# SO2 Dissipation over time



## Vinoors (Jan 19, 2017)

Hi Everyone,

I recently added some K Meta to my wine for the first time ahead of bulk aging. I've read some articles about Bound SO2, Free SO2, & Total SO2. I know people talking about splash racking if SO2 levels are too high, but I had the following question...Let's assume I had the best SO2 tester possible (which I don't), over time, will the Total SO2 levels decline or is just that the Free SO2 levels decline? In other words, does there come a point in time where the wine, from a technical standpoint, doesn't show any indication that sulfites were ever added?


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## Johnd (Jan 19, 2017)

Vinoors said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I recently added some K Meta to my wine for the first time ahead of bulk aging. I've read some articles about Bound SO2, Free SO2, & Total SO2. I know people talking about splash racking if SO2 levels are too high, but I had the following question...Let's assume I had the best SO2 tester possible (which I don't), over time, will the Total SO2 levels decline or is just that the Free SO2 levels decline? In other words, does there come a point in time where the wine, from a technical standpoint, doesn't show any indication that sulfites were ever added?



Free SO2 dissipates as it becomes bound, and as far as I know, once it becomes bound, there is no way to "unbind" it. Your total SO2 is the sum of free SO2 and bound SO2. Free SO2 is what we monitor, as it is the SO2 that is available to protect our wine against oxidation and microbial activity. I have never tested for bound SO2, don't even know how to, nor do I know if it diminishes over time...........


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