Making Sassafras Wine

[ericonthehill]

Sg at 1.022. It's in it's secondary now. Still bubbling like crazy. Looking, and tasting good.

 

[ericonthehill]

1st batch has been sitting in the cellar under airlock for a little while now. It's in good shape so far. 2nd batch not so well. For 3 days I've been working about 15 hours a day and I haven't been able to give it the attention it needed. SG was at 1.056 last night, but it took on a slight acetone smell to it. From what I can tell the slow ferment, the warmer then usual temps, and my vigorous stirring, are the culprit. I siphoned over to secondary last night, as prescribed on Jack Kellers page. We'll see what happens with it all. Even if I lose a batch here I'll have my completed log for next time to help get this one perfected.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

thanks for the update. was wondering how things were going.

 

[ericonthehill]

2nd batch is still fermenting at a steady pace under airlock. The smell from airlock has become a lot sweeter and more mild, hopefully I was able to save it. 1st batch is still in the cellar and fermenting as well. It shouldn't be long until it's done. Just letting it do it's thing.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

It shouldn't be long until it's done. Just letting it do it's thing.

How long have we been telling you that!!! LOL

 

[kiljoy]

Be careful there. Sassafras is considered by the USDA as a carcinogen. It's not allowed to be used in commercial foodstuffs unless the safrol oil has been removed.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/WIC_Learning_Online/support/job_aids/harmful.pdf

 

[Bartman]

Be careful there. Sassafras is considered by the USDA as a carcinogen. It's not allowed to be used in commercial foodstuffs unless the safrol oil has been removed.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/WIC_Learning_Online/support/job_aids/harmful.pdf

I've wondered about the heath risks of sassafras since it came up a few months ago and I knew it once was widely used commercially. Here's what the exhaustive source of all true information, Wikipedia, states:
Culinary uses

The roots of sassafras can be steeped to make tea, and were used in the flavoring of traditional root beer until being banned for mass production by the FDA. Laboratory animals that were given oral doses of sassafras tea or sassafras oil that contained large doses of safrole developed permanent liver damage or various types of cancer. In humans, liver damage can take years to develop and it may not have obvious signs. Along with commercially available sarsaparilla, sassafras remains an ingredient in use among hobby or microbrew enthusiasts.

*********

So, I would guess it's not too carcinogenic that he can't make some wine with it, unless he plans on drinking a lot of it everyday for years.

 

[kiljoy]

Probably not any more so than all the crap they put in our food.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

years ago when zylatol first came out as a sugar sub. they did a test on mice by injecting the equlivent of 100 sticks of gum a day. The mice got cancer. then they baned it. duh. for a human to ingest that amount of zylatol you would have to drink gallons a day to be the equlivent of the 100 sticks of gum that was injected into the mice. I would think anything in a great amount would cause some sort of cancer. The American Indians drank sassafras root for years with out side effects. More govt. regulations to make us live in a sterilial enviroment.
OK off my soap box for now....

 

[kiljoy]

And cigarettes used to be good for you. Is making a batch of sassafras wine going to give you cancer? Probably not. But, the safrol in it is know to have bad side effects. Not just cancer. I'd just watch how much I consume. That is all.

 

[ericonthehill]

It's been a little over a week since I placed my 2nd batch under airlock. I checked it today and it still has a acetone/nail polish remover smell to it. It's been steadily bubbling. Is this batch wasted?? Not sure what else I can do with it...

 

[ericonthehill]

1st batch is very clear now. Only a thin layer of lees in the carboy. It has lost all of it's red color and looks like applejuice now. Atleast that's what the kids tell me. My mom is interested in wine making, so she may be helping me bottle it next week while she's visiting.

 

[GrandpasFootsteps]

Be careful there. Sassafras is considered by the USDA as a carcinogen. It's not allowed to be used in commercial foodstuffs unless the safrol oil has been removed.

I've wondered for a while how true this is. I read the study where the scientists gave rats massive amounts of safrole oil and they developed cancer. But I think any massive amount of oil could cause cancer too. I mean, in that study they apparently used a massive, massive amount of pure extracted safrole oil. Meanwhile at the same time this ban was being it in place, MDMA (ecstasy) was hitting the streets hard. Safrole oil is a primary ingredient in MDMA. Which makes more sense?

 

[TJsBasement]

Doesn't massive amounts of anything cause cancer.

Does Safrole oil have some type of intoxicating effect or something.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

"Today the FDA anounced that siliva is hazerdous to your health, but only if taken in small amounts over a long period of time" George Carlin.

 

[ericonthehill]

1st batch is bottled now. Really needs to age, as it's pretty harsh. 2nd batch is still fermenting under airlock. It'll be interesting to taste it this time next year!

 

[kiljoy]

Doesn't massive amounts of anything cause cancer.

Does Safrole oil have some type of intoxicating effect or something.

Don't know, but I'm going to try and find out if Alcohol does ::

 

[tcavan01]

Me too

I have 3 gallons of sassafras wine aging right now. I am part native American and sassafras is a native american medicine, I'm not worrried about the so called cancer risk. I started it on 5/15. I'm about to rack it and add k-meta and sorbate.

 

[MalvinaScordaad]

It's been a little over a week since I placed my 2nd batch under airlock. I checked it today and it still has a acetone/nail polish remover smell to it. It's been steadily bubbling. Is this batch wasted?? Not sure what else I can do with it...

Ethyl acetate gives you the nail polish smell. There is no cure for that wine fault. It is serious. If wine is in barrels with it this chemical the Barrels cannot be used again as it is impossible to remove it entirely. So you have a possible Carcinogen Wine that smells like Nail Polish and you ask the question is the batch wasted. If the ingredients don't make you sick the Ethyl Acetate can. I know what I would do with it. Why take chances when it is not necessary?
Malvina

 

[kiljoy]

Well, if you have any paint to strip, you're in luck