K or Na ??

[jburtner]

-Meta

Whats your poison and why? I've got both and started using Na for sterelizing equipmemt and K for wine / must processing ingredients.

Want to get rid of the one I don't need so was hoping to solicit some thoughtful and positive feedback.

Cheers!
-jonathan

 

[dcbrown73]

K, I heard Na makes the wine taste funny for extended periods of time in ways K does not.

 

[Johnd]

Ditto, Na is not for putting in your wine, bad taste to most folks, fine for sanitizing. K works for both purposes. As you suggest, if you have both around, it's only a matter of time til Na gets into a batch.

 

[Johny99]

Vines to wine recommends K over Na due to off taste. I haven't done a trial but easy enough to buy K.

 

[richmke]

I use Na for my gas chamber to keep equipment and corks sanitized.

I use K for winemaking.

if you have both around, it's only a matter of time til Na gets into a batch

Na is in a bag near the gas chamber, and K is in a small bottle with my other winemaking ingredients. Virtually nil chance of measuring out a 1/4 tsp of K-meta to pour into the wine.

 

[Rocky]

I used one pound of Na a year or so ago because I ordered it my mistake, but only for sanitizing equipment. I mixed it and kept it in a well marked jug. I only use K in my wines. Ironically, though, I believe that when this "miracle" first became known to my family in the 1960's, it was Na.

 

[JohnT]

I do not even have any na-meta in my winery. NA meta will lend off flavors to wine, but potassium is naturally occurring in wine. Not sure why folks use both.

 

[richmke]

Not sure why folks use both.

K-meta is 1/2 the cost of Na-Meta

 

[JohnT]

.. but you get twice the use out of k-meta (both inside and outside of your wine).

 

[Paolo_pin]

K added to wine will react with tartaric acid making a barely soluble salt. This salt will precipitate at cold temperatures thus the amount of K in the wine will not change drastically even after adding it. Na makes very soluble salts and it will remain forever in the wine. Few things you can do to get rid of it. Furthermore, there are law limits to Na content in wines.