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Welcome to WMT!If you don't intend to backsweeten, you don't need potassium sorbate.As Bob says, the kmeta (powder form or campden tablets) isn't a one time addition - it gets used up over time, including whatever was added to the store bought wine when it was fermented and then bottled.Some members report that they have successfully backsweetened after 9 months of aging and have had no issues without using potassium sorbate. Others have reported renewed fermentation even after bulk aging more than a year before back sweetening. The yeastie beasties *should* all be dead after 9 months or so, but sometimes a few are resilient enough to survive that long or longer, and then backsweetening adds enough fuel for them to start reproducing and restart the fermentation. So the addition of potassium sorbate, which acts as birth control for the yeast, before backsweetening is the less risky path.Whether I am backsweetening or not, I always add a dose of kmeta about every 3 months during aging and also at bottling time. So far I have always used potassium sorbate when backsweetening, with the exception of one batch which I bulk aged more than a year before backsweetening and bottling, and have had no issues with renewed fermentation.
Welcome to WMT!
If you don't intend to backsweeten, you don't need potassium sorbate.
As Bob says, the kmeta (powder form or campden tablets) isn't a one time addition - it gets used up over time, including whatever was added to the store bought wine when it was fermented and then bottled.
Some members report that they have successfully backsweetened after 9 months of aging and have had no issues without using potassium sorbate. Others have reported renewed fermentation even after bulk aging more than a year before back sweetening. The yeastie beasties *should* all be dead after 9 months or so, but sometimes a few are resilient enough to survive that long or longer, and then backsweetening adds enough fuel for them to start reproducing and restart the fermentation. So the addition of potassium sorbate, which acts as birth control for the yeast, before backsweetening is the less risky path.
Whether I am backsweetening or not, I always add a dose of kmeta about every 3 months during aging and also at bottling time. So far I have always used potassium sorbate when backsweetening, with the exception of one batch which I bulk aged more than a year before backsweetening and bottling, and have had no issues with renewed fermentation.
