Cellar Craft Sulpher Smell Rosso Fortissimo

[fishonline]

Sulfur Smell Rosso Fortissimo

Ok so I'm a few months in to making a Cellar Craft Rosso Fortissimo. Last night I decided to rack and add 1/4 tsp of kmeta for long term bulk aging. I added the kmeta to the sanitized carboy premixed with a little wine and began to rack. I decided to try a small sample from the carboy I was racking from and I was taken aback by the amount of sulfur in the wine. Very very strong! I had only added what came with the kit up to this point. I'm worried that I will have way too much sulfur now that I have added an extra 1/4 tsp. Will this dissipate after a while? Should I be concerned? This is one of the first red kits that I have made so maybe it's not that unusual?

 

[Rocky]

fishonline, it is a little unusual but not catastrophic. Are you saying that you tasted or smelled sulfur or both? I suggest splash racking back and forth between two carboys and then see if the sulfur has dissapated to any extent. I believe it will.

 

[dangerdave]

I have heard that the sulphite that comes with the kits will usually be good for about six months of aging (depending on the number of rackings, of course). Like Rocky said, if you think it's too much, give it another good splash racking, which will blow off some of the sulphite. Good luck!

I've got one of these sitting in seconday right now. Will be racking and fining this weekend.

 

[robie]

Ok so I'm a few months in to making a Cellar Craft Rosso Fortissimo. Last night I decided to rack and add 1/4 tsp of kmeta for long term bulk aging. I added the kmeta to the sanitized carboy premixed with a little wine and began to rack. I decided to try a small sample from the carboy I was racking from and I was taken aback by the amount of sulfur in the wine. Very very strong! I had only added what came with the kit up to this point. I'm worried that I will have way too much sulfur now that I have added an extra 1/4 tsp. Will this dissipate after a while? Should I be concerned? This is one of the first red kits that I have made so maybe it's not that unusual?

Are you smelling ordinary Kmeta or are you smelling rotten eggs?

You did say you are going to bulk age this wine. Since you added the kit's Kmeta packet and now (within 2 months) an additional 1/4 teaspoon, it likely will smell/taste strong for awhile. However, in 4 to 6 months you just may have to add some more, but to know for sure, you should measure the actual level of free SO2. Do you have a way to measure the free SO2 level of your wine? You really should.

If it is not rotten egg smell (H2S), I would just let it age out. You shouldn't be able to smell it in 3 to 6 months.

Do you think it could be H2S?

 

[fishonline]

Unfortunately I have no way of testing so I was just going by the recommended dose that I read here on the forum. It's a sulfur smell and taste. It reminded me of the Estes rocket engines that we used to launch off as a kid.. Or fireworks smell. I will give it a few more months and rack again and taste. I also racked a Cellar Classic Valpolicella last night and there was no sulfur smell or taste. Maybe it's just because the Rosso was a bigger kit with grape pack and it will need to age longer.

 

[robie]

Unfortunately I have no way of testing so I was just going by the recommended dose that I read here on the forum. It's a sulfur smell and taste. It reminded me of the Estes rocket engines that we used to launch off as a kid.. Or fireworks smell. I will give it a few more months and rack again and taste. I also racked a Cellar Classic Valpolicella last night and there was no sulfur smell or taste. Maybe it's just because the Rosso was a bigger kit with grape pack and it will need to age longer.

You can splash rack it if you want, but IMO, the level will be down in a few months, anyway. Even it is still high later, you can always splash rack then.

I would vote to let it set.

 

[fishonline]

Will do.. thanks for your advice!

 

[Bacci]

I most confess, in the past I've confused sulfur taste with toast plus overoaking of a wine. I did a MM Amarone that came with a forest and considered it to have a chemical taste and smell but really was overoaked, the oakness dissipated over time and was all good.

 

[Pumpkinman]

I would splash rack it asap, in my opinion, the longer you wait, the harder it may be to correct, you are several months into it, so it isn't sulfur smells that can develop during fermentation. 10 mins worth of racking might save you a lot of grief.
If hydrogen sulfide isn't removed quickly, it can result in mercaptan production.