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Rubber flavor from carboy stopper

I just bottled my first batch of wine this weekend. I used the drilled rubber carboy stoppers for my airlocks on this batch. After bottling I had maybe 400 mls of wine left and decided to drink it rather than pour it out. I detected a slight rubber flavor in the wine obviously from the carboy stopper. It wasn't terribly noticeable but was still there. Is this something that will dissipate after it ages in the bottle? I have several other wines nearing completion and will need to be bottled soon. I'm going to be disappointed if after all of this work this rubber flavor is going to be evident in all of them after I pull the cork this fall. What can I do to avoid this in the future, if at all?

Thanks! Jeff

Reply to
J Scott
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Jeff:

Can you please explain how the rubber stopper (which isn't made of rubber) came in contact with the wine? Or somehow imparted it's flavour to the wine?

Steve

Reply to
Steve

Suspect mercaptans and not the stoppers. What you smell is possibly a result of reductive reactions.

Some of the things that can prevent this are keeping your pH below 3.7, proper level of SO2 and sanitary wine making. BTW - sanitary does not mean sterile.

Reply to
Paul E. Lehmann

Actually, Steve, the stoppers are indeed rubber. The catalog from which I ordered them clearly said "rubber stoppers" and below it said "gum rubber". The wine did not come into contact with the stoppers which is why I am puzzled.

Reply to
J Scott

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