Where else does TCA appear?

[Nolan_E]

@John Oglesby

@Kurt Beitler

@Nigel Groundwater

There are a lot of halophenols present in the environment either directly through halogenated pesticides, particularly but not exclusively where wood is being treated, or fire-retardants or e.g. produced from the use of bleach in contact with phenolic compounds like wood - or cork.

This wide variety of halogenated products can be converted to haloanisoles like TCA, TBA TeCA et al by the action of a range of moulds and some bacteria also widely present in the environment which explains the presence of haloanisoles in the wide range of products mentioned in this thread - from water supplies to wooden chips used in gardens and play areas to wooden cellars, barrels, pallets, packaged vegetables [the plastic and cardboard packaging is attractive to halophenols] which can be affected directly following cleansing with chlorinated water or from packaging that has adsorbed some halophenol. And bearing in mind the tiny quantities necessary for the aroma to be noticeable to most people any contact direct or airborne widens the subjects affected - hence ‘corked’ people et al.

Shipping containers are also cited as a source of contamination of products like fruit with pallets being a likely primary input to the containers.

Nigel-
It might be an urban (or rural?) legend, but I’ve heard of new French Oak barrels becoming TCA-contaminated in shipping containers.

that sounds more like an urban legend. I’ve worked with 3-400 imported bbls a year and never had a corked one. It definitely lives in pallets and other pressure treated wood - but the shipping containers filled to the brim with barrels stacked in a rather precarious and dangerous way would never have a pallet taking up valuable space stored with them. The containers are loaded at the cooperages, so they’d never be exposed to the environment in transit. Just ridiculous heat.

Found a barrel last year with a TCA infected chestnut hoop.

[John_Oglesby]

Found a barrel last year with a TCA infected chestnut hoop.

was that tested? I’d want analytical data as proof to get my money back.

[Nolan_E]

@John Oglesby

Found a barrel last year with a TCA infected chestnut hoop.

was that tested? I’d want analytical data as proof to get my money back.

I’m not sure if it was tested, but the barrel was replaced very quickly by the sales rep.

[Chuck_Anderson]

Oof, just ruined the last few bites of my omelet, on family vacation in Glenwood Springs, with horrifically corked Tabasco Sauce. On the one hand I feel the right thing would be to suggest the staff retire this flawed bottle; but what are the chances that elicits anything beyond funny looks?

A few days ago, in Boulder, TCA claimed a bottle of Castell’in Villa Chianti.

[ky1em1ttskus]

I just had corked hot tea yesterday. The bags were not individually packaged and the cardboard box they came in was corked.

I didn’t realize it until I tasted the actual tea. ('Im sick so not much smelling ability.)

[Brian_Loring]

Tabasco as well. I’ve opened 3 corked bottles over the past few months. I wonder if they’re having an overall facility issue like some wineries have experienced? Just as a note, it was 3 of the very large bottles. A few smaller sized bottles were fine. So maybe it’s an issue with a shipment of those size bottles?

[Vincent_Fritzsche]

The SW corner of 1st and Main in downtown Portland is usually pretty corked.

TCA is like deadheads. Everywhere.

[larry_schaffer]

I’ve experienced corked barrels - but only on 2 occasions when I worked for someone else and in both cases, the barrels were over 10 years old . . .

[Chris_Blum]

Entire batches of particular New Glarus beer. Kegs, bottles, everything from that year and that batch.