Reiseling juice

[scruff_farrier]

So my local homebrew store had their semi yearly juice order. Never trying actual wine juice, I usually only do country fruit wines, I decided to try to different six gallon buckets. I ordered a Reiseling and a Dolcetto (I'm not sure how to spell if off the top of my head). Brought them home SG was 1.090 on both, threw in the 1118 that was given airlocked and left them alone. Just racked today, two week mark. The red was at 1.000, cool smells normal taste dry, good to go. I racked into a Six gallon carboy, hit with campden and sorbate, we like sweet wines so I usually wait and add sugar later. Went to the Reiseling as soon as I opened the lid I was hit with a strong smell, the only thing I can describe is skunk, I swear it smells like skunk, SG was 1.030 I was a little confused cause it was the 1118 yeast but decided to rack it out of the bucket anyway hoping it will continue to ferment in the carboy, just wanted it out of the bucket. its not clear at all so I figure it will. So my main question is what's with the skunk smell? Is that normal for whites like a different S02 smell or something? I'm just confused, when I tasted it, almost had the same skunky flavor?

Edit- I forgot to add, the only thing I could think of was maybe stressed out yeast? So I add yeast nutrient when I racked it over.

 

[cmason1957]

Skunk smell during fermentation is almost always from stressed yeast. Hopefully the yeast nutrition clears it up, but it is a little bit late in the fermentation to add nutrients. If it doesn't clear it up, Redulees is the chemical you want to try first to clear up the smell. I belive you can add it twice. Directions come with it. Redulees is a predetermined amount of copper , which is often enough to do the trick. If it doesn't, then you have to do trials with copper sulfate to determine the smallest dosage required. Getting rid of this is something you want to do sooner rather than later.

 

[winemaker81]

Getting rid of this is something you want to do sooner rather than later.

I concur! Most things in winemaking require patience -- hydrogen sulfite (H2S) is an important counter example. You want to treat this as quickly as possible, as it produces side effects that may also need curing (if they can).

I encounter H2S last fall and after treating twice (1: stir heavily in a well ventilated environment and dose heavy with K-meta; 2: Reduless), I had to treat with ascorbic acid to eliminate the aftertaste. Ascorbic acid has to be used lightly, as it will make the wine very sharp tasting.

 

[scruff_farrier]

I concur! Most things in winemaking require patience -- hydrogen sulfite (H2S) is an important counter example. You want to treat this as quickly as possible, as it produces side effects that may also need curing (if they can).

I encounter H2S last fall and after treating twice (1: stir heavily in a well ventilated environment and dose heavy with K-meta; 2: Reduless), I had to treat with ascorbic acid to eliminate the aftertaste. Ascorbic acid has to be used lightly, as it will make the wine very sharp tasting.

Won't stiring heavily be really bad for a white wine? I thought they were already prone to oxygenation, so much so that even racking can cause it? Atleast that's what I read, I literally have no idea.

 

[winemaker81]

If the wine has H2S, there is nothing worse that can happen to it.

 

[scruff_farrier]

If the wine has H2S, there is nothing worse that can happen to it.

Gotcha, I geuss I'm so used to the slow and steady, or sit and forget method. I didn't understand the urgency you guys are suggesting. I'll whip it and see if I can find that Redulees, doesn't seem like Amazon has it. So I will check at my homebrew store. Thanks guys for the responses

 

[winemaker81]

Gotcha, I geuss I'm so used to the slow and steady, or sit and forget method. I didn't understand the urgency you guys are suggesting. I'll whip it and see if I can find that Redulees, doesn't seem like Amazon has it. So I will check at my homebrew store. Thanks guys for the responses

IMO that's what makes H2S so bad -- the normal "wait-n-see" approach makes the after effects worse.

Stir well in a ventilated area. H2S is flammable -- I have no idea if the wine produces enough to be truly dangerous, but it's not an area for experimentation.

Based upon my experience, stir, double-dose with K-meta, and check the odor the next day. If caught early enough, the stirring/K-meta may do the job. If you have a residual odor, then you need Reduless. I purchased mine online.

The taste is as big an issue -- I had 3 carboys with an odd aftertaste, even after the smell was gone. The treatment is ascorbic acid -- I figured out how much I thought I needed and added 1/4 dose, then waited a week. The wine still had the taste, but I waited another week and the taste was reduced. I never added more ascorbic and the taste went away with aging. I can't guarantee this will work for others, but ascorbic acid can give the wine a sharp taste, so go gentle with it.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Good advice above, this is a normal problem in white juice ,,, H2S is possibe to remedy, it reacts to turn into mercaptans which are stable chemicals. One of the vinters club members calls the end product fried chicken. Avanti yeast is a preventative option Fermaid O followed by K at 1/3 sugar is suggested.
Another term to research is VSC (volatile sulfur compounds). the AWRI has several videos on VSC and if you like print Pembachi did a chapter on them.

 

[sour_grapes]

I would have no worries about the flammability of H2S. The thing that makes it so damaging to your wine is that it is detectable by nose at ppm quantities.

 

[winemaker81]

I would have no worries about the flammability of H2S

You are probably correct. However, I'd still avoid being party to a "hold my wine and watch this" meme ...