Residual k meta left in bottles

[Gekko4321]

I cleaned my bottles and then sanitized with K meta (2 oz per 1 gall). I took the advice to not rinse afterward. The next day when I went to bottle I noted a k meta crust on the lip of the bottle after taking it off the bottle tree. It got me thinking. Since the concentrate in santizing is so much more intense than in preserving (1/4 teas every 3 mo.), what kind of additional SO2 are we adding by letting the SO2 dry in bottle prior to bottling? Thanks.

 

[cpfan]

I have no idea how to answer your question, but I don't think you should sanitize the day before and let the K-meta dry.


Shortly before filling, I sanitize the bottles, drain on the tree, and shake out any excess liquid prior to filling.


Steve

 

[Gekko4321]

I am not sure what the difference would be except my bottles would have less SO2 than yours by draining overnight.

 

[grapeman]

The difference is that yours were sanitized the day before filling and may have been slightly contaminated by now (although unlikely). Think of the operating room team prepping you for surgery the day before operating - there is the chance for bacteria to land on the operating site and you could get an infection.

 

[PeterZ]

The actual K-meta left behind by sanitizing is not enough to contribute a detectable increase in SO2 in the wine. The drop that dried on the mouth of the bottle is about .05 ml. It contains less than 1 mg of K-meta.

 

[cpfan]

I am not sure what the difference would be except my bottles would have less SO2 than yours by draining overnight.

I guess one big difference....Mine don't have white spots to worry about.

EDIT: A little more seriously. Part of the purpose of these forums is to encourage best practices. It may not be worded that way at times, but I believe it's true. In this case, sanitizing the day before is NOT a best practice.


Steve

 

[Gekko4321]

I am not too worried about cross contamination. They sit on a bottle tree in an enclosed room with no activity. There was still moisture in the bottle after 20 hours fyi, just the part outside the bottle had dried. I will take the advice given and not do such again though. Cleaning, sanitizing, bottling is a full day for me and was trying to break it up a bit. Thanks Peter Z for the answer to my question. I calculated that 1/4 teas. to 6 gallons compared to 2 oz. to 1 gallon comes down to a strength of 288 times in the sanitizing spray versus the preserving addition. Thats what sent me on this quest for knowledge. I recognize your spraying a portion in and then most falls out. I thought it was curious how much was behind-dried or otherwise. I would think spraying the inside and not allowing it to drain properly could be a cause of concern though to all those who "spray and go". Just thought I would share that. Thx all.

 

[Wade E]

Dont worry about the minute amount in the bottles, you have to realize that our S02 levels are typically way less then commercial levels and whats left in the bottle even after letting them just drip for awhile wont raise it much to a volume of 750ml.

 

[Runningwolf]

Most of the time when we bottle we have less S02 in the wine then you think you have. You may have tested you wine and added the amount needed to get to 35ppm but have you ever tested it a week later to see what it really is? Now on top of that, once you filter, rack and bottle you have lost another good bit of it. I have noticed up to a 30% loss from filtering and bottling.

 

[cpfan]

Cleaning, sanitizing, bottling is a full day for me and was trying to break it up a bit.

Cleaning bottles is an any time activity. Do itin advance or the day before. Especially if you have commercial labels to remove. Also...rinse bottles immediately, it cuts down on the crap inside the bottles. If getting them from friends...rinse immediately, and encourage them to rinse, as well.


How many bottles are you trying to bottle at once? My buddy and I would do two kits on a Saturday or Sunday. The 60 bottles were clean in advance. In the morning, we'd do the first batch...filter, bottle, cork, label, and shrink. Break for lunch, and then do the second batch....filter, bottle, cork, label, and shrink. Then some days we'd start another kit, or rack a batch, or do whatever else needed doing.


Steve

 

[Runningwolf]

Steve I agree with you on the cleaning part. At most any time I have 20-50 cases of cleaned/delabled bottles ready to go but I do the sanitizing just before bottling.

 

[ibglowin]

It takes me almost a week to "properly" clean and prep 30 bottles for bottling. Still not sure how you do so many so fast! Oh wait, I have never had a cork pop post bottling .......

 

[rsportsman]

Sulfite in water gets oxidized by dissolved oxygen at a rate of about 50% per minute (E. C. Fuller, R. H. Crist, "The Rate of Oxidation of Sulfite Ions by Oxygen" J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1941, 63 (6), pp 1644–1650)

Now this rate may vary depending on conditions (and it is reported to be rather slower in wine), but the point is, it doesn't hang around very long when oxygen is freely present.

 

[jswordy]

Dont worry about the minute amount in the bottles, you have to realize that our S02 levels are typically way less then commercial levels and whats left in the bottle even after letting them just drip for awhile wont raise it much to a volume of 750ml.

So true, Wade! I am pratically ruined as far as some commercial wines now, since I frequently have an aftertaste of sulphur, while a friend also imbibing of it will have no such response.

 

[robie]

Cleaning, sanitizing, bottling is a full day for me and was trying to break it up a bit.

I hear you on that one, then if you add removing the labels.

I remove labels over a several month time frame. Since I scrap off the old labels, I do a few at a time, while watching TV. Others have different/better delabeling methods.

I will generally clean and rinse my bottles one day. Then the next day, I sanitize and bottle. Labeling? What's that? Just kidding! I don't get into much of a hurry getting the labels on, but I do eventually get around to it.

You know, if you get a vacuum pump and bottling system, like the allinonepump, it really cuts down on bottling time and wasted wine. Once I have my bottles sanitized, I can fill and cork 30 bottles in 30 minutes. Trying to use the old bottling wand was a disaster for me. I could easily waste as much as a full bottle of wine, trying to get that thing to stop before it runs over.