K-meta & bulk aging

[ibglowin]

Kit manufacturers just assume that most of their customers do not have testing equipment nor do they want to have purchase it. In the instructions they have a section on when and how much SO2 to add if you decide to bulk age past 90 days. The recommendation is usually 1/4tsp every 90 days.

That said I agree with you its not usually needed for a red wine but a pretty safe addition for a white wine. I have tested kit wines (A/O rig) out to 9 months (with just the included Sulfite package) in a carboy and found reds to be perfectly fine based on the wines pH. Whites were borderline at 90 days. These were all with airlocks and good winemaking/racking techniques BTW.

I usually recommend 1/8tsp every 3-4 months for those folks who don't wish to purchase testing equipment. As most of the folks who don't have any testing equipment are just getting started in wine making and are "rookies" so to speak they may have exposed the wine to more air than normal via poor or multiple rackings, trying to degas for really long periods of time with a mix-stir, not topping off etc.

I like the Buon Vino solid stoppers myself for long term bulk aging in carboys. But you can't use them in the Spring when temps are rising in the carboy on a daily/weekly basis unless you like to clean up wine off the ceiling. They work fine for Summer (when carboys have maxed out temp wise), Fall and Winter (when carboy temps are falling).

I am not sure I agree with your recommendation. Bulk Aging in a Carboy is not too much different than a bottle. Probably the biggest difference is using an Air Lock instead of a cork. So it could be argued that you could have some O2 infiltration with the Air Lock. However one usually adds an additional dose of K meta after racking a Carboy when bulk aging not just simply on a time frame. I would agree you might want to add an additional dose at bottling but not just because the wine is in a carboy sitting for 6 months. The best way is to test for So2 and add accordingly amounts related to the PH of the wine.

Interestingly Wine seems to age faster in smaller containers. So if you are only interested in aging you are better off bottling and aging that way.
Malvina

 

[goosen1]

Here is a question for you guys, Do I need to add the Kmeta if I want to filter the wine??

 

[ibglowin]

We would need more details such as:

Did you add the included pack of KMETA that came with the it?
Are you bulk aging the wine? If so how long has it been bulk aged?
Have you added any top up additions? If so how many and how much have been added along the way?
What type of wine is this?

Filtering will expose the wine to more O2.

 

[MalvinaScordaad]

Kit manufacturers just assume that most of their customers do not have testing equipment nor do they want to have purchase it. In the instructions they have a section on when and how much SO2 to add if you decide to bulk age past 90 days. The recommendation is usually 1/4tsp every 90 days.

That said I agree with you its not usually needed for a red wine but a pretty safe addition for a white wine. I have tested kit wines (A/O rig) out to 9 months (with just the included Sulfite package) in a carboy and found reds to be perfectly fine based on the wines pH. Whites were borderline at 90 days. These were all with airlocks and good winemaking/racking techniques BTW.

I usually recommend 1/8tsp every 3-4 months for those folks who don't wish to purchase testing equipment. As most of the folks who don't have any testing equipment are just getting started in wine making and are "rookies" so to speak they may have exposed the wine to more air than normal via poor or multiple rackings, trying to degas for really long periods of time with a mix-stir, not topping off etc.

I like the Buon Vino solid stoppers myself for long term bulk aging in carboys. But you can't use them in the Spring when temps are rising in the carboy on a daily/weekly basis unless you like to clean up wine off the ceiling. They work fine for Summer (when carboys have maxed out temp wise), Fall and Winter (when carboy temps are falling).

There is no harm at all doing what you are saying especially with whites. In fact I like 60-70 ppm for whites regardless of PH. But you are very lucky you are only cleaning the ceiling. My friend had 2 of his expensive Cabs crack the carboys when he was away and a heatwave heated his cellar. Only one rule for me is Never a Stopper in a Carboy Always an Airlock
Malvina

 

[Runningwolf]

There is no harm at all doing what you are saying especially with whites. In fact I like 60-70 ppm for whites regardless of PH. But you are very lucky you are only cleaning the ceiling. My friend had 2 of his expensive Cabs crack the carboys when he was away and a heatwave heated his cellar. Only one rule for me is Never a Stopper in a Carboy Always an Airlock
Malvina

Malvina I find it interesting you are going as high as 60-70 ppm on whites. At what point is it that you'll actually start tasting it? I've been hearing more and more of people going this route especially when you add sorbate before bottling. I'm a firm believer in going high as you're going to lose a fair amount (and I think up to 25-30%) in the filtering/bottling process.

How much are you adding to reds?

 

[bob1]

heatwave heated his cellar. Only one rule for me is Never a Stopper in a Carboy Always an Airlock

lots of ideas for this but for me where tornadoes run through I have seen a better bottle shrivel up. But Temp I dont think would break a carboy, just thinking normal mother nature ranges . After 3 or 4 months and you gas it off good in a glass carboy you should be able to tape it up.

 

[MalvinaScordaad]

Dan
I have not hat a problem with taste at 60-70 ppm but that is prior to the bottling. I am sure I lose at least 10 ppm in the process. I don't use sorbate on any regular basis. I rather sterile filter a slightly back sweetened rose but I would keep that around 60ppm I use a spread sheet program to determine the ph for the reds. As far as reds are concerned assuming a ph of 3.85 which is very common you would need 89 ppm to be protected fully at 8mol. And I never reach that level and still have wine with that ph last 8 years in a 57 degree controlled cellar. I have been told you begin to taste at 120ppm but I have no first hand knowledge of this. Some people think they react to SO2 when it is histamines instead so it is hard to really know if they are really tasting So2.

As far as the carboy breaking you do take a chance because of the volume that expands and only has a very small part of air space to compress in the the neck of the carboy. The pressure is much greater than you imagine if the stopper does not blow the carboy will crack. As it did to my friend. It is surprising to think of this but his Napa cab was all over the cellar floor.
Malvina

 

[Runningwolf]

Malvina I have another question but will start a new thread so as not to hijack this one on sterile filtering.