Everything I make has a horrible smell!

[silentsoul]

I have made 6 or 7 batches of wine, mainly using welch's juice concentrate, lavlin ec-1118 yeast, 1/4 tsp of tannin per gallon along with pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient and granulated sugar. I let it fermint for 10-14 days, or until there are no more bubbles in the airlock, then I put it in secondary for about a month. Every batch has come out with a horrible smell, some doesn't taste to bad just smells like horse piss! Any ideas?

 

[pizzaisgood]

The only suggestion I can think of is try fermenting with a towel over it while it's in the primary and steer it daily for the first 5 days or so. That way the yeast will get oxygen.

 

[silentsoul]

So don't use an airlock during primary? I thought if oxygen got in it during primary that it would turn into vinegar? Thanks for the help!

 

[cyberlord]

Oxygen during the primary ferment while the yeast are multiplying is a good thing. Once the ferment starts to die down it is time to get it under airlock. However so long as you shake the jug of juice prior to pitching the yeast you can ferment under airlock and it will work just fine. What does the smell smell of? Need something more informative than "horse piss". Once you can tell us the smell we might be able to tell you what's going wrong.

Are you using food grade equipment and sanitizing it along the way? Other than those two things there's not too many other things that can go wrong.

 

[dr_al]

i have only done 2 batches of the welches wine but i have needed to give it a good whipping to keep the smell at bay and they have turned out quite drinkable in the end.

 

[silentsoul]

Oxygen during the primary ferment while the yeast are multiplying is a good thing. Once the ferment starts to die down it is time to get it under airlock. However so long as you shake the jug of juice prior to pitching the yeast you can ferment under airlock and it will work just fine. What does the smell smell of? Need something more informative than "horse piss". Once you can tell us the smell we might be able to tell you what's going wrong.

Are you using food grade equipment and sanitizing it along the way? Other than those two things there's not too many other things that can go wrong.

The smell is hard to describe, I would say like a fruity vinegar smell. I am using glass carboy's, and rinsing everything in hot water with some betadine mixed in.

 

[Honda88]

strange, usually the rotten egg smell happens during primary fermentation then it goes away. if your wine is smelling like vinegar you probably have a bug, try fermenting somewhere else.