# When to add K-meta for aging?



## Fabiola (Dec 24, 2012)

WineXpert kits suggest to add extra K-meta if you want to age the wine for more than 6 months, I am filtering a wine which is ready to bottle, should I add the k-meta before filtering or after?


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## TonyP (Dec 24, 2012)

I'll probably get some disagreement here, but my suggestion is to add the k-meta first, provided you fully dissolve it prior to adding to the wine. If you can't for some reason fully dissolve the k-meta, filter first.


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## Runningwolf (Dec 24, 2012)

No dissagreement here. When did you last add some meta? If it was in the last 60 days I wouldn'tadd any.


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## Sammyk (Dec 24, 2012)

Interesting, when talking to Wine Expert about a port I made, they said to not add any extra K-meta so I did not. And that there was enough in the kit to get it to bottling stage.


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## Runningwolf (Dec 24, 2012)

I thought he was talking about a wine he was getting ready to bottle. Always add meta after filtering.


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## Sammyk (Dec 24, 2012)

Dan do you think it makes a difference? I have 2 ports bottled and did not add any extra k-meta......
Or are you saying if you filter to add kmeta? Does filtering remove the k-meta?


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## Runningwolf (Dec 24, 2012)

Filtering will remove some meta. Thats why I would add after filtering. On the other hand if you're filtering and bottling at the same time you don't have a choice but to add before filtering.

As you know some folks add no meta at all and do ok. It's always best to test your wine, but if you don't have the means to do so, then stick to the rule of thumb of 1/4 tsp every 3-4 months.


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## Sammyk (Dec 24, 2012)

I have never filtered - just racked until lees were gone and added k-meta every other racking or every 3 months. I don't test for kmeta level but I suppose I should.

Interesting with the 2 ports I did, there were no lees at bottling and it only took 2 rackings to be lees free. From primary to secondary and secondary to bottles. I use the all in one pump so co2 was not/did not seem to be a problem. We opened a 375ml that we used for bottling the other day and it was just fine, no sediment no co2.
Maybe the Wine Expert port kits are made to be fairly lees free? I don't know - just asking and thinking out loud.

Even after more than a year and lots of reading and over 100 gallons of wine made, always questions popping up.

But I do have to say, we are enjoying the fruits of our labor now!


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## Runningwolf (Dec 24, 2012)

Sammy, Kits have far less lees than making wine from fresh fruit. The same is also true about juice pails (very little lees).


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## Fabiola (Dec 24, 2012)

Runningwolf said:


> No dissagreement here. When did you last add some meta? If it was in the last 60 days I wouldn'tadd any.



I added the k-meta per kit instructions, 2 months ago, in the stabilizing and clearing step, what the kit says is to add extra k-meta only if I want to age the wine more than six moths


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## Fabiola (Dec 24, 2012)

Runningwolf said:


> I thought he was talking about a wine he was getting ready to bottle. Always add meta after filtering.



Do you know if k-meta will create some sediment in wine if added after the filtration? because this is the whole point of filtering, not having sediment...


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## Runningwolf (Dec 24, 2012)

Fabiola said:


> I added the k-meta per kit instructions, 2 months ago, in the stabilizing and clearing step, what the kit says is to add extra k-meta only if I want to age the wine more than six moths


 
When they say age for six months, I believe this includes time in the bottle also. So with that said if this wine will still be around in 6-12 months or more, I would add it.



Fabiola said:


> Do you know if k-meta will create some sediment in wine if added after the filtration? because this is the whole point of filtering, not having sediment...


 
Meta will not leave sediment unless if you did not dissolve it all or if you use Camden tablets. The amount you would see is just a few white specs. A best practice I use is to always dissolve the meta in an ounce or two of hot water before adding it. This also helps to disperse it evenly as you stir it in.


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## derunner (Dec 24, 2012)

some WE kits say to add the extra 1/4 tsp of kmeta and others do not mention it. I have added 1/4 tsp to a pinot gregio, reisling, and chardonay. I noticed they taste kind of sulpherish afterwards. Does this mean you should not plan to drink any of these wines until they have aged at least 6 months in bulk + bottle?

for my latest kit, a white zin, i only added 1/8 extra tsp because I figured it would be drank quicker and not kept for a long time. Does that make sense?


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## Fabiola (Dec 25, 2012)

derunner said:


> some WE kits say to add the extra 1/4 tsp of kmeta and others do not mention it. I have added 1/4 tsp to a pinot gregio, reisling, and chardonay. I noticed they taste kind of sulpherish afterwards. Does this mean you should not plan to drink any of these wines until they have aged at least 6 months in bulk + bottle?
> 
> for my latest kit, a white zin, i only added 1/8 extra tsp because I figured it would be drank quicker and not kept for a long time. Does that make sense?



What I made are WE riesling and chardonnay and they both say in instrucions to add k-meta if aging +6 months, they are delicious now and I don't want to make them sulpherish, but in the other hand, I want to save some of them until September...


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## TonyP (Dec 25, 2012)

Fabiola said:


> What I made are WE riesling and chardonnay and they both say in instrucions to add k-meta if aging +6 months, they are delicious now and I don't want to make them sulpherish, but in the other hand, I want to save some of them until September...



I believe it's more important to add k-meta to whites than reds, which is propably why not all instructions mention it. The 6-month rule applies to all aging - bulk and bottle.

Some difficulty is created when you don't hold all the wine for 6+months as you're stating. Here's my suggestion. Bottle half without k-meta. Mix the k-meta in 6 tbs of water and pour 1/2 the mixture in the remaining wine. Drink the bottles without the k-meta first.


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## derunner (Dec 30, 2012)

TonyP said:


> I believe it's more important to add k-meta to whites than reds, which is propably why not all instructions mention it. The 6-month rule applies to all aging - bulk and bottle.
> 
> Some difficulty is created when you don't hold all the wine for 6+months as you're stating. Here's my suggestion. Bottle half without k-meta. Mix the k-meta in 6 tbs of water and pour 1/2 the mixture in the remaining wine. Drink the bottles without the k-meta first.



Thanks Tony. Since i already added the extra 1/4 tsp of k-meta to some wines, could i splash rack these under vacuum to remove some so2 so they could be drank sooner?

Also, if I am thinking of starting to drink them in 3-4 months, should I only add an 1/8 tsp of k-meta at clearing time instead of 1/4? Again, this is extra for aging purposes in additon to what is sent in the kit.


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