# Added K Sorbate too early...



## RLWinemaker (May 9, 2012)

I added potassium sorbate to my wine about two weeks ago and planned on back-sweetening. First time this has happened. I later realized that the fermentation had a little way to go, and it has just finished fermenting, albeit slowly

Question is: If I back-sweeten the wine now, will the fermentation kick back up, or will it be stabilized?

Thanks in advance.

RG


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## Wade E (May 9, 2012)

You will be fine, hopefully by adding it early though you didnt stress the yeast out while it was trying to finish and cause some off flavors from the stress.


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## GreginND (Oct 7, 2012)

Sorbate won't stop an active fermentation regardless of how much you add. It should be added when the wine is done fermenting and as clear as possible of yeast.


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## Paolo_pin (Oct 27, 2012)

I am agree with Gregin, sorbate will not stop a still working fermantation. I suggest you to filter the wine in order to stop it properly and then, after analyzing the sorbate content, reset the sorbate concentration to suitable values. Dont' forget to increase properly the sulphite contain, or geraniol will be soon perceptible.


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## barryjo (Jan 8, 2013)

Further questions regarding sorbate. How long will the inhibiting action last? Does it settle out and collect in the lees? Can a ferment be restarted after waiting a reasonable amount of time? After racking. 
If sorbate has been added, and it is decided to get a higher abv, will adding sugar and a yeast starter do the trick?

This is strictly a hypothetical situation, you understand.


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## robie (Jan 8, 2013)

barryjo said:


> Further questions regarding sorbate. How long will the inhibiting action last? Does it settle out and collect in the lees? Can a ferment be restarted after waiting a reasonable amount of time? After racking.
> If sorbate has been added, and it is decided to get a higher abv, will adding sugar and a yeast starter do the trick?
> 
> This is strictly a hypothetical situation, you understand.



It is better if you start a new thread with your questions, but we will do it here since we are already here.

A reasonable amount of time??? That is very subjective. A month - it won't restart; a year - maybe, maybe not. After the sorbate has been present for 6 months, if one adds more yeast and some sugar, I'd bet it will start fermentation, but I can't say that for certain.

Sorbate works on the yeast that are present in the wine at the time it is added to the wine. Of course some of it can stay around for a longer time, even after several rackings. Some new yeast can always find their way into the wine at a later date.

I think the whole idea is to add the sorbate, then back sweeten immediately after. if you don't want to back sweeten right away, don't add the sorbate until you do.

Since sorbate doesn't kill the yeast, but only renders them unable to multiply, it works pretty fast. Even after racking the wine several times, I would not expect one normally would ever add more sugar and expect fermentation to get started again. That is the whole idea of adding sorbate, so the wine is protected when back sweetening. 

However, again I have to ask what "is a reasonable amount of time"? If one waits a very long time, what I say will not be true. The effects of any such wine chemical will wear off eventually. To get specifics, this is a question one should ask the company that packages the sorbate.


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## barryjo (Jan 9, 2013)

Thanks, robie. The "lazy bug" hit me yesterday. I should have started a new thread.


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## mmadmikes1 (Jan 9, 2013)

If you get a good strong starter yeast going it would probably restart but the sorbate is going to stress the yeast and like mentioned above cause off flavor.


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## Paolo_pin (Jan 12, 2013)

Totally agree with Robie. Sorbate doesn't fall to the bottom so racks are useless. it's is a fully soluble acid and it enters in yeast metabolysm. That means, sometimes some yeast strains can eat it (off flavours can result, yes). Again, sulphite dioxyd acts like a synergic agent in sorbate effectiveness.


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