Yeast smell

[Travis]

Hi
I am new to this forum and to wine making so I hope you don't mind me asking a question.
I just made my first batch of blackberry wine. I have racked it twice and it has cleared up nicely but it still has a strong yeast smell. will this go away when it is bottled and aged or is it ruined. Thanks for any help.

 

[Yooper]

It'll fade with time. In fact, it should be faded quite a bit if you've racked it a few times. Is it clear?

 

[Travis]

Yes it has cleared up realy well. I hope to bottle it this week. I hope it turns out good, it was a lot more work than I thought

 

[BigKahuna]

Welcome!
How Clear? Read a news paper through 5 gallon carboy clear?
Those little yeasty buggers will settle out, and leave you with good wine. Don't worry!

 

[JWHooper]

I have some Apfelwein that is exactly the same. It is very clear, but still smells and tastes like yeast. Everyone says wait. It has only been a month. Some books say to just wait a year, but most will say three months at least.

 

[gunwolf]

My first experience was similiar to yours...except mine was a strong odor of sulfer and an off taste in my wine,this was due to an over sulfiting issue. what type of yeast did you use, how many gal. did you make? this is just for my personal notekeeping.

 

[Yooper]

If this wine is from blackberries from this year, it's too soon to bottle it. If it's yeasty tasting or smelling, it needs time in the carboy to age a bit and for more yeast to fall out.

How old is this wine? If it's less than 9 months old or so, it'd be a rush to try and bottle it. I think a yeasty taste wouldn't improve in the bottle. You want to rack maybe a total of 5-6 times, maybe more if lees are still dropping after 2 solid months in the carboy.

 

[Travis]

The batch was started on July the 8th .
it is 5 galons
I used montratchet yeast

I haven't seen any bubbles in the airlock in about 2 weeks so if I am going to leave it in the carboy do I leave the airlock on it or do I seal it completly. Thanks for the responses

 

[Travis]

You can see a newspaper through it if you use a flashlight

 

[toularat]

If this wine is from blackberries from this year, it's too soon to bottle it. If it's yeasty tasting or smelling, it needs time in the carboy to age a bit and for more yeast to fall out.

How old is this wine? If it's less than 9 months old or so, it'd be a rush to try and bottle it. I think a yeasty taste wouldn't improve in the bottle. You want to rack maybe a total of 5-6 times, maybe more if lees are still dropping after 2 solid months in the carboy.

Really?? I find this surprising. I have made kits that taste yeasty and yet I bottled on schedule and the yeast taste disappeared. I have made fruit wines and have not had the yeasty smell, even though it didn't bulk age very long.

I would like the groups' opinion. I made a Blackberry using a can of Vitner's Harvest. I started it August 1 and racked it the first time on 8/13, second time 8/20 (when fg was .095) It is already clear on 9/8, which is very very fast. I can read a newspaper through it. It does taste yeasty, but not horribly. I called the brew store to ask what they thought and they said if it's clear, bottle it. What do you guys think?? Should I bulk age for a while? How long- until yeast taste is gone? I am not crazy about tying up a carboy for a long length of time. I did not use any fining and racked onto camden for the 2nd racking.
Do you think it tastes yeasty because yeast is still in suspension, or is it just young wine?? I thought it was just young, so now I'm confused.

Thanks!!

 

[Yooper]

Really?? I find this surprising. I have made kits that taste yeasty and yet I bottled on schedule and the yeast taste disappeared. I have made fruit wines and have not had the yeasty smell, even though it didn't bulk age very long.

I would like the groups' opinion. I made a Blackberry using a can of Vitner's Harvest. I started it August 1 and racked it the first time on 8/13, second time 8/20 (when fg was .095) It is already clear on 9/8, which is very very fast. I can read a newspaper through it. It does taste yeasty, but not horribly. I called the brew store to ask what they thought and they said if it's clear, bottle it. What do you guys think?? Should I bulk age for a while? How long- until yeast taste is gone? I am not crazy about tying up a carboy for a long length of time. I did not use any fining and racked onto camden for the 2nd racking.
Do you think it tastes yeasty because yeast is still in suspension, or is it just young wine?? I thought it was just young, so now I'm confused.

Thanks!!

I already gave you my opinion, so I'm sure you're not asking mine. I will just say that kits are a totally different thing- some kits are "30 day kits", made to be made quickly to satisfy the consumers who want a quick wine.

You can bottle your wine whenever you want. Yeasty taste doesn't come from young wine- it comes from yeast. When the yeast drops out, and the wine is ready to be bottled, it won't taste yeasty any more.

 

[toularat]

I would like your opinion. I thought that when very clear the yeast was out of suspension? So this is not true and taste is more of a benchmark?
How long should I wait, or how long would it typically take for the yeast taste to leave?

 

[gunwolf]

I usually rack from primary to carboy within 5-7 days. It stays in the first carboy until it has completely stopped fermenting,and I still leave it undisturbed for 1 month maybe even two. then I rack into the second carboy and let it sit two more months...I like how clear my wine is at bottling time.

 

[toularat]

Gunwolf: what you describe is the usual timetable and one I follow. My brewstore says if it's clear, you can bottle it. My question is: Are you guys saying if it clears this fast, still stay on the timetable and don't bottle if there is a yeasty taste? Taste and clarity go hand in hand? Everything I have ever read on it says if it's crystal clear, it is ready. I haven't read anything about yeasty taste, but my brewstore guy says yeasty taste is just young wine.

 

[Tusch]

Hell I let it sit for a lot longer then when its crystal clear. Way I figure, is that if it needs to be aged anyways, I can get consistent flavor through out the batch by bulk aging and allow me to put off bottling day for a few more months.

 

[Yooper]

Gunwolf: what you describe is the usual timetable and one I follow. My brewstore says if it's clear, you can bottle it. My question is: Are you guys saying if it clears this fast, still stay on the timetable and don't bottle if there is a yeasty taste? Taste and clarity go hand in hand? Everything I have ever read on it says if it's crystal clear, it is ready. I haven't read anything about yeasty taste, but my brewstore guy says yeasty taste is just young wine.

Well, I've had some wines clear very fast. That doesn't mean it's ready to bottle, it just means that there isn't any pectin haze, or any other clarity issues. I've actually bottled crystal clear wines and still had sediment in the bottle a year later (I don't filter) so there must have still be something in suspension that wasn't apparent.

There are a number of reasons not to rush to bottle, and clarity is just one of them. I don't have a timetable, because every wine is different. My wine from a friend's grapes is in the carboy, about a year later. It's just not "right" yet, if that makes sense. Some wines I've bottled in as little as 9 months.

If the wine is overly acidic, for example, placing it (in the carboy) in a cold place can cause the tartaric acid to form crystals and drop out, causing a much smoother and better wine. And, it's better to rack off of those crystals, rather than having them in the bottle. Allowing it to sit for a while also allows it to degas naturally. Rushing to bottle might cause some co2 to stay absorbed in the wine, causing some carbonation and/or blown corks.

The main reason I don't bottle early (or try not to!) is that wine ages better in bulk, rather than in the bottle. Mostly because of temperature variations- a carboy full of wine doesn't change temperature easily, so that it tends to not be affected by temperature changes.

 

[gunwolf]

Gunwolf: what you describe is the usual timetable and one I follow. My brewstore says if it's clear, you can bottle it. My question is: Are you guys saying if it clears this fast, still stay on the timetable and don't bottle if there is a yeasty taste? Taste and clarity go hand in hand? Everything I have ever read on it says if it's crystal clear, it is ready. I haven't read anything about yeasty taste, but my brewstore guy says yeasty taste is just young wine.

well I've never had a yeast taste...yet...but just because your SG is low doesn't mean your wine is done yet. the yeast could have gone through all the sugar...and are waiting for more. I taste at first racking(I like my wine on the dry side) but if its too dry I add a little more sugar...and sometimes even after a month or two I get active fermentation again. I am still a newb and would take advice from some of the veterans on this board.

 

[Pogo]

gunwolf posted...

I taste at first racking(I like my wine on the dry side) but if its too dry I add a little more sugar...and sometimes even after a month or two I get active fermentation again.

I'm just a newbie myself, but I have learned that as long as you keep adding sugar while the yeast is still active, it will make your batch drier, NOT sweeter.

Just because the fermentation is complete and the FG reads 0.996, or lower, doesn't mean that active yeast is not still present in the fermentor.

Back-sweetening will only work when sugar is added to a batch that has had it's yeast terminated, either naturally or forced by the wine maker, with potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate.

Pogo

 

[toularat]

I posted a reply earlier today, but for some reason it isn't up. I thanked everyone for their advice.

Today I took a sample of the wine to my brew store. I found out what I thought was a yeasty taste isn't yeasty, just young wine. They thought it is going to be good wine, and does not taste like yeast.

I'm going to rack it again and let it sit for a couple of months and see if anything falls to the bottom.

Thanks!

 

[gunwolf]

I'm just a newbie myself, but I have learned that as long as you keep adding sugar while the yeast is still active, it will make your batch drier, NOT sweeter.

Just because the fermentation is complete and the FG reads 0.996, or lower, doesn't mean that active yeast is not still present in the fermentor.

Back-sweetening will only work when sugar is added to a batch that has had it's yeast terminated, either naturally or forced by the wine maker, with potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate.

Pogo

by adding additional sugar I am increasing potential alcohol % and using up any additional yeast...after that the sweetness of the sugar remains. I have bottled with simple syrup and pot. sorbate in the past...but I do understand your reply.

 

[Pogo]

gunwolf posted...

...by adding additional sugar I am increasing potential alcohol % and using up any additional yeast...after that the sweetness of the sugar remains. I have bottled with simple syrup and pot. sorbate in the past...but I do understand your reply.

I see one point here that is worth sifting a little more. The thoughts of "using up any additional yeast" is where I see things differently.

Any additional yeast remaining in the must when all available sugars have been exhausted, will not be used up when more sugar is added. They will be multiplied faster than rabbits.

If the wine maker doesn't chemically kill the yeast, at least one of several things will happen to them.

They will continue to make alcohol until it rises above their tolerance, and kills them.

Once all of their available sugars are exhausted they will stay in the foodless (sugarless) wine until they starve.

The temperature will drop to the point where they will go dormant.

The temperature will rise above their tolerance, and kill them.

In my view, as long as the alcohol and temperature parameters aren't exceeded, yeast will NOT be used up by giving them more sugar!

Pogo

 

[gunwolf]

They will continue to make alcohol until it rises above their tolerance, and kills them.


Pogo

This is what I was trying to get at but couldn't find the right words...thanks