Bad taste

George 22 years ago

Hi I was racking a gallon of Ribena, (blackcurrant cordial) type wine today and had a quick taste before I started. There's a strong fusty/musty after taste. Also after 4 weeks of bubbling it is still extremely sweet, confirmed by the hydrometer. Sorry can't remember the reading but the hydrometer was halfway out of the liquid.

I'm guessing the alcohol content has not risen that high and as such spoiling bacteria have got in, hence the after taste.

Any point continuing with it or should I flush it and start again?

tia

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donny 22 years ago

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BooDee 22 years ago

Well, it could be saved perchance. I suggest you get a yeast mother batch started up to get it to finish of the ferment. Try a little PVPP to freshen it up. Let me know how it smells once it has dried out. PS: What's the ferment temperature??

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George 22 years ago

Cheers BooDee

I don't have any PVPP, (had to look it up on Google!) :-)

I've decided to flush it and make something else. The taste is very "off," like a mouldiness and as it was a very cheap recipe I don't think it's worth going to much bother over to find it still tastes the same.

Ferment temperature was around 20C by the way.

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LG 22 years ago

Your Ribena probably had potassium sorbate in it, which inhibited yeast reproduction.. Then since there is little yeast to ferment and fight off the nasties, something else must have gotten in there and took over. Not surprising, really.

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Wanderer 22 years ago

I know it had Sodium Metabisulphite in it, not sure about the Potassium Sorbate. Either way the recipe said to boil it to "drive off" the preservative. I'll probably try it again at some point and boil it for longer.

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