Is there a way to remove off odors in mead? I read that charcoal may work but I can't imagine exposing a batch to charcoal. My first mistake of my first batch was that I did not add enough Fermaid O and my primary fermentation was extremely sluggish. While my second batch underwent a vigorous fermentation, it took a boatload of Fermaid O. What I also notice of the second batch is that there exists a strong smell of sulfur that is exponentially decreasing with time. I've also noticed that some of the commercial meads that I've tasted have a hint of a smell of sulfur as well. I'm assuming that this smell is resultant of the high nutrient additions of mead and was wondering what would be the best way to get rid of it besides of course allowing it to dissipate with time.
Off Odors
- Thread starter Paladin906
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You can rack it through a length of copper tubing or copper mesh.
The copper binds the sulfur compounds.
"Wine gives a man nothing, it only frees up what was locked in frost."
The copper binds the sulfur compounds.
"Wine gives a man nothing, it only frees up what was locked in frost."
Actually, you can filter through charcoal. Whiskey is filtered through charcoal. But you just can't get a bag of briquette's and do it.
I am anticipating doing that one day, like oak charcoal or applewood.
I am anticipating doing that one day, like oak charcoal or applewood.
Filtering through charcoal is a sure fire way to strip the flavors and colors out. Think of nasty tap water coming out of a faucet mount filter and how much of a reduction in EVERYTHING you get. Same as percolating mead through charcoal, not to mention the aeration that would take place, etc...
I will have to explore this further, I know some whiskeys are put through charcoal filters, I can't imagine too much is lost. I'll do some research on this. It will keep me out of trouble from doing things like whats pictured in the Hive section.
Whisk(e)y may be charcoal filtered, but they are distilled in copper stills and/or through a copper column. This absorbs off flavors and compounds left in the mash after fermentation.
"Wine gives a man nothing, it only frees up what was locked in frost."
"Wine gives a man nothing, it only frees up what was locked in frost."
They use a particular type of maple charcoal they make themselves, when they run something through it (I'm going for the Jack Daniels Distillery here) it has particular flavors and aromas it adsorbs, and at the same time absorbs other not so nice ones, thereby purifying the resultalt liquor. Also they are using an extremely high ABV (140 proof, or 70% alcohol) product to do this. Again it is all done in copper stills, copper tubing, etc, so there is a lot of "off odors" trapped at most steps as well. This is all from memory so take it with a shot of whisky...
Activated charcoal will remove odors. As mentioned above, it will also strip most all of your aroma and flavor. It is a last resort treatment.
Whiskey is often charcoal filtered. That strips out most everything leaving you with a nice clean vodka equivalent. Then vitually all the color, aroma and flavor comes from the oak barrels.
Sent from my THINGAMAJIG with WHATCHAMACALLIT
Whiskey is often charcoal filtered. That strips out most everything leaving you with a nice clean vodka equivalent. Then vitually all the color, aroma and flavor comes from the oak barrels.
Sent from my THINGAMAJIG with WHATCHAMACALLIT
How much Fermaid O was used? How big is the batch, and what was the starting gravity? Which yeast? We need recipe details to provide any useful opinions.
Does it smell like burnt match sulfur? Or is it more sewage/rotten egg/garlic breath?
Sent from my THINGAMAJIG with WHATCHAMACALLIT
I used for a 2 gallon batch:
1.6 gallons of Distilled H20 (I like the clean taste; got criticized for this on another thread)
7.8# of Raw Blackberry Honey (I wanted my wine to have a strong honey aroma and flavor; I find I get this with Blackberry)
OG = 1.135
EC-1118 pitched 11/22/14
1 clove
2 Vanilla beans
1.5 sticks of Cinnamon
20 gms Fermaid O
11/24/14 Bubbling came to a halt. SG at that time = 1.100. I added another 20gm of Fermaid O and aerated. Bubbling resumed vigorously.
11/28/14 SG = 1.035. I added 2.1#'s honey to SG = 1.067. Very strong sulfur smell (like sewage), my wife could smell it in in the next room. Her comment was, "it smells like that powder you put in there". She was referring to the fermaid. The smell got better with aeration.
01/11/15 SG = 1.022. Fermentation ceased. I racked the must off of a lot of lees. The sulfur smell was slight and extremely diminished from previous. So besides the slight smell of sulfur, I achieved exactly what I set out to. I wanted a wine with about 19-20% alcohol with enough residual sugar to avoid back sweetening. It tastes great but I want to totally get rid of that sulfur aroma.
1.6 gallons of Distilled H20 (I like the clean taste; got criticized for this on another thread)
7.8# of Raw Blackberry Honey (I wanted my wine to have a strong honey aroma and flavor; I find I get this with Blackberry)
OG = 1.135
EC-1118 pitched 11/22/14
1 clove
2 Vanilla beans
1.5 sticks of Cinnamon
20 gms Fermaid O
11/24/14 Bubbling came to a halt. SG at that time = 1.100. I added another 20gm of Fermaid O and aerated. Bubbling resumed vigorously.
11/28/14 SG = 1.035. I added 2.1#'s honey to SG = 1.067. Very strong sulfur smell (like sewage), my wife could smell it in in the next room. Her comment was, "it smells like that powder you put in there". She was referring to the fermaid. The smell got better with aeration.
01/11/15 SG = 1.022. Fermentation ceased. I racked the must off of a lot of lees. The sulfur smell was slight and extremely diminished from previous. So besides the slight smell of sulfur, I achieved exactly what I set out to. I wanted a wine with about 19-20% alcohol with enough residual sugar to avoid back sweetening. It tastes great but I want to totally get rid of that sulfur aroma.
