WineXpert Adding K-Meta to kits, is it absolutely necessary and why?

[RiderEh]

So the LHBS around here says there is no need to add it, though one time I called Winexpert and they recommend it as does there instructions for some kits, with or without bulk aging.

When I make my kits, I put them under vacuum immediately after clearing. I never follow instructions and follow closer to the 5–20–40–90 schedule (I actually do 1 week - 3 weeks - 6 weeks - 13 weeks or 7-21-42-91).

Does vacuum affect the sulphite levels? I'm not exactly sure how it 'escapes' under airlock but I'd think it would do the same under vacuum.

I have 2 kits now that are just over a year old and they taste great. I plan on trying to have all bottles drank by 4 years of age.

So what are the benefits/negatives of k-meta? For some reason I don't think the commercial vineyards add it, but they do everything much differently.

 

[sour_grapes]

I believe you have not yet gotten any answers because this question has been answered a number of times.

Short answer: No, you do not NEED to add sulfite to your wine any more than you NEED to wear boots while hiking in the Rockies.

Benefits: protects your wine from oxidation and from microbial spoilage.
Negatives: a vanishingly small percentage of the population suffers an adverse reaction to it.

Commercial vineyards do, of course, add sulfites. In the US, it says so on every bottle!

 

[RiderEh]

From the wine tours I've done, none actually said they added sulphites. These were all high end wineries. They stated sulphites occur naturally in most wines anyways, and it was not necessary. I still don't understand the science behind how sulphites would 'escape'. To me this means they would evaporate, and somehow escape the wine when in bottle, when what I understand normally occurs is air enters. So why add more if they already exist in the wine?

 

[sour_grapes]

Well, the way sulfites work is by a chemical reaction. Think about it for a second -- if there were never any chemical reactions, the substance would be completely inert and it could not have any affect on the wine!

So, over time, the sulfites that are in your wine react to substances in your wine (i.e., get bound), and so are removed from being available.

 

[syncnite]

In those tours you were on, either the tour guide didn't know, or they were lying. Nearly all wineries add sulfites. If they don't then the wines will oxidize pretty quickly.

The sulfites don't escape. The free sulfites get bound up with oxygen and other things. Then those sulfites are still in the wine, but they aren't free to protect the wine. Which is why we test primarily for "free" sulfite levels and add accordingly.

 

[richmke]

There is sulfite free wine that you can buy. It has a relatively short shelf life (under 1 year). Do a google search.

A carboy bung leaks a lot more air than a good cork. The air reacts with the sulfite, thus protecting the wine but consuming the sulfite.

That said, a cork does leak air. Some really slow oxidation is good for the wine (part of the aging process).

 

[RiderEh]

So what is the typical time once bottled I should have my wine drank by if not adding any k-meta? Is 3 years still ok without having added sulphites? Also, is it too late to add sulphites just before bottling, ie. is it better to do it at the final racking so it has a chance to mix in?

And why don't the kit makers provide sulphite in their kits then?

 

[GreginND]

So what is the typical time once bottled I should have my wine drank by if not adding any k-meta? Is 3 years still ok without having added sulphites? Also, is it too late to add sulphites just before bottling, ie. is it better to do it at the final racking so it has a chance to mix in?

And why don't the kit makers provide sulphite in their kits then?

Most wine kits do provide all additives. Some are just the juice/concentrate and you need to get the additives separately that the instructions call for.

The question of how long it will last without sulfites is not easy to answer. It depends. Most recommendations are to drink it within a year. But I would think wines can last longer than that. People have been making and drinking wine for 8000 years and it has only been recently that sulfites were introduced as a preservative. Certainly this has been hugely beneficial to the aging and longevity and quality of wine. But also certainly there have been wines made that have lasted through the years without them. Again, it depends. You have a much better chance of success if you use sulfites. If not, make sure your sanitation protocol is excellent, you have the best quality corks you can get and you store you wines in as near perfect conditions as possible (~55 degrees F with no temp fluctuations and in the dark). This is your best chance of having an enduring wine without sulfites.

But, I would recommend you add sulfites and can think of no reason why not to. You can add it at bottling - it is not too late.

 

[sour_grapes]

You can add it just before bottling. Just pre-dissolve it in some wine and mix it in.

Kit makers do provide it. It is one of the packages you are supposed to add at the "clearing and stabilizing" phase.

 

[terrymck]

As we are on the subject of sulfites, I have a question. Is there a less expensive way of testing for sulfites than the Vinmetric line of testers? Also how much sulphur gets into your wine during the racking process after sanitizing the receiving carboy with Kmeta? I can smell the sulphur being expelled as the carboy is filling. It must add some to the batch.

 

[ibglowin]

Yes Morewine sells a very inexpensive A/O Rig (~$100) that is actually more precise than the Vinmetrica. Like anything else in life there are some tradeoffs but that is what I use.

 

[terrymck]

OK, thanks

 

[RiderEh]

You can add it just before bottling. Just pre-dissolve it in some wine and mix it in.

Kit makers do provide it. It is one of the packages you are supposed to add at the "clearing and stabilizing" phase.

I'm more interested in people adding additional sulphite, not just what is provided in the kit. I always add what's in the kit, but I keep hearing to add 1/4 tsp more per kit.

From doing more reading, it seems a test kit is necessary and not to just add an extra 1/4 tsp.

 

[sour_grapes]

I'm more interested in people adding additional sulphite, not just what is provided in the kit. I always add what's in the kit, but I keep hearing to add 1/4 tsp more per kit.

From doing more reading, it seems a test kit is necessary and not to just add an extra 1/4 tsp.

Okay, good. That was not clear to me in your initial post, and I believe that most of the answers you received were under the assumption that you wanted to forgo k-meta entirely.

 

[Dhaynes]

I would say that having a way to test the free SO2 level before you add more Kmeta is ideal. However if you don't have a kit kit and you intend to keep any of the wine more than 6 months it is better to add the additional Kmeta. The chemist in the group can keep me honest but I believe that a 1/4 tsp in 6 gallons is an increase of only about 40 ppm. If the wine was at say 30 ppm before you added 1/4 tsp ok Kmeta then you are still only at 70 ppm. Most commercial wines have much higher SO2 levels. I don't think it is going to cause a problem and it will definitely protect the wine better.

We've done over 30 kits using this approach without a test kit and they have all turned our great. My sister in law is sensitive to SO2 levels. Some commercial wines give her a headache. She has never had a problem with any of our wines. When we bottle we've started filling 3-4 bottles for her before we add the Kmeta just to be extra safe.


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[RiderEh]

Speaking to the owner of several LHBS's here, he said the reason he doesn't recommend adding any extra k-meta here if you have a stable environment. Ie. since I brew in my basement where temperatures are relatively stable (range from 13-16 C over the year) it's not necessary.

Any thoughts on this?