Bananas do not contribute banana flavor, generally just raise the glycerol content and for clearing is usually used during fermentation. As for banana flavor it is Isoamyl acetate which is produced during fermentation, usually as a fault in higher quantity when yeast stressed by cold or other possible yeast stress. No I don't use bananas, but have known many who do, some who have made straight banana wine which is about the most flavorless wine ever made.
As for using old copper pennies or copper wire or pipe (or even real silver silverware) to remove sulfide I think is less of an issue than using copper sulfate. You are putting the solid substance in the wine and it reacts on the surface leaving a tarnish of either copper or silver sulfide. I think little copper or silver are actually put in the wine as the sulfide tarnish is formed on the surface of the metal binding with the sulfide and removing both the metal and the sulfide. Too much modern new world wine thinking is not good for all types of winemaking.
Bananas do not contribute banana flavor, generally just raise the glycerol content and for clearing is usually used during fermentation. As for banana flavor it is Isoamyl acetate which is produced during fermentation, usually as a fault in higher quantity when yeast stressed by cold or other possible yeast stress. No I don't use bananas, but have known many who do, some who have made straight banana wine which is about the most flavorless wine ever made.
As for using old copper pennies or copper wire or pipe (or even real silver silverware) to remove sulfide I think is less of an issue than using copper sulfate. You are putting the solid substance in the wine and it reacts on the surface leaving a tarnish of either copper or silver sulfide. I think little copper or silver are actually put in the wine as the sulfide tarnish is formed on the surface of the metal binding with the sulfide and removing both the metal and the sulfide. Too much modern new world wine thinking is not good for all types of winemaking.