Bottle sickness

The care and development of a wine is by no means terminated when the wine is bottled. Once bottled, the development of the wine is evidenced first by the disappearance of bottle sickness followed, over a longer period of time, by the development of maturity and complexity of the wine within the bottle. Having the wine in the winery during its early stages of development also affords the winemaker the opportunity to be assured of the sterility of cold-sterile bottled wine. 

Bottle sickness may be minimized by increasing the free SO2 level. However, in view of the sudden inflnx of oxygen dnring bottling, the doses reqnired for complete protection may be unacceptably high. Ascorbic acid enhances the effect of SO2 (Volume 1, Section 9.5.4) as it eliminates oxygen instantaneously. 

In certain cases, ascorbic acid improves the taste of bottled wines. Wines generally taste worse when they contain dissolved oxygen and have an elevated oxidation-reduction potential. Ascorbic acid permits a better conservation of wine freshness and fruitiness—especially in certain types of dry or sparkling white wines. It also decreases the critical phase that follows botthng, known as bottle sickness . The effect is not as considerable or spectacular for aU wines but wine quality is never lowered by its use. 

The ethers are also an homologous series. We will only use the common compound simply called ether as a further example. It is really diethyl ether or ethoxy ethane, C2H5 O C2H5. Ether was one of the earliest inhaled anaesthetics and it has a sweet sickly smell. Diethyl ether has a low boiling point (no hydrogen bonding unlike ethanol) and is easily evaporated at room temperatures. If you leave the bottle open it will soon evaporate into a heavy vapour which is extremely flammable. Never use ether near flames or sparks because fire and explosions are possible. 

Often oncologists can t tell until the chemicals have had a chance to do their job (or not). So you sit in the doctor s office, enduring a close, personal relationship with an IV line to your vein. After several weeks or months of these visits, you may be sent for a PET/CT scan and worry yourself sick until you get the results. By then your hair has fallen out. Vomiting has become a way of life. You can no longer feel the bottom of your feet. And, yes, you are tired of finding the ketchup bottle in the freezer. 

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