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Black raspberry melomel sulfur smell!

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berny88

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 12, 2012
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Perkasie, PA
I'm looking for some help with my melomel. There is that dreaded sulfur smell! Not overwhelming, but definitely noticeable. I am at about 36 hours after the pitching of my yeast and the ferment is really active, but the SMELL...

First here is the recipe:

2.6 lbs clover honey
12 oz. fresh black raspberries (frozen, thawed, crushed)
1/2 campden tablet
1/2 teaspoon pectic enzyme
1/4 cup brewed earl grey tea
1 lemon, juice of
Water to 1 gallon

I mixed all above ingredients and let sit for 24 hours before pitching:

1 packet of Lalvin 71B-1122 AND,
a nutrient combination of:
1/4 teaspoon Fermaid K
1/2 teaspoon DAP

OG was exactly 1.110

I was using Curt Stock's advice for SNA for melomels. The advice of 1 teaspoon of Fermaid K and 2 teaspoons of DAP was for 5 gallons, so I divided by 4 and came up with the mixture above. I planned on adding a quarter (slightly less than 1/4 teaspoon) of the nutrient mixture at the pitching of the yeast, and then the same amount at 24, 48, and 72 hours after. I added half the mixture so far (I am 36 hours after pitching yeast). I read somewhere that the sulfur smell can be stopped with addition of more nutrient, so I added my 48 hour dose early. Was this the right thing to do? Any other suggestions?
 
I'm looking for some help with my melomel. There is that dreaded sulfur smell! Not overwhelming, but definitely noticeable. I am at about 36 hours after the pitching of my yeast and the ferment is really active, but the SMELL...

First here is the recipe:

2.6 lbs clover honey
12 oz. fresh black raspberries (frozen, thawed, crushed)
1/2 campden tablet
1/2 teaspoon pectic enzyme
1/4 cup brewed earl grey tea
1 lemon, juice of
Water to 1 gallon

I mixed all above ingredients and let sit for 24 hours before pitching:

1 packet of Lalvin 71B-1122 AND,
a nutrient combination of:
1/4 teaspoon Fermaid K
1/2 teaspoon DAP

OG was exactly 1.110

I was using Curt Stock's advice for SNA for melomels. The advice of 1 teaspoon of Fermaid K and 2 teaspoons of DAP was for 5 gallons, so I divided by 4 and came up with the mixture above. I planned on adding a quarter (slightly less than 1/4 teaspoon) of the nutrient mixture at the pitching of the yeast, and then the same amount at 24, 48, and 72 hours after. I added half the mixture so far (I am 36 hours after pitching yeast). I read somewhere that the sulfur smell can be stopped with addition of more nutrient, so I added my 48 hour dose early. Was this the right thing to do? Any other suggestions?
 
Berny,

At this stage of the game, I honestly wouldn't be overly concerned about it. I did a strawberry melomel that degassed something foul. Because you are so early in fermentation, I would suggest that you degass the must several times a day before it hits the 1/2 sugar break. That way any sulfides being produced during fermentation can get aired out of the must.
 
That smell is usually a sign that your yeast are under stress and need aeration and nutrients. What gravity are you currently at? That will tell you what type of nutrient to add and if you can still aerate safely. I personally start off assuming Ill need about twice the amount of nutrients that you reference and sometimes end up adding more as the situation (or smell, if you will) demands.

If you are beyond the 1/3 sugar break you shouldnt aerate and you shouldnt use DAP any more. Up to 2/3 sugar break you can use Fermaid K and Yeast Hulls to help. After the 2/3 sugar break, maybe just Yeast Hulls? Im not sure on that point. Good luck, I hope you get it under control!
 
+1 on what Deacon Aegis said. Aeration and degassing help a lot.

The earlier nutrient addition was also a sound reaction, but you should be going by specific gravity for your SNA rather than by hours, some fermentations will go so fast that they need more up front, and if you're too late with the last feedings on a fast ferment, the stuff won't get used by the yeast and it'll be sitting there in solution waiting for some other organism to take advantage of it. If your must has a SG around 1.070 or so (when 1/3 of your sugars have been eaten), I'd add the rest of the nutrients right now, and if it's much lower than that, I'd not add any DAP at all, just the Fermaid K, and if it's past the halfway point (1.055) I wouldn't add any more Fermaid K either, at this point the yeast can only use organic sources of nitrogen, I'd be going with boiled bread yeast if it's still stinky by that point. But degassing should really help.
 
Oh, and Berny, you only need to post a question in one place, most of us just check the unread posts link, now you're going to have to check two different links for your replies.
 
Thanks for the tips. My gravity now is 1.092. I took your tips and I am aerating some more today. I also just added 1/4 teaspoon of DAP just now because I am still well ahead of the 1/3 sugar break. I will probably add the last of my nutrient mixture at 1.075 or so. I'm a noob, and I haven't taken gravity readings until this mead. This is only my third mead, but my first melomel, and thanks to you guys I am finally taking seriously the importance of gravity readings and sugar breaks.
 
Thanks triarchy, this really helps. The sulfur smell is starting to go away already.

Thanks Chevette girl. Haha, I am a noob to mead AND online forums...
 
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