Can’t kill the Sulfur smell.

[Gill]

I’ve racked my cleared Merlot a time or two and I will do again, but the sulfur smell gets worse each time. I have been adding campdon tablets each time, but it’s not helping. I ordered Bentonite hoping I can save it with that.

I’ve realized I am not racking carefully enough, and will be more careful not to disturb the sediment with a siphon clamp.

Any ideas as to what else I can do to save a three gallon Merlot?

Thank you!

 

[salcoco]

do not add tablets just splash rack the Merlot into another carboy. splash racking is putting the tubing in the receiving carboy against the side of the carboy so that the wine stream is spread out against the surface. this will dissipate the sulfur. alternate just let the wine sit awhile without any addition of tablets and the smell will dissipate. may take a few moths.

 

[mhopkins]

H2S odor can occur early in the process; often at the end of fermentation and noticed at the first racking. But you seem to be past that point. Campden tablets are sulfur-based; used primarily to sterilize your wine by killing bacteria and inhibiting the growth of most wild yeast. My practice is to add one crushed Campden tablet per US gallon at bottling. If you are adding tablets at every racking, this is likely the origin of your odor. The SO2 will dissipate over time. Splash racking (above) can help. Then put an airlock on the carboy and wait.

 

[Rice_Guy]

I’ve racked my cleared Merlot a time or two and I will do again, but the sulfur smell gets worse each time. I have been adding campdon tablets each time, but it’s not helping. I ordered Bentonite hoping I can save it with that.
Any ideas as to what else I can do to save a three gallon Merlot?!

campdon tablets are roughly 0.5 grams of metabisulphite, , , this is sulfur. Would be interesting to have a SO2 measurement to see what your taste/smell threshold is, , I do not pick it up as fast as my wife or some of the gals at vinters.
The method used in Australia to deal with high SO2 is to add peroxide (a few drops per 3 gallon, then taste it) H2O2 will oxidize SO2 producing water. , , This is not allowed in commercial US wineries, but if you buy Australian wine ya’ll May have had this treatment.
bentonite will not change SO2
Time will reduce SO2, splash racking will reduce (oxidize) SO2 however is my least favorite way since it feels like an easy way for overkill.

 

[sour_grapes]

Others have mentioned that Campden contains sulfur. But "sulfur odor" can mean different things!

Would you describe your odor as rotten eggs (H2S)? Or as a burnt match (SO2)?

 

[Gill]

do not add tablets just splash rack the Merlot into another carboy. splash racking is putting the tubing in the receiving carboy against the side of the carboy so that the wine stream is spread out against the surface. this will dissipate the sulfur. alternate just let the wine sit awhile without any addition of tablets and the smell will dissipate. may take a few moths.

Thank you for explaining splash racking. This is my second batch (ruined the first one), and I'm learning the nuances of the language. I'm five months in, mainly since I let it clear for a few months due to work.

 

[Gill]

H2S odor can occur early in the process; often at the end of fermentation and noticed at the first racking. But you seem to be past that point. Campden tablets are sulfur-based; used primarily to sterilize your wine by killing bacteria and inhibiting the growth of most wild yeast. My practice is to add one crushed Campden tablet per US gallon at bottling. If you are adding tablets at every racking, this is likely the origin of your odor. The SO2 will dissipate over time. Splash racking (above) can help. Then put an airlock on the carboy and wait.

Thanks for the explanation. By what I have read, it seems I misunderstood the complete intent behind the campdon tablets, I thought they were to help with oder and taste as well as adding longevity.

I have some racking to do.

 

[Gill]

campdon tablets are roughly 0.5 grams of metabisulphite, , , this is sulfur. Would be interesting to have a SO2 measurement to see what your taste/smell threshold is, , I do not pick it up as fast as my wife or some of the gals at vinters.
The method used in Australia to deal with high SO2 is to add peroxide (a few drops per 3 gallon, then taste it) H2O2 will oxidize SO2 producing water. , , This is not allowed in commercial US wineries, but if you buy Australian wine ya’ll May have had this treatment.
bentonite will not change SO2
Time will reduce SO2, splash racking will reduce (oxidize) SO2 however is my least favorite way since it feels like an easy way for overkill.

Interesting. Sorry if this is a silly question, but do you mean normal grocery store peroxide? I ask only because it is the only kind I am aware of.

Good to know Bentonite will not change the SO2, yet another misunderstand I have picked up from reading.

 

[NorCal]

Agree with @sour_grapes, you are smelling H2S not SO2. I would aggressively splash rack it, trying to expose the wine to as much motion and splashing as possible, ignoring oxygen exposure. The benefit to the wine by reducing/eliminating the H2S way offsets any damage caused by O2 exposure in my experience (my Gold winning wine at the CA state fair was an H2S recovery victim).

 

[Gill]

Others have mentioned that Campden contains sulfur. But "sulfur odor" can mean different things!

Would you describe your odor as rotten eggs (H2S)? Or as a burnt match (SO2)?

I'll have to get back to this one tomorrow. I need my wife to verify. I'm not familiar with rotten eggs, so I am leaning toward a burnt match.

It's the same smell it has after initial fermentation, just stronger.

The same wine was added to a one gallon glass carboy (with campden tablet) and it's not nearly as bad as the 3 gallon one. Not sure why one would be different from the other.

 

[Gill]

Agree with @sour_grapes, you are smelling H2S not SO2. I would aggressively splash rack it, trying to expose the wine to as much motion and splashing as possible, ignoring oxygen exposure. The benefit to the wine by reducing/eliminating the H2S way offsets any damage caused by O2 exposure in my experience (my Gold winning wine at the CA state fair was an H2S recovery victim).

I'm more than willing to try it. By "aggressively splash racking it", would that be the same as racking it again and letting it splash in the middle of the carboy, in lieu of letting it run down the side (splashing) of the carboy. The definition is a bit confusing.

I can also degas it with a wand and drill. Worth it or no?

Thanks fo your time.

 

[mhopkins]

Thanks for the explanation. By what I have read, it seems I misunderstood the complete intent behind the campdon tablets, I thought they were to help with oder and taste as well as adding longevity.

You can find a couple of short, but informative blog posts on Campden Tablets at the two links below. So far, I've made wine (~20 batches so far) with wine kits and various frozen fruits so no need for a "24 hours before fermentation" dose. Also, recommendation is for more use of Campden than I do. But, what do I know? And he is "a 3rd generation home brewer/winemaker and has been an owner of E. C. Kraus since 1999."

https://blog.eckraus.com/using-campden-tablets
https://blog.eckraus.com/campden-tablets-what-they-can-and-cant-do

 

[salcoco]

splash racking is always against the side of the carboy. aggressive can mean do it more than once.

 

[sour_grapes]

I'll have to get back to this one tomorrow. I need my wife to verify. I'm not familiar with rotten eggs, so I am leaning toward a burnt match.

H2S is also similar to a garlic-induced fart! (Ummm, not that I would know. Or so I have heard, anyway.)

 

[Chuck E]

H2S is also similar to a garlic-induced fart! (Ummm, not that I would know. Or so I have heard, anyway.)

Well, that's one way to describe it!

 

[NorCal]

H2S is also similar to a garlic-induced fart! (Ummm, not that I would know. Or so I have heard, anyway.)

I wish I could unread that. It will however motivate me more to stay up on the yeast nutrients.

 

[sour_grapes]

I am glad my purpose here has been served.

 

[Gill]

splash racking is always against the side of the carboy. aggressive can mean do it more than once.

Perfect, thanks for the clarification. I’ll get on it.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Interesting. Sorry if this is a silly question, but do you mean normal grocery store peroxide? I ask only because it is the only kind I am aware of.

The drug store version works,
I agree with sour grapes, peroxide will not have any effect on rotten egg smell (H2S). The first question, , is the problem SO2? , the smell of sanitizer solution/ campdem tablets?

 

[Gill]

splash racking is always against the side of the carboy. aggressive can mean do it more than once.

Thanks for the explanation.