Hello from England

[user 51495]

Hi,

After making beer successfully for several years - well, I like drinking it anyway - am returning to wine making (as well as keeping on with the beer).

Used to make a lot of wine about 30-40 years ago but then life got in the way. Tried making a red a few years ago, the wine was OK, very drinkable in a way, but had a sort of sulphate aftertaste which really spoiled the enjoyment. I don't know why, what I did wrong, if anyone has an idea pleae let me know.

Planning on another red shortly, a VineCo Merlot from their Classic range, as a way back into wine making.

Chris

 

[Ohio Bob]

Potassium sulphite in correct dosages shouldn’t be detectable if you let the wine age at least a few weeks, better a few months. Also, at least for reds, decanting really helps.

 

[user 51495]

Gees - but that was a speedy reply Ohio Bob!

I will check the Potassium Sulphite dosage is correct on the next brew but what I used did come in a kit, so it should have been correct. The point of keeping tha wine to age for a few weeks, or better months, is a good one; but I will need to keep the brews coming on fast to keep ahead of SWMBO's consumption rate so as to build up a stock a few months matured!

 

[winemaker81]

Welcome to WMT!

Did that problem wine stink, like swamp gas? If so, it was hydrogen sulfide (H2S). If you follow the kit instructions, you should have no problems!

 

[user 51495]

No - there was no smell other than what you would expect from a wine, there was just this little sulphaty aftertaste

 

[winemaker81]

No - there was no smell other than what you would expect from a wine, there was just this little sulphaty aftertaste

I don't have an answer for you, but no nasty smell is VERY good news.

 

[VinesnBines]

Welcome! What part of England?

Re: the sulphaty aftertaste; was it every bottle? Did other people think it tasted sulphaty? My guess would be that it did not dissolve completely and some bottles ended up with more than other bottles. Do you recall how you cleaned your bottles? There might have been residue in the bottles.

Good luck this time around and I suggest you taste at every stage and do not bottle until you are satisfied with the taste.

 

[Jovimaple]

Welcome to WMT!

 

[Rice_Guy]

Welcome to WMT

 

[user 51495]

Thanks for all the welcomes!

VinesnBines - it was in all bottles and SWMBO very definitely tasted it, she sampled every bottle and is very picky on taste! Can't remember how I cleaned the bottles but I guess I would have cleaned them like all my beer stuff, swilling them out with Bruclean and rinsing out after with clear water. I don't think that was the problem, but I do wonder if it was the other alternative you suggested, that it wasn't dissolved properly. I will particularly look out for that next time.

Just for the record we live in a small village near Yeovil in the West Country of England. Very lovely countryside and not too built up, very rural.

 

[VinesnBines]

Lovely area of England. I've passed near(ish) on the trains to and from Cornwall. I adore English villages.

 

[Ohio Bob]

I’m not familiar with Bruclean. Recommended procedure is to use a sanitizer, not a cleaner, right before using (either buckets or bottles) and then NOT rinse before using.

 

[ratflinger]

Thanks for all the welcomes!

VinesnBines - it was in all bottles and SWMBO very definitely tasted it, she sampled every bottle and is very picky on taste! Can't remember how I cleaned the bottles but I guess I would have cleaned them like all my beer stuff, swilling them out with Bruclean and rinsing out after with clear water. I don't think that was the problem, but I do wonder if it was the other alternative you suggested, that it wasn't dissolved properly. I will particularly look out for that next time.

Just for the record we live in a small village near Yeovil in the West Country of England. Very lovely countryside and not too built up, very rural.

Great - we're coming over next month and want to stay 3 weeks with you!


Just kidding. Looks like a great part of England to live in, most of our time has been in Scotland & northern England or London. Please ask any questions as we like English people!

Ignore @winemaker81 as he knows way too much!

 

[VinesnBines]

Great - we're coming over next month and want to stay 3 weeks with you!


Just kidding. Looks like a great part of England to live in, most of our time has been in Scotland & northern England or London. Please ask any questions as we like English people!

Ignore @winemaker81 as he knows way too much!

Ditto on coming next month...really but going to North Yorkshire (West Burton) and Scotland (Kingussie and Edinburgh). We have spent a lot of time in Cornwall (Penzance and St Ives). Next year, St Ives again!

 

[Darrell Hawley]

Hi,

After making beer successfully for several years - well, I like drinking it anyway - am returning to wine making (as well as keeping on with the beer).

Used to make a lot of wine about 30-40 years ago but then life got in the way. Tried making a red a few years ago, the wine was OK, very drinkable in a way, but had a sort of sulphate aftertaste which really spoiled the enjoyment. I don't know why, what I did wrong, if anyone has an idea pleae let me know.

Planning on another red shortly, a VineCo Merlot from their Classic range, as a way back into wine making.

Chris

Let the wine age, at least until the Green Bay Packers win on Sunday, then life will be good. At least you don't have to get up and watch the game at 8:30 am like we do in Wisconsin.

 

[user 51495]

Bruclean is a cleaner/steriliser, excellent product here in the UK - and you do rinse between sterilisation and use. Don't want the steri to kill the brew. Its not like some steri products that air dry safe.

The UK has some lovely areas to visit, North Yorkshire, parts of Scotland and Cornwall are right up there with the best, along with the Lake District, the Peaks and the West Country generally. Personally I don't like London, good for museums and the theatre, excellent in fact, but otherwise to my mind the best thing about London after that is the road out, the farther out the better!

Not sure I will bother with getting up to watch the Green Bay Packers play, not really my game, but if it was a decent rugby union match, a proper game, then just maybe......!! Or cricket.

 

[VinesnBines]

I enjoyed visiting London as a tourist but this trip we aren’t even passing through London. We usually fly to Dublin and either ferry to Wales or connect through Heathrow. This trip we are flying to Dublin and connecting to Edinburgh. It is cheaper and we avoid the Heathrow nightmare. For Americans the Dublin return is great. We pass through US Customs in Dublin and our return flight is a US domestic flight. We land in the US and go get our bags and head out. I am wondering how the Dublin arrival will work post Brexit?

Sorry to hijack your introduction.

 

[TechAdmin]

Welcome to WMT. Enjoy the forum and making wines.