# Sodium vs Potassium Metabisulfite



## homer (Mar 9, 2014)

What is the difference between the two, when would you use Sodium Metabisulfite instead of Potassium? bk


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## dralarms (Mar 9, 2014)

Not sure. What is sodium meta used for?


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## cimbaliw (Mar 9, 2014)

K (Potassium) Meta is the standard as it avoids adding a salty taste to the wine. However, as someone who mistakenly bought a large batch of Na meta and have used it routinely for the past year and a half, I haven't noticed the salt taste. Otherwise they're both equally effective at sanitizing and preserving wines and irritating your nose and lungs.

BC


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## dralarms (Mar 9, 2014)

Thanks for the info.


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## Turock (Mar 9, 2014)

Most people don't need more sodium in their diet--I think that's the basic reason most people use the potassium instead of the sodium.


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## cpfan (Mar 9, 2014)

Most people don't use Na-meta (sodium metabisulphite), they just buy K-meta (potassium metabisulphite). Commercial wineries are not allowed to use Na-meta because people are supposed to be cutting back on their sodium consumption (usually thought of as salt consumption).

Some people use Na-meta as a sanitizer because it is cheaper, but use K-meta for additions to wine.

Some people just use Na-meta. When I started making wine, Na-meta was more common than K-meta as a sanitizer.

BTW, to a chemist potassium and sodium are both salts, it's just that the health folks have established that sodium is more problematic.

To answer the original question....


> What is the difference between the two, when would you use Sodium Metabisulfite instead of Potassium? bk


 I don't buy Na-meta any more, so I would never use it. However, if it was all that I had, I would use it exactly the same as K-meta.

Steve


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## JohnT (Mar 10, 2014)

I do believe that potassium is more beneficial to wine than sodium.


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## WaterWolf (Mar 10, 2014)

For reasons unknown, all the home brew stores in my part of world only sell sodium metabisulphite (usually Young's Campden Tablets) so it's all I've ever used. I've certainly never tasted any saltiness.


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## JohnT (Mar 10, 2014)

WaterWolf said:


> For reasons unknown, all the home brew stores in my part of world only sell sodium metabisulphite (usually Young's Campden Tablets) so it's all I've ever used. I've certainly never tasted any saltiness.


 
Sodium does not always taste salty. For example, Diet soda and even seltzer contains huge amounts of sodium. Baking soda also contains a lot of sodium.

I have always been told that k-meta is the preferred way to go. It is slower to react than NA-Meta and that the potassium is more beneficial to wine over time.


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## ibglowin (Mar 10, 2014)

Potassium metabisulfite contains 58% of SO2 compared to 67% for the sodium metabisulfite.


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## the_rayway (Mar 11, 2014)

I mistakenly purchased a BIG bag of Na-meta. Thinking I'll use it for sanitizing. Although, to be honest I don't really understand if it's as good or not as good as K-meta. I've searched it on this site and haven't actually found any definitive answer that I can make out.

I understand the salt intake, but does it protect as well as K-meta? Does it actually change the taste of the wine? We don't eat much salt, so I'm not worried about further salt intake.

Mike: does that 9% make a big difference if I'm aging wines for several years with normacorks? 
Advice would be appreciated.


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## ibglowin (Mar 11, 2014)

It only makes a difference if your trying to say accurately calculate a 50ppm yeast "stun dose" for fresh grapes etc. If your doing kits it comes with enough KMETA to get most folks by until bottling time. Sanitization probably won't make much of a difference. If your barrel aging wines you more than likely have some form of free SO2 testing so you can accurately know your levels of SO2 and adjust accordingly. The fact that Na (Sodium) is a major culprit of high blood pressure in middle age folks (like me) is enough to avoid it IMHO.


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## the_rayway (Mar 11, 2014)

Thanks Mike!

I'm more thinking along the lines of carboy-aging dry wines (from fresh juice or other fruit). They've already fermented all the available sugars, and I'm just looking to protect them until going into bottles (and protecting what's in the bottle too!)...and justifying not taking the stuff and returning it. Lol, I might just have to get off my butt and get 'er done.


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## JohnT (Mar 11, 2014)

Found the following on another website. Basically sums up what has been said so far.

Potassium Metabisulphite (K-Meta) is what you will want use for winemaking. It's a strong yeast inhibitor and anitoxidant, and completely safe to use as an ingredient in the proper amounts.

Sodium metabisulphite can be used for sanitization, but shouldn't be added as an ingredient. In larger dosages it adds a noticeable bad taste. By law, the commercial wine industry is not allowed to add it to wine.


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## the_rayway (Mar 11, 2014)

Aha! Thanks JohnT!


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## PAFruitWines (Mar 11, 2014)

Just to clarify, R all campden tabs sodium or just the Young's brand?


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


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## WaterWolf (Mar 12, 2014)

Campden tablets can be either sodium or potassium, you'd have to check the ingredients list for your manufacturer. I don't think there is much difference between each in terms of preservative powers.

I think the difference between na-meta and k-meta is being blown a bit out of proportion. K-meta is preferable but using na-meta instead is not going to have a disastrous effect on your wine unless you're using it in large amounts - then you have other problems!

But k-meta isn't exactly expensive so if your not comfortable with using na-meta just go out and buy some more (at least you have the option, unlike me!)


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## JohnT (Mar 14, 2014)

WaterWolf said:


> Campden tablets can be either sodium or potassium, you'd have to check the ingredients list for your manufacturer. I don't think there is much difference between each in terms of preservative powers.
> 
> I think the difference between na-meta and k-meta is being blown a bit out of proportion. K-meta is preferable but using na-meta instead is not going to have a disastrous effect on your wine unless you're using it in large amounts - then you have other problems!
> 
> But k-meta isn't exactly expensive so if your not comfortable with using na-meta just go out and buy some more (at least you have the option, unlike me!)


 

Agree with WW. It is not like your wine will explode if you are using NA-meta. It is just that K-meta is the preferred way to go for the industry. I would advise to use up you NA-meta, then switch to K-meta when your supply runs out.


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## antont (Mar 14, 2014)

ibglowin said:


> Potassium metabisulfite contains 57% of SO2 compared to 48% for the sodium metabisulfite.




I believe Sodium metabisulfite is at around 68%. So you'd need less weight of it. 

So, yes, Sodium meta is preferred for sanitizing. However, it might remain longer in the wine as the Potassium will deposit over time. I think it depends on the wine acidity. And this is one of the reasons why most commercial wineries would prefer Sodium - acidity is calculated in the lab, then added or subtracted, and they want to avoid any developments with it afterwards.


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## ibglowin (Mar 14, 2014)

My bad I was thinking of the difference between KMETA powder and Campden tablet. Potassium metabisulfite consist of approximately 58 percent SO2, and Campden tablets are approximately 48 percent SO2.

KMETA is 58% SO2: MW = 222.32 SO2= 128/222 = ~ 58%

NaMETA is 67%: SO2 MW = 190.1 SO2 = 128/190 = ~67%


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