So you are saying sorbate is strictly a backsweetening tool? Noob here. I added sorbates to a white non-mlf wine because I also thought it protected against oxidation as well as arresting fermentation.
Aging: Bulk vs bottle
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So you are saying sorbate is strictly a backsweetening tool? Noob here. I added sorbates to a white non-mlf wine because I also thought it protected against oxidation as well as arresting fermentation.
NorCal
Senior Member
Sorbate stops yeast from reproducing...that's it. If you are not back sweetening, there is no need to add. One less thing to ingest into your digestive system.
NorCal is correct. Use the sorbate to stop fermentation; we use kmeta to aid in the prevention of oxidation.
Scooter68
Fruit "Wine" Maker
When I was first getting my equipment for wine making I found some drilled rubber bungs from a scientific supply site. HUGE MISTAKE. The rubber bung imparted a heavy rubber odor to the air in the carboy and possibly to the wine itself. As a result I no longer use ANY rubber products with my wine making - the alcohol and acid contend of the wine does not mix well with some rubber varities and my plastic carboy cap for my airlocks seal just fine.
Periodically I check the solution in the airlock and use a spare airlock filled with fresh sanitizer to replace a cloudy or low level airlock. Exposure to air is so minimal in the second or two it takes to swap the airlocks.
As to aging in a bottle or in bulk. Hey if that wine is perfectly clear and doesn't drop any sediment fine. But once you've taken the time, energy and materials to bottle - any late dropping sediment is going to sorta ruin the looks of that wine even if it does nothing to the taste.
The concerns about O2 exposure seem a bit over the top here. If you rack properly then there should be no splashing. Those who use a vacuum pump for racking are already lowering the exposure by pulling out the O2 and in fact degassing the incoming wine.
Whatever works for you but again this seems like a debate that nobody wins except those selling more and more supplies to the folks taking extraordinary steps.
Periodically I check the solution in the airlock and use a spare airlock filled with fresh sanitizer to replace a cloudy or low level airlock. Exposure to air is so minimal in the second or two it takes to swap the airlocks.
As to aging in a bottle or in bulk. Hey if that wine is perfectly clear and doesn't drop any sediment fine. But once you've taken the time, energy and materials to bottle - any late dropping sediment is going to sorta ruin the looks of that wine even if it does nothing to the taste.
The concerns about O2 exposure seem a bit over the top here. If you rack properly then there should be no splashing. Those who use a vacuum pump for racking are already lowering the exposure by pulling out the O2 and in fact degassing the incoming wine.
Whatever works for you but again this seems like a debate that nobody wins except those selling more and more supplies to the folks taking extraordinary steps.
