I’ve seen a few comments to the effect that potassium sorbate isn’t necessary/shouldn’t be added to a dry wine, and that most kits have a sorbate packet included. What’s the reasoning for leaving sorbate out, and should anything be added instead (K-meta?) at the usual stage where the sorbate would be added or later on to make up for it?
Potassium sorbate?
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CoteRotie
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Well, if the wine isn't perfectly dry when you bottle it, and fermentation re-starts, you can wind up with a fizzy wine and even popped corks. So adding K-sorbate is kind of an insurance policy. Though If malolactic happens in the bottle in the presence of sorbate it creates terrible off flavors. Not sure if the kits recommend/need malolactic prior to bottling or not.
If you're sure your wine is dry then you don't need sorbate. I would add enough SO2 to get your level up to 0.6-0.8 molecular prior to bottling to prevent spoilage.
I've never added sorbate to any wine, but I have sterile filtered wines with residual sugar.
If you're sure your wine is dry then you don't need sorbate. I would add enough SO2 to get your level up to 0.6-0.8 molecular prior to bottling to prevent spoilage.
I've never added sorbate to any wine, but I have sterile filtered wines with residual sugar.
* sorbate is not essential as CoteRotie said insurance, or how much do you want to push the time line. Kits are intended to be reliable for conditions which are abusive. ,,,,, ex do a search on "patience" in the menu up right,,,, how many times does it show as advice?
* I typically age 9 months and the yeast have starved off, however at 6 months I will use sorbate
* dry is defined as gravity below 1.000, at that level with active yeast you could carbonate, but probably would not explode bottles. ,,,, As a judge I have seen lots of samples which come in with slight bubbles that build on glass surfaces and occasional ones with active bubbles in the liquid. For lab analysis I will pull a 10 inch vacuum to confirm what the defect is, so far always a YUP.
* potassium metabisulphite has function beside slowing yeast down. Even if sterile filtered we use it to slow oxidation. ,,,, never skip it unless "organic" and then expect short shelf life.
* I typically age 9 months and the yeast have starved off, however at 6 months I will use sorbate
* dry is defined as gravity below 1.000, at that level with active yeast you could carbonate, but probably would not explode bottles. ,,,, As a judge I have seen lots of samples which come in with slight bubbles that build on glass surfaces and occasional ones with active bubbles in the liquid. For lab analysis I will pull a 10 inch vacuum to confirm what the defect is, so far always a YUP.
* potassium metabisulphite has function beside slowing yeast down. Even if sterile filtered we use it to slow oxidation. ,,,, never skip it unless "organic" and then expect short shelf life.
If the SG is 0.998 or less, skip the sorbate. It provides no benefit.
I add 1/4 tsp K-meta at each racking for each 5 to 6 US gallons of wine. Some say to test for SO2 and add less if indicated, but I've had no problems following the 1/4 tsp rule.
This doesn't mean I'm right; it means I have never had a problem.
Agreed. I have purchased numerous wines that were "organic" and did not use sulfite. I never had one that survived longer than 1 year, and many that were nasty in 6 months. Skip sulfite at your own risk.
I add 1/4 tsp K-meta at each racking for each 5 to 6 US gallons of wine. Some say to test for SO2 and add less if indicated, but I've had no problems following the 1/4 tsp rule.
This doesn't mean I'm right; it means I have never had a problem.
Agreed. I have purchased numerous wines that were "organic" and did not use sulfite. I never had one that survived longer than 1 year, and many that were nasty in 6 months. Skip sulfite at your own risk.
Thank you all for your help! I’ve been doing kits for the last couple years, completely by the book so far. I figured that now I’ve got the hang of it I would delve a little deeper into the science of it and see what I can do to make the kits better. I appreciate the info.
