Stabilizing: Add potassium sorbate?

[Ignoble Grape]

So I made a second batch of orange/raisin wine and it underwent spontaneous MLF. Wasn't thrilled with the final flavor, so back sweetened with 1.5 cup sugar dissolved into 1 cup water and added about 3 cups of Brandy. It's nice now and I added 1 crushed Camden tablet. Ready to bottle. Do I really need to add the potassium sorbate as well? What I'm reading about indicates it can lead to off flavors for long-term storage and this is one I'd like to age. Total of a little more than 1 gl.

Maybe I'm kidding myself, tho and it'll be gone in a month. It's pretty nice. Add enough Brandy and sugar, and you've got a winner...

 

[BenK]

Do not add sorbate if you think it went through MLF.

 

[sour_grapes]

With very little malic acid in your must to start with, what makes you think you had MLF?

 

[Julie]

I agree with the others why do you think it went thru MLF and since you added sugar, you will need to add sorbate or you will have a very good possibility of it re-fermenting. Also, I have never had a wine that I backsweetened have a off flavor with sorbate.

 

[Johnd]

Very doubtful that your wine went through spontaneous MLF. At any rate, if you’ll give us more info about the wine, like it’s starting and finishing Sg, volume, and ABV of the brandy you added, it may be that you’ve gotten your ABV to a high enough level where sorbate is unnecessary.

 

[dralarms]

Very doubtful that your wine went through spontaneous MLF. At any rate, if you’ll give us more info about the wine, like it’s starting and finishing Sg, volume, and ABV of the brandy you added, it may be that you’ve gotten your ABV to a high enough level where sorbate is unnecessary.

I’m glad to hear this. I’ve actually been worried about mlf starting without my intervention.

 

[Johnd]

I’m glad to hear this. I’ve actually been worried about mlf starting without my intervention.

Any close to sufficient sulfite protocol will prevent LAB from taking hold in our wines, if any are ever present without being purposely introduced.

 

[Ignoble Grape]

Very doubtful that your wine went through spontaneous MLF. At any rate, if you’ll give us more info about the wine, like it’s starting and finishing Sg, volume, and ABV of the brandy you added, it may be that you’ve gotten your ABV to a high enough level where sorbate is unnecessary.

ABV of Brandy is 40%. Wine was 10%. I'm at a little more than a gallon. 7/8ths of the gallon are the wine, 1.5 cups of sugar water, 3 cups of brandy. Here's the info link I was reading about postassium sorbate: http://winemakersacademy.com/potassium-sorbate-wine-making/

About 4 months ago, some mysterious action started in the carboy again post fermentation. Left a lovely toasted almond flavor - assumed it was MLF. Left it to continue to sit. Went to check on it the other day and it had off-notes of rubber. Trying to salvage it with the brandy/backsweetening and it is lovely, but I do want it to keep.

 

[Johnd]

ABV of Brandy is 40%. Wine was 10%. I'm at a little more than a gallon. 7/8ths of the gallon are the wine, 1.5 cups of sugar water, 3 cups of brandy. Here's the info link I was reading about postassium sorbate: http://winemakersacademy.com/potassium-sorbate-wine-making/

About 4 months ago, some mysterious action started in the carboy again post fermentation. Left a lovely toasted almond flavor - assumed it was MLF. Left it to continue to sit. Went to check on it the other day and it had off-notes of rubber. Trying to salvage it with the brandy/backsweetening and it is lovely, but I do want it to keep.

Assuming that the following is true:

You started with 7/8 (.875) gallons of wine at 10% ABV, and added 1.5 cups (.09375 gallons) of sugar water, the resultant wine was .96875 gallons at 8.93% ABV.

To the resultant wine you added 3 cups (.1875 gallons) of 40% ABV brandy, yielding 1.16 gallons of wine at 13.972%.

So you're right at 14 % ABV with your wine. Admittedly, lots of folks have trouble restarting a stopped fermentation with that level of alcohol already present, but you're not out of the woods. Most port style wines shoot for ABV in the 20% range, putting the risk for renewed fermentation at nil. You'll have to spin the wheel and decide whether or not you want to take the risk at 14% ABV, or whether you want to add the potassium sorbate............

 

[Ignoble Grape]

Assuming that the following is true:

You started with 7/8 (.875) gallons of wine at 10% ABV, and added 1.5 cups (.09375 gallons) of sugar water, the resultant wine was .96875 gallons at 8.93% ABV.

To the resultant wine you added 3 cups (.1875 gallons) of 40% ABV brandy, yielding 1.16 gallons of wine at 13.972%.

So you're right at 14 % ABV with your wine. Admittedly, lots of folks have trouble restarting a stopped fermentation with that level of alcohol already present, but you're not out of the woods. Most port style wines shoot for ABV in the 20% range, putting the risk for renewed fermentation at nil. You'll have to spin the wheel and decide whether or not you want to take the risk at 14% ABV, or whether you want to add the potassium sorbate............

Thanks! I'm going to batch it. 1 bottle without potassium sorbate, the remaining with. Will use 375ml bottles and see what happens!