Can my peach wine be saved?

[homegrownSoIL]

Let me start by saying this: I may have messed up.

Started a peach wine (first one) a few weeks back. After a few days in the primary, I started to get a barfy smell. Went back to my notes and realized when I cut back the ingredients from a 5 gallon batch to a 2 gallon batch that I did it right for everything except the campden. I used 5 tabs instead of two.

Primary fermentation, aside from the smell, brought the gravity from 1.100 to 1.000 in about a week (Lavlin K1-V1116 yeast).

Transferred to secondary after 7 days. Tried agitating during the transfer hoping to "degas" some of the smell. To some extent, it worked, but not fully.

After two more weeks in the secondary, the SG has dropped to 0.996. I checked the pH with strips and it is high (between 4 and 5). I am taking a sample to a friend with a real pH meter in the next few days because I'm not sure i trust the strips.

I also checked the TA with a titration kit. It is also high at 1.2%.

I'm shooting for a pH of about 3.5 and a TA of about 0.6%.

First, what is that smell, and will it go away or should I dump it? Secondly, can I lower the pH without raising the acidity?

Any and all help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[bernardsmith]

A "barfy smell" is not perhaps detailed enough. Might the smell be similar to rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide)? That would suggest a problem with stressed yeast. What was the recipe and what kind of yeast did you use? Did you add any nutrient to the must?
If the issue is hydrogen sulfide then there are ways of removing this - the simplest being whipping air into the must and another is adding an additive that binds with the hydrogen sulfide. Copper has this effect and so you might rack your wine onto clean and sanitized copper scrubbing pads. There is a chemical additive available for wine makers called Reduless that is designed to remove H2S.
If the smell is more like rubber then the problem is also sulfur based but the chemicals produced are called mercaptans. I am not sure how to remove those. But neither hydrogen sulfide nor mercaptans are said to smell like vomitus so my response may not address your question.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

I've heard more than one person describe their fermenting peach wine as smelling like vomit, this is fairly common from what I've read. If it develops into the faults that Bernardsmith mentioned, I'd follow his recommendations.

 

[homegrownSoIL]

A "barfy smell" is not perhaps detailed enough. Might the smell be similar to rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide)? That would suggest a problem with stressed yeast. What was the recipe and what kind of yeast did you use? Did you add any nutrient to the must?
If the issue is hydrogen sulfide then there are ways of removing this - the simplest being whipping air into the must and another is adding an additive that binds with the hydrogen sulfide. Copper has this effect and so you might rack your wine onto clean and sanitized copper scrubbing pads. There is a chemical additive available for wine makers called Reduless that is designed to remove H2S.
If the smell is more like rubber then the problem is also sulfur based but the chemicals produced are called mercaptans. I am not sure how to remove those. But neither hydrogen sulfide nor mercaptans are said to smell like vomitus so my response may not address your question.

It is neither rotten egg nor rubbery in nature. I'm wondering if it is the yeast. Never used that kind before.

I did add some nutrient in the primary.

Looking at using a real pH meter today to see if maybe the strips lies to me.

 

[homegrownSoIL]

I've heard more than one person describe their fermenting peach wine as smelling like vomit, this is fairly common from what I've read. If it develops into the faults that Bernardsmith mentioned, I'd follow his recommendations.

I'm going to let it sit for a while and see if it gets better with time. Otherwise, I'll make on into sangria for the wine mooches - ha ha! Or dump it depending on how much it subsides.

 

[homegrownSoIL]

Using lab gear and chemicals, pH measured 1.9 and TA is 1.2%. My strips were definitely bad, and apparently my titration chemicals need replaced.

So, how do I reduce the pH/TA without ruining the wine? And would the pH possibly be responsible for the smell?

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

This may or may not help you but I did a peach wine last year and freaked out because it smelled and tasted horrible early on (if I remember correctly it smelled more like sweaty socks than anything else), but after a few months it really came around and tasted great. I don't think anything was wrong with it, it just needed time to age.
Wish I could help on your numbers but the best advice to be given is wait it out .

 

[bernardsmith]

A pH of 1.9 is battery acid. Not sure how comfortable yeast can be in such an acid bath. Are you certain that the pH is as low as 1.9? Below 3.0 I think you can expect to find signs of real stress.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

I have to agree with Bernardsmith.

 

[homegrownSoIL]

A pH of 1.9 is battery acid. Not sure how comfortable yeast can be in such an acid bath. Are you certain that the pH is as low as 1.9? Below 3.0 I think you can expect to find signs of real stress.

Sorry. pH is 2.9. Typo there. TA is 1.2%.

Think I'm better off trying to cold crash it, or better adjusting with something like potassium bicarbonate?

 

[bernardsmith]

I don't have a good recommendation but 2.9 still sounds stressfully high in acid. My sense is to try to neutralize the acidity with K-bicarb but my gut feeling is to wonder what caused this low pH. What was the source of the peach must? Did you add acid blend to the must? Could you find more peaches or peach juice to help bring the pH up?

 

[homegrownSoIL]

Peaches were from my farm. I did add acid blend. I suppose it's possible I used tablespoons instead of teaspoons. The peaches that are left on the tree have been demolished by squirrels. K-bicarbonate is what I keep reading about. Tried to find some at the local winemaking shop, but all they have is ingredients to increase acidity. Calling around to see where I can get some. How long do you think I have before there is irreversible damage?

And a sincere thank you for all of your advice and help. I don't know if I said that before, but it is surely appreciated.

 

[homegrownSoIL]

Update:

K-bicarbonate brought the pH back up to a 3.3. The color changed back to a "peach" looking color (instead of the watery grapefruit juice color), and most importantly THE SMELL IS GONE!! It tastes pretty good, too.

The clarity is good, and the gravity is 0.992. I put a little K-sorbate in and plan on sweetening a little this weekend prior to bottling.

Thanks for all of your help. I had almost written this batch off, but I learned some important things along the way. 1) Keep a better log book. 2) I get by with a little help from my friends.

Thanks again!