Merlot, 64L, de-stemmed, crushed and sulphited with 15 campden tablets in 3 FVs. RC212 added after 24hrs. Now, 48hrs after inoculation the fermentation is vigorous but, as I stir in the cap, there is a strong pong of bad eggs. I've not noticed this before with RC212 although I have read that it has an H2S propensity if not given the right nutrients. I've not added any nutrient, as I thought grape was OK. Should I add some tronozymol or just wait & see? (brix 22°, a bit light on acid)
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Bad egg smell
Collapse
X
-
I am no where near as experienced as most on here but I have had the same problem with RC212 and personally at this early stage of ferment, I think you should be ok with a nutrition addition. You could also try getting some oxygen into the must as well, that will help drive off the smell and the yeast need O2 at this stage of the ferment.
-
I would get some nutrient in right away and give the must a good stir to help drive off the sulphur. This is early for this to happen but you do not want the sulphur aromas to stick around. t
The longer they are there the harder they are to get rid of. You are certain this is not just the smell of a strong ferment but actual sulphur aroma's? RC212 is an excellent yeast for red wines but you do need to feed it a bit to keep it from leaving sulphur aromas.http://www.winensuds.com/ Gotta love this hobby
Comment
-
I concur - I'd add nutrient & aerate. I've had the same with RC212.
RJB has a point though - are you sure you are smelling H2S (ROTTEN eggs), or simply that 'organic' fermentation smell?Pete the Instructor
It looks like Phil Donahue throwing up into a tuba
Comment
-
Good call Pete !
I have been experiementing with that one.
I liken the organic smell to 'carpet glue' - Thinks: It is perhaps a little early for rotten eggs? Yeast available nitrogen must still be quite high.
I get 'carpet glue' every year, to a more or less extent and it is ALWAYS in the first few days of fermentation. It is more obvious with a low dose of yeast. If you add 20 g/hL will not get it for very long at all.
So the million-dollar question now is how much yeast did you put in? 64l is IMO 3 x 5g sachets.
I have some grapes producing 'carpet glue' at the moment if you want to run over and sample itGluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!
Comment
-
A fly in the ointment (to come back to) is that this is the first time I've had this quantity going in the kitchen so, as Mrs LePlot said this morning, all the niffs are amplified. I'm doing the cap 3 times a day and while not actually using an egg-beater, that sort of thrashing to get some air in. I'll give it a stab of tronozymol for good measure. Yeast was 3 sachets, I did think of ""doing a Lincolnshire"" and scrimping, but I could hear all those little yeasties shouting to be let out.
Masses of fruit flies with this shipment, the tiny light-brown jobbies. Half of them walking drunk at the bottom of the boxes. As I stripped the grapes in the kitchen, they all jumped ship to the fruit bowls which of course are pretty groaning at this time of year. The expressive Italian wing-gestures as I chased them with an electric paddle was as good as being on holiday in chiantishire. Dinner was tedious Sunday night. Mrs LePlot and I had to cover our glasses with paper as enough protein was on our plates, and a surfeit of protein is bad for the impulses as we all know. So I left half a glass of cooking red on the table overnight (a PakLab of which a review somewhere on here). 20+ success in the morning. Oddly, not all, so more messing about with electric tennis - as I worked on my back-hand I considered whether these were tea-total, maybe even Methodist, or perhaps they were the females and not as drawn to strong drink, ah! were they connoisseurs and PakLab just didn't cut it? As she watched the refloating of the Costa Concordia, Mrs LePlot assures me that these survivors were obviously just the good swimmers.
Thanks for advice - enjoy grapefest! Oh and deep sympathy Bob for your continued harassment. Hope they are now thwarted.Now bottling 20DJs of 2013 red and making room to rack 5 carboys of 2014 red to the DJs where they can wait for another winter.
Thank goodness for eBay! (local cache of DJs)
Comment
-
-
Wow - what a difference! Put 45g/64L of tronozymol in at 2pm and gave it a good thrashing. 10pm stirring in the cap, not a hint of sulphur - but a fabulous black cherry aroma. Gosh, if that hangs about, I'm onto a winner!Now bottling 20DJs of 2013 red and making room to rack 5 carboys of 2014 red to the DJs where they can wait for another winter.
Thank goodness for eBay! (local cache of DJs)
Comment
-
Comment