Forgot Kmeta at bottling

[brandont02]

So my father in law and I bottled a Winexpert Washington Merlot yesterday, planned on aging it a year before drinking, but we forgot to at metabisulfite before we bottled. What can we do? Dump all the bottles back into a carboy, add it, and rebottle? Please help, don't want go screw up this kit.

 

[2020steve]

Did you add the packet of metabisulfite that came with the kit? That should be good for a year or so. For long term aging you should add more than they supply with the kit.

 

[heatherd]

Kmeta is a stabilizer that is important to add. If it were me, I would unbottle, add kmeta, and rebottle. My concern would be refermentation in the bottle.
Heather

 

[vacuumpumpman]

When was the last time you added sulfite to your wine ? During any sort of transfers and how much of it and how many gallons are you doing ?

Also did you sulfite your bottles ? If so to what concentration did you use -
This could really save you from opening any bottles at all ???

.

 

[codeman]

Kmeta is a stabilizer that is important to add. If it were me, I would unbottle, add kmeta, and rebottle. My concern would be refermentation in the bottle.
Heather

Refermenration in the bottle is highly unlikely with a merlot.

 

[Dhaynes]

Steve's question of whether you added all the packages that came with the kit is a good one. Also did you bulk age it in a carboy for any length of time other than the time specified in the kit for it to clear before bottling? If you added the potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate that came with the kit and only left it in the carboy long enough for it to clear without bulk aging it in the carboy then you are probably okay. That is assuming that you were careful to keep all of your equipment clean and sanitized and that you sanitized the bottles before bottling.

The first kit we made was a vintners reserve which didn't say anything in the instructions about adding extra Kmeta for long term aging. We didn't know any better so we just followed the instructions and bottled it with only the Kmeta in it being what came with the kit. We opened the last bottle about a year and a half after starting the kit and it was great.

The safest course of action would be to open all the bottles, dump them back in the carboy and add the Kmeta, then rebottle. But if it was me, I would just take my chances and let it ride. I'd keep a close eye on it and maybe sample at 6, 9 & 12 months. Then I'd plan on drinking it all before 2 years. Another option would be to see if your local home brew store has the ability to test wine to determine the SO2 level. If so take them one bottle and let them test it. If it is okay then the rest should be okay as well. I've also read about commercial labs that you can send a bottle of wine to for testing but I don't have first hand knowledge of any. You can probably google it.


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[brandont02]

We added the kmeta and ksorbate that was with the kit. We followed the directions and steps and bottled after 6 weeks. We were very careful about sanitation. I've done a half dozen batches of beer, and this is my third wine, so I'm sure everything was sanitary. We didn't add any extra stuff to it, but after reading some things I think we will be sanitizing with kmeta at bottling for convenience.
Dhaynes if your bottles were still good at a a year and a half I think we will be fine. I don't think they'll last very long once he once to start drinking them.

 

[GreginND]

I think you are just fine leaving them alone.

I consider opening bottles and dumping them back together an absolutely last resort and never want to do it. Bottling wine is pretty rough on it as it is with introduction of oxygen and manipulation. Opening the bottles and dumping them back together is even rougher on the wine. I would avoid that at all costs.

Since you did add some k-meta along the way, your SO2 levels aren't at zero. It should be fine in the bottle for a couple of years. I would probably drink it sooner rather than later just in case.

 

[brandont02]

Thank you everyone for your help. It is greatly appreciated

 

[vacuumpumpman]

We added the kmeta and ksorbate that was with the kit. We followed the directions and steps and bottled after 6 weeks. We were very careful about sanitation. I've done a half dozen batches of beer, and this is my third wine, so I'm sure everything was sanitary. We didn't add any extra stuff to it, but after reading some things I think we will be sanitizing with kmeta at bottling for convenience.

You should be ok -

like you mentioned - I would personally be sanitizing with kmeta at bottling for convenience.

I would also like mentioned above (GregND) - to drink this one a bit early - just in case