doubled the 3gal recipe to make a 6gal batch.

Here's the recipe that I used:
2 96oz cans blueberries/juice (in steeping bag)
12lbs white table sugar (simple sugar)
4 ½ tsp Acid Blend
4 ½ tsp Yeast nutrient
3 tsp Pectic Enzyme
½ tsp tannin
6 crushed Campden tablets
warm water to 6gal mark

Covered fermenter with lid but did not snap down. Added yeast Lalvin K1-V1116 the following day (Jan 12). Covered with lid (again, not snapped down).

The day I pitched the yeast I had the following stats:
S.G. 1.096
Temp @72

Stirred and punched down fruit a.m. next day (Jan 13):
S.G. 1.096
Temp @66
Small amount of foam on top, stirring made this disappear. Moved fermenter to warmer room (approx 74 degrees).

P.M. stir and punch down:
S.G. 1.096
Temp @68.5
No foam but there was a fairly loud fizzing sound.

Today is Jan 14. A.M. stir and punch down:
S.G. 1.090
Temp @69
Still no foam but fizzing sound is audible. This is when I detected a slight sulfur smell

Revisited fermenter a couple hours later with my daughter in tow (she has a super smeller lol). I thought I smelled faint sulfur but she said the sulfur smell was very strong. Must is still sizzling with no foam. Lid is loose.

I'm not sure what to do now. Have read about splash racking and pouring over copper but as I am still new to this I am unsure how to proceed. Can anyone help me?

 

[Wade E]

I dont see any yeast nutrient or yeast energizer in there. I know the recipe may not state it but it is a very important especially for Blueberry and Cranberry wine which naturally contain benzoate which is a yeast inhibitor. I would use both of these especially on 1 of these 2 wines/ Nutrient is usually 1 tsp per gallon and energizer is usually 1/2 tsp per gallon. Its very early right now to have a sulfur problem so I highly doubt it is a problem. All fermentations produce S02 to an extent. I would not have used 6 tablets per gallon and more like 4 tops. That is most likely what you are smelling. I know it says 1 tablet per gallon but that really gives you quite a high S02 reading or ppm!!

 

[ivvo]

Wade, thanks for such a quick response!

I used something called "Super Ferment - A Complete Nutrient and Energizer" at 4 1/2 tsp in 6 gallons. That was the day before I put the yeast in. It's just in a generic looking can...it was in with all the reset of my xmas presents. My husband got it from our local home brew shop when he got all the rest of the stuff.

Going by the recipe on the can of blueberries I should have added 4 tsp for a 5gal batch. I added the extra 1/2 tsp cause I made 6gals. Looking at the label for the Super Ferment it actually says 1 tsp per gallon. Perhaps I should add another 1 1/2 tsp?

I made my husband go take a sniff of the must and he said he didn't smell anything but yeasty juice lol Maybe the smell really is SO2. So, do you think I should add more Super Ferment? Or just sit on it and see how the temp/sg looks later?

 

[Wade E]

Most people who just start making wine will smell something and then post here worrying so this is nothing new to us. At this early stage in the wine its almost impossible for there to be a problem. There will be several different smells you will have to get used to, some people love the smells and some people hate them. I love the smell of a wine fermenting and my wife wants to gag and put my primary buckets outside! AS far as the nutrient you used that should work just fine but around an sg of about 1.040 or so add the rest of that nutrient and that should help the yeast finish what they need to do. Wwelcome to our site!

 

[ivvo]

Thank you for the welcome and for the help and reassurance!

I think things are progressing well so far. I've been stirring and punching down twice a day and taking hydrometer and temp readings. This morning it was at 1.076 at a temp of 72. Bubbles can be seen and fizzing sound is pretty loud. The smell that I mistook for sulfur is gone and now the must just smells good to me lol

Another question, though, I plan to add the rest of the nutrient/energizer at around 1.040 as you suggest. The instructions from the berry can label says to remove fruit and rack to carboy at 1.040. That seems rather early to me. Would it be better to leave fruit in and keep things going in primary until it ferments dry? What will that do to flavor?

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!!

I would pull the fruit bag out when the SG is 1.025 - and rack to carboy when the SG is between 1.000 - 1.005.

 

[ivvo]

Welcome aboard!!!

I would pull the fruit bag out when the SG is 1.025 - and rack to carboy when the SG is between 1.000 - 1.005.

Thank you! I'll keep an eye on the batch and rack to carboy when you suggest. I'm so excited about this new hobby. It's like a chemistry experiment...that you can drink! lol

 

[ivvo]

It's take forever!

Today makes it 7 days since I added the yeast and started fermentation. The must has been at a steady 72 degrees and I have been stirring and punching down twice a day. I can still hear fizzing but there are no real bubbles or foam or anything like that. The starting S.G. when I added the yeast was 1.096 and in a week it's only gone down to 1.068. Sooooo slow!

I have read that blueberry wine is notoriously slow but at this rate should I be worried?

 

[Arne]

Don't think I would be at all worried about it. Some just take more time than others. Have you been stirring it? If not, get a big spoon or paddle and stir a little oxygen in it. Arne.

 

[Wade E]

Did you add that last bit of nutrient yet? If not Id probably add it now and giver it a stir. Id also probably get the temp up a few degrees since this wine wants to be stubborn. Is the temp you are telling us the actual temp opf the wine or the temp f the room and yoiu are assuming the wine is the same?

 

[ivvo]

Did you add that last bit of nutrient yet? If not Id probably add it now and giver it a stir. Id also probably get the temp up a few degrees since this wine wants to be stubborn. Is the temp you are telling us the actual temp opf the wine or the temp f the room and yoiu are assuming the wine is the same?

Today the S.G. is down to 1.059. It's moving slowly lol The temps I have posted are actual temp of the wine. The room temp has been kept between 70-76 but the wine has stayed @72 for the last several days.

I've been stirring twice a day and have not yet added the extra nutrient. Should I go ahead and add it now and see if it speeds things up? I also am going to try to increase the heat a bit to see if that helps.

 

[Wade E]

Yes, add it now as you dont want to add nutrient to late in the game. Yeast energizer is ok to add near the very end but nutrient you really want to add no later then around 1.040.

 

[ivvo]

Added the extra Super Ferment stuff just now. It fizzed and foamed a bit when I put it in woohoo lol

 

[Wade E]

Very typical.

 

[ivvo]

Day 14 Update

So today is 14 days after I pitched the yeast. The addition of the extra nutrient and the increase in heat seemed to help out for the first day or so but now I am back down to slow but fairly steady drops in S.G. The actual temp of the wine is around 77-78 degrees and the S.G. as of just now was 1.030. It seems to drop about .004 every 24 hrs.

I still plan to remove the bag of blueberries when the S.G. hits 1.025 (at the going rate that would make it Friday or Saturday) and rack to carboy at around 1.005-1.000. If I had known that this blueberry would be so stubborn I probably would not have chosen it as my second ever batch of wine to make lol

Is there anything else that I could do to sort of help it along? Or is patience all that is required?

*ETA
The lid of the primary has been on loose this whole time. Should I lock it down at any point or just leave it loose until I rack to secondary?

 

[ivvo]

Finally the S.G. has dropped to 1.025. Going to remove the bag of berries today. Still not sure if I should leave the lid loose or if I should lock it down with an airlock, though

 

[PCharles]

Today makes it 7 days since I added the yeast and started fermentation. The must has been at a steady 72 degrees and I have been stirring and punching down twice a day. I can still hear fizzing but there are no real bubbles or foam or anything like that. The starting S.G. when I added the yeast was 1.096 and in a week it's only gone down to 1.068. Sooooo slow!

I have read that blueberry wine is notoriously slow but at this rate should I be worried?

Hi Ivvo, I just finished reading all the posts in your thread. How are things doing now? It appears you've added enough acid blend. Have you ever taken a pH reading? On your next go, consider using a yeast starter. Start the yeast starter on day one so you can add it on day two. I gradually add some of the must to the starter so the yeast acclimated to their environment. Make sure no camden or K-meta goes in the starter. This helps the yeast get a stronger start.

FYI, I've experinced slow starts with wines of mine. My experience with my first cranberry wine was a real challenge. I nearly pitched it, but it finally started fermenting.

Your issue seems to be more about slow fermentation. I add yeast nutrient in smaller doses nearly each day I punch down (once per day). It foams up like you described. It's like the yeast jump for joy when they get it.

Well, I hope your blueberry wine is getting close to or at 1.000. Blueberry gives off a good bit of sediment. You'll be racking it several times before it clears. Make sure you have something to top off with. I used brandy on mine. If you back sweeten, make sure you don't dilute your wine too much.

Good luck.

PCharles

 

[ivvo]

Well, I hope your blueberry wine is getting close to or at 1.000. Blueberry gives off a good bit of sediment. You'll be racking it several times before it clears. Make sure you have something to top off with. I used brandy on mine. If you back sweeten, make sure you don't dilute your wine too much.

Good luck.

PCharles

hello, PCharles! It's funny but I have actually read several of your posts about blueberry wine while I have agonized over mine! I was actually considering your brandy top up trick

It's true that this blueberry of mine has been slow as can be. This morning the S.G. hit 1.025 so I removed the blueberries and am now waiting for it to drop enough to rack to a carboy. It's a slow process and I fear that I have been rather needy for advice about what to do with it so far lol This is only my second batch of wine ever and it's got me in fits of worry. I hate the thought that I will mess it up out of ignorance to the whole process.

I am going to be visiting the LHBS to get a kit for ph tests and will see about getting yeast nutrient. All I have at this point is nutrient + energizer together and I hesitate to use that again. I plan to make an f-pack for back sweetening as I think if it ever finishes it will need it!

Thanks for your help and support!

 

[PCharles]

ivvo, I enjoyed reading your last post. I'm glad my experience may have aided you in your ventuer. While driving home from work this eve, I thought of one other consideration that I didn't see mentioned. Though tap water with CL is not a major concern of mine here, it is worth your consideration. Usually I purchase spring water for my wines and beers that require significant amounts of water.

Regarding the pH meter, Hanna makes a nice one. There are some good threads that discuss pH meters here on the forum.

I was surprised to hear your SG is still so high after several weeks of fermentation.

 

[ivvo]

I am surprised at how slow the fermentation is as well! It seems to be moving even slower now that I removed the fruit bag. This morning the S.G. is at 1.020 with a must temp of 80 degrees! I thought the increased temp would help speed things along but now I am not so sure. My LHBS has this available for ph testing...do you think think it will be suitable?

Acid Test Kit

Or should I look into ordering something else online (like the Hanna product you mentioned)?

The CL in our water is a valid concern. The husband and I decided that future brewing projects will require spring water from the store.

Do you think the lid of the primary should be snapped down and an airlock fitted at this point? So far the lid has been loose the whole time.