So I made a post a few days ago regarding my must (pre-yeast) stinking something nasty. Turns out it was just the honey I guess (avocado honey).
Now that I've added yeast and spices, it's fermenting nicely, but has a rank smell. It kind of smells rotten and organic, but I'm not sure why. I've sanitized everything like I usually do (metabisulphate/water mix in a spray bottle, then rinse).
I know when I added campden tablets to the honey at first (which is what I thought to do with raw honey, but I guess you don't have to) I thought that might be where the stank came from. I should also say that looking into the primary, the top inch or so of the must, when slightly moved or shaken, showed a cloudy layer hovering over the dark must.
Anyway, this is my recipe.
3lbs. avocado honey
1 gallon spring water (with ozone, whatever that is, so maybe that was my problem?)
1 package of Red Star Cote des Blancs
Added some nutrient as well
1 vanilla bean (split)
2 3" cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
2 other spices that I can't remember, but they were buds and had a slight cinnamon spice fragrance
(I added the extra clove and spice a day after I started fermentation, just for kicks)
So I mixed the honey with heated water to dissolve it nicely then added one crushed campden tablet (oh well). I let it sit for 24 hours.
In the meantime I had a turkey stuffing cloth (since the mesh of my cheese cloth was too big) soaking in water with a crushed campden tablet to sterilize it.
After 24 hours, I put the spices in the bag, started the yeast and added them to the must.
It's been a couple days and fermentation is going well, but it smells oh so rank.
Should I aerate it or something? Or just keep going, since it's still pretty early really, and see what happens?
All opinions and help would be awesome! Learning about this stuff is what I'm here for, haha.
Now that I've added yeast and spices, it's fermenting nicely, but has a rank smell. It kind of smells rotten and organic, but I'm not sure why. I've sanitized everything like I usually do (metabisulphate/water mix in a spray bottle, then rinse).
I know when I added campden tablets to the honey at first (which is what I thought to do with raw honey, but I guess you don't have to) I thought that might be where the stank came from. I should also say that looking into the primary, the top inch or so of the must, when slightly moved or shaken, showed a cloudy layer hovering over the dark must.
Anyway, this is my recipe.
3lbs. avocado honey
1 gallon spring water (with ozone, whatever that is, so maybe that was my problem?)
1 package of Red Star Cote des Blancs
Added some nutrient as well
1 vanilla bean (split)
2 3" cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
2 other spices that I can't remember, but they were buds and had a slight cinnamon spice fragrance
(I added the extra clove and spice a day after I started fermentation, just for kicks)
So I mixed the honey with heated water to dissolve it nicely then added one crushed campden tablet (oh well). I let it sit for 24 hours.
In the meantime I had a turkey stuffing cloth (since the mesh of my cheese cloth was too big) soaking in water with a crushed campden tablet to sterilize it.
After 24 hours, I put the spices in the bag, started the yeast and added them to the must.
It's been a couple days and fermentation is going well, but it smells oh so rank.
Should I aerate it or something? Or just keep going, since it's still pretty early really, and see what happens?
All opinions and help would be awesome! Learning about this stuff is what I'm here for, haha.