Are you sure it's 'styrofoam' smell?
I'm scratching my head trying to guess what in your brew could smell
like styrofoam = expanded polystyrene (vinyl benzene).

If 10 days on the lees is too long for apple melomel, then I could
imagine an ethyl acetate (used to be the most popular solvent in blowing
styrofoam) smell, which would suggest the sulfite level might have been
low and thus led to the beginning of spoilage.

You got me there.

Gene

hap wrote:
> Just started my first batch of Apple Melomel. Never made apple before,
> never used honey before. I used a few different kinds of fresh apples
> and blended them into a liquid, then strained the mess in nylon bags to
> remove the most of the pulp. I'll never do that again. I started the
> fermentation just as the weather got cold (that means under 60DegF here
> in Louisiana). It took a little while for the fermentation to really
> take off. I'm guessing due to the colder weather. About the time my
> air lock started really bubbling, the stuff took a nose dive from
> smelling like apple cider to apple styrofoam. I'm wondering if I left
> it on the heavy lees too long (about 10 days) and this might be one
> those H2S issues I've heard about or if it's just a smell from using
> honey. Any insight/advice?
>
> hap
>