# Bottle right after backsweetening, or wait? Also, headspace...



## patricksievert (Mar 10, 2013)

I've got three gallons of apple that's been bulk aging for about 6 months, SG's been at 0.995 for a long time. Two days ago I added K-meta and K-sorbate, and today I'm going to backsweeten it. My issue is, I want to backsweeten the batch to two different levels. About a gallon of it I want to backsweeten to around 1.008 and the rest to around 1.018. 

First question, is it okay to bottle it right after backsweetening, or should I really wait a couple of days to make sure it doesn't start fermenting?

Also, if I do have to wait a couple of days, is headspace going to be a problem if it's only for a couple of days? I've got a gallon jug I can put the 1.008 wine into, but it's the only gallon jug I have free, and I don't have any 2 gallon containers. Is it a problem if I put the remaining 2 gallons back into the 3 gallon carboy and leave it for a couple of days?


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## saramc (Mar 10, 2013)

Can you go grab two gallons of water? Those jugs will be fine for a few days.

Personally, I always wait 10-14 days after backsweetening to ensure that ferment has not kicked back up, but also you usually have a bit more sediment drop; the wait period allows you one final racking prior to bottling. Depending on what you b/s with you may cloud the wine/cider/mead again & need time for it to clear.


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## GreginND (Mar 10, 2013)

Waiting is good insurance but not necessary. If you trust that your sorbate is fresh then it should be ok to bottle it. I also like to wait a couple of weeks to make sure it is stable and that it does not get cloudy for any reason.


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## patricksievert (Mar 10, 2013)

Thanks for the advice. I went ahead and bottled. I also just used simple syrup to backsweeten, and my wine's been clear for months. I last racked in December, and it hasn't dropped any sediment since then.


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## jswordy (Mar 11, 2013)

I only wait 5 days after sorbate and k meta to bottle. Never a problem, knock on wood. I do believe in a waiting period, though. Ask around here about how much a mess one exploded bottle of wine makes, and you will be a believer, too.


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## limer (Mar 11, 2013)

Can you add sorbate and syrup at the same time


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## REDBOATNY (Mar 11, 2013)

In the future, if you want 2 different levels of sweetness, sweeten the entire batch to 1.008. Leave for a few days to make sure the sorbate did its job. Then bottle the desired amount, add more sweetner to get 1.018 to the remaining wine, then bottle it. I usually do this to my riesling.


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## jimmyjames23 (Mar 11, 2013)

limer said:


> Can you add sorbate and syrup at the same time



Yes. They sell it at home brew shops as wine sweetener/stabilizer. 
But I would follow jswordy's advice. 
Good wines needs good time...even in the world of sorbate.


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## DaveL (Mar 11, 2013)

Have you not added any Kmeta or sorbate prior to this? 6 months bulk aging is a long time with no kmeta isn't it?


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## patricksievert (Mar 12, 2013)

DaveL said:


> Have you not added any Kmeta or sorbate prior to this? 6 months bulk aging is a long time with no kmeta isn't it?



K-Meta, yes. Sorbate, no. I tested my free SO2 level and it was a little low (mid-20's), so I added the appropriate amount before sweetening.


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## saramc (Mar 13, 2013)

jimmyjames23 said:


> Yes. They sell it at home brew shops as wine sweetener/stabilizer.



I sincerely recommend not using the storebought 'wine conditioner/wine stabilizer/sweetener' simply because you still need to add sorbate (and k-meta) if you use less than 2 oz per gallon. The label claims the liquid invert syrup is non-fermentable yet you still have to add even more sorbate?? Plus, it is so easy to make your own simple syrup. I have actually seen wine conditioner bottle fermenting on the store shelf. I used the product twice and it was only after my wine started fermenting again that I learned, from EC Kraus, that it was recommended you add sorbate/KMS...which defeated the entire purpose to me.
The bottle I bought at LHBS said nothing about adding more sorbate.
But many people do use it.


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## Runningwolf (Mar 13, 2013)

REDBOATNY said:


> In the future, if you want 2 different levels of sweetness, sweeten the entire batch to 1.008. Leave for a few days to make sure the sorbate did its job. Then bottle the desired amount, add more sweetner to get 1.018 to the remaining wine, then bottle it. I usually do this to my riesling.


 
Thats a great idea!


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## Brew and Wine Supply (Mar 13, 2013)

We tell people to add sorbate and K-meta, wait 24 hours to work on the yeast, then back sweeten, wait another 24 hours to see if anything takes off, if not then bottle.
We have the conditioner here and a lot of people use it. 
I wonder how long that conditioner sat on the shelf to begin fermenting? Have not seen that here.


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