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Winemakers periodically encounter wine problems. We are here to help!!
Below we have listed common problems with their solutions.
Vinegar Smell: "SourWine" -Vinegar yeast of some sort or another is present,but it needs oxygen to convert alcohol to acetic acid.
Problem caused by: Fermentation Locks were NOT applied soon enough or Secondary Fermentors were not topped off.
Cure: NONE-throw it away!!!Be sure to sterilize all carboys and bottles before reusing.
Bottle Stink:A noticable sulphor stench.
Problem caused by: Excessive SO2 at the time of bottling or during secondary fermentation.
Cure: Uncork and leave bottle out for a few hours, the smell should disapate.Decanting the wine should speedup the process.
Yeasty Flavor: A yeasty tasting wine.
Problem caused by: Using the wrong yeast orby insufficient racking and fining. Also, by drinking
the wine before it has aged.
Cure: NONE Be careful with future batches and allow them to age properly. Be patient.
Rotten Egg Odor: Problem caused by: hydrogen sulphide gas.
Wines made with California vinifera grapes,which are usually very ripe, low in acid and have been sprayed with copper sulphate to prevent mildew
Cure: if in early stages, rack the wine and splash about rapidly to areate it. Add 1 campden tab per gallon.
You can repeat this procedure if you need to, up to 4 times in a 6-9 month period. This should eliminate the smell.
Musty Smell: In a newly open bottle of wine is usually due to mold growth in or on the cork.
Cure: remove corks and sterilize your bottle necks with a cloth dipped in sulphite solution. You can recork using clean sterilized corks. This problem usually won't happen if using poly corks.
Oxidation: Wines made with over rippened fruits have an excessive oxydase enzyme and are low in acid content.Thus, making them more apt to oxidize.
Cure: NONE
You Can prevent it by checking your acid balance.
Exploding Bottles: There are a number of reasons this happens-
1.) Bottling before secondary fermentation is completed.
a.) return all the wine to carboy with fermentation locks until fermentation is complete gravity below 1.000 then rerack-sulphite and rebottle.
2.) Failed to stabilize sweetened wines.
a.) same as above (stabilizers will NOT stop fermentation-they only prevent it once it has stopped)
3.) Wrong bottles-remove corks and allow all the gas to escape and then rebottle as a still wine.
4.)Excessive sweetening: same as #3.
5.)Defect in Bottles: tap bottles briskly together before filling, this usually will reveal flaws unseen by visual inspections.
Stuck Fermentation:Occasionally wine will stop fermenting too soon,before the sugar and yeasthave reached a level of alcohol tolerance.
Problem: The temperatures were either too low or too high. Temps should be between 64 & 74.
Cure:Try a fresh yeast starter and ferment again .
Well that concludes some of the problem solving!
Remember excessive exposure to air can ruin your wine.
Contact us by any of the above methods if you have a problem.
We will do our best to solve it as quickly as possible.