I had a little bit of sulphur using Notthingham, but nothing major at all (helped that it was in the basement). Really only seemed to be around for a day or two.
Just a comment about using Montrachet yeast.
http://ebrew.com/wine/wine_yeast.htm
"It is not recommended for grapes that have been dusted with sulfur, because of a tendency to produce hydrogen sulfide in the presence of higher concentrations of sulfur compounds."
Potassium Metabisulphite is commonly used as a preservative to prevent cut apples from browning as they are processed.
The Lalvin EC-1118 is recommend for ciders.
"The fermentation characteristics of the EC strain - extremely low production of foam, volatile acid and H2S - make this strain an excellent choice. This strain ferments well over a very wide temperature range, from 45º to 95º and demonstrates high osmotic and alcohol tolerance. Good flocculation and compact lees and a relatively neutral flavor and aroma contribution are also properties of the EC strain.
The EC strain is recommended for all types of wines, including sparkling, and late harvest wines and cider. It may also be used to restart stuck fermentations."
OK, I did some research and I don't think the sulfur generation is normal or desireable.
The source, as far as I can tell, could be wild yeasts in the juice starting to ferment or the production of H2S from a combination of factors, most likely the wrong yeast, lack of racking, etc.
I make fruit wines as well as beer. My textbook for fruit wines is this:
http://www.amazon.com/Winemaking-Rec...e=UTF8&s=books
I've never had an sulfur smell from any fruit wines that I've brewed.
As far as the wild yeasts go, on page 238, it states to add 80 to 100 ppm of sulfite to "kill wild yeasts prior to fermentation". I add sulphite crystals as directed to all the fruit wines I make.
One has to remember that fermenting wine musts is different than fermenting wort. Wort has just been boiled and it and the container is sterile. Fruits are exactly the opposite. They are simply washed and used. They are loaded with bacteria, organisms, etc. Never the less, I strongly suspect that the apple juice from the store is basically sterile.
I think the real problem is the fermentation conditions.
Page 267 says this:
"Hydrogen sulphide is created by wine yeast during fermentation and some strains such as Montrachet, produce more H2S than others. Generally the problem is not apparent until the secondary fermentation stage. During the secondary fermentation, the dead yeast cells build up in the sediment, and as they break down, their natural sulfur content is reduced to Hydrogen Sulphide. The heavier the deposit and the warmer the temperature - the greater the probability of hydrogen sulfide developing."
It goes on to say that if the smell stays in the wine for longer than a week, it changes to other substances and ruins the wine.
Treatment
aeration, adding sulfur dioxide, adding copper sulfate. According to them, these are only make shift actions.
Prevention
Use a different yeast. After INITIAL racking, don't leave the wine on the yeast more than 10 days. For these authors, initial fermentation is done when SG hits 1.020 or so and they rack to a secondary fermentor at that point.
They don't say it, but fermenting at a colder temperature will help as well.
All their apple wine recipes use a champagne yeast. (Bayanus Champagne.)
rdwj said:Well done Toot - you should get a job with Cliff notes
JimiGibbs said:Bottled mine yesterday after four and a half weeks.... Pretty tasty Can't wait for it to carbonate. Thanks Ed.
EdWort said:I still have another keg and a half to go through, but the holidays are upon us, so I'll load up a couple more carboys when I get back in town later this week.
Kevin K said:I made a 2L starter yesterday.
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todd_k said:anyone bottle this in wine bottles?
Malic acid is what make tart apples tart, nothing to worry about.Toot said:The only thing I see which might cause a problem is the malic acid. Any scientific folks want to tell me what the heck that is?
Toot said:What is the purpose of priming with DME? Seems to me that molasses, honey, table sugar, etc would all give you a more suitable flavor profile for an apfelwein... not that I've reached that stage yet...
alemonkey said:Well, I just stuck my keg of Apfelwein in the kegerator last night. Today it's not quite cold, and only half carbonated, but damn it tastes good. I'm on my third glass as I type this, and I'm getting a little tipsy.
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