What are the early signs of infection? I just made a 5 gallon batch of watermelon wine 3 days ago and added papaya skins in place of pectic enzymes. It smell a bit funky but not too bad. Just worried about infection because I'd hate to waste all that time put into making this batch.
!!Infected!!
- Thread starter Amonratut
- Start date
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Skins are definitely rotting if they're floating exposed to air but in a CO2 environment most bacteria wont be a problem getting to it. The ones that lived on it on the other hand.
I'm not sure if you can boil them first because that might just make more pectin. Maybe soak them in K-meta for a day first.
You'll see clouding near the site then on top layer that gets thicker and thicker
I'm not sure if you can boil them first because that might just make more pectin. Maybe soak them in K-meta for a day first.
You'll see clouding near the site then on top layer that gets thicker and thicker
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
Because you added unpasteurized ingredients, the wine for sure does have wild microbes. "Infection" really isn't an appropriate term, since it's perfectly fine for wine to contain wild microbes.
Can you describe the aroma?
Hydrogen sulfide is a common off-aroma some would call "normal". However it's generally better to prevent it with good fermentation management.
Definitely H2S gas. Montrachet is extremely well known to do that but yeah it's not a game changer.It's hard to describe. I kinda smells like a slightly stinky fart lolbut it doesn't show any visible signs of infection.
After you rack I'd suggest a tertiary racking. It will go away eventually. There's more experienced ways to get rid of the smell though if you're willing to try
Abhishek Dewan
Well-Known Member
Sulfur dioxide is like burning match, while hydrogen sulfide is like rotten egg as described above. Fortunately these gases are also very volatile so they will evaporate in a fairly short time period through air lock. Give it a week or so.
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
This is a myth. SO2 has no odor; it produces an unpleasant choking sensation when the molecular SO2 level is too high.
Abhishek Dewan
Well-Known Member
I personally don't recall coming near this gas. May be different people perceive or react differently to it:
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
Assuming you make wine, it's quite easy to test it yourself. Add a metabisulfite salt to some pure (chlorine-free) water and a little acid. The sensation is very pungent.
Indeed the myth is very widespread. It stems from the fact that adding SO2 to a wine can release H2S and other VSCs.
Seamonkey84
Well-Known Member
Watermelon is going to have a funky smell, and it does go bad easily if the yeast doesn’t take hold first. Mine smell awful until I fully degassed it. It gets better with age as well.
Seamonkey84
Well-Known Member
I'm making a watermelon batch right now with 10% pressed strawberry juice using Cote de Blanc, 70 degrees F, nutrients, and a low acid of 4.0. It's smelled delightful this entire time. The yeast itself is what lends to the bad smell if conditions are wrong for the yeast or you don't pitch enough starter and the must turned over ripe. Watermelon does turn fast. Apparently mine prefers the conditions I have it in so it is definitely avoidable.
