# Bottle bombs. Is it the stabilizer?



## havlikn (Jun 16, 2015)

First off, this isn't my first rodeo. I learned the hard way of not adding stabilizer and having many bottle bombs from a plum wine batch. Since I have always added the recommended doses to the wines, then sweeten with sugar. Friends have been telling me some of there wines have been exploding. What gives? Is it the age of the stabilizer (I don't know for sure how old, another lesson learned)? Do I need to add more the recommended dosage? Thank you


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## vacuumpumpman (Jun 16, 2015)

Potassium sorbate should be stored where it is dry and out of direct sunlight. Even with proper care shelf life is normally six to eight months.

taken from Dan - Runningwolf
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14707


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## havlikn (Jun 17, 2015)

So I have sweetened other wines with the same stabilizer used. Can I re add new stabilizer now to protect the wine from exploding? Or not after adding sugar?


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## richmke (Jun 17, 2015)

havlikn said:


> So I have sweetened other wines with the same stabilizer used. Can I re add new stabilizer now to protect the wine from exploding? Or not after adding sugar?



Yes, but also add some k-meta to kill what is already there.

By adding more, you risk the sorbate taste become more prominent.


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## Runningwolf (Jun 17, 2015)

havlikn said:


> So I have sweetened other wines with the same stabilizer used. Can I re add new stabilizer now to protect the wine from exploding? Or not after adding sugar?



What do you mean by stabilizer? What product are you using? What Steve quoted me on was 4 years old but still good practice even though the experts say Sorbate is good up to a year now if stored under proper conditions.
Fresh Sorbate should be used at 1.5 teaspoons per gallon. If you're weighing it out, I use 1.25 grams per gallon. You never need to add more than the recommended dose. However as richmke said, you do have to have the proper amount of k-meta added at the same time as you add Sorbate.


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## JohnT (Jun 17, 2015)

If you are using sorbate, you should wait a day or two before you back sweeten.


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## JDC (Jun 17, 2015)

richmke said:


> Yes, but also add some k-meta to kill what is already there.
> 
> By adding more, you risk the sorbate taste become more prominent.



Wine yeasts tolerate a very high amount of k-meta. the k-meta is to help prevent oxidation and combat spoilage bacteria (other than the alcohol producing ones). The sorbate prevents existing yeast cells from replicating, but does not kill live ones. Adding k-meta and sorbate in most instances will not kill an active yeast colony, maybe if you add a very cold cold-stabilization step?? Filtering with the proper micron filter is what winery's do. That is why it is recommended to wait until at least 3 days of no fermentation activity to begin the stabilization process & to ferment to dry, and to wait after adding sorbate to add sugar - that way there are hopefully no active yeast cells to begin fermentation again. Where a lot of people get into trouble is rushing these steps, bottling to soon after adding k-meta, sorbate, and sweetening sugar all in a too quick single step - they have in fact only stunned active yeast cells that will continue to eat and make CO2 in the bottle - just being patient in these steps will prevent popped corks & broken bottles.


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## havlikn (Jun 17, 2015)

I keep up with adding my Kmeta every three months. The wines I make are most always fermented to dry and then back sweetened. The only variable I can think of is the sorbate's age.


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## Treeman (Jun 18, 2015)

Effective use of sorbate depends upon pH(lower is better) amount of alcohol(higher is better) and having very few yeast in solution(clear wine racked off lees). Here is a good overview http://enology.umn.edu/2011/02/23/potassium-sorbate-as-a-wine-preservative/

I'm sensitive to the taste of sorbate(bubble gum) so I've been working on the low end of conc levels. i've had good luck at 100-135mg/L on wines with pH<3.5, and 8-10% alcohol.


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