Stabilizing new batch?
- Thread starter Hoonakwa
- Start date
Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:
Typically, stabilizing means to add potassium sorbate.
This is to prevent fermentation starting again, especially if you intend to backsweeten the wine.
This is to prevent fermentation starting again, especially if you intend to backsweeten the wine.
If you are bottling a dry wine (fermented to completion [all sugar consumed], not backsweetened), stabilization is not required.
If you are going to sweeten the wine before bottling (common with non-grape wines, which benefit from at least a bit of sugar), if you do not stabilize, the fermentation will probably restart in the bottle. This is often referred to as "bottle bombs", but unless you are using screwcap bottles, it's not "bombs". What you get are mini-volcanoes, as the yeast eats the sugar and emits alcohol and CO2. The CO2 blows the corks and you clean up the mess.
Before backsweetening the wine, add 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite (K-meta) per 5 gallons of wine (this is a very small amount) and typically 1/2 tsp potassium sorbate per 1 gallon. Then sweeten to taste and bottle. Sorbate + K-meta prevent a renewed fermentation in a wine which does not have active fermentation.
If you are not backsweetening, add the K-meta. It is an antioxidant and preservative, which extends the shelf life of your wine.
If you are going to sweeten the wine before bottling (common with non-grape wines, which benefit from at least a bit of sugar), if you do not stabilize, the fermentation will probably restart in the bottle. This is often referred to as "bottle bombs", but unless you are using screwcap bottles, it's not "bombs". What you get are mini-volcanoes, as the yeast eats the sugar and emits alcohol and CO2. The CO2 blows the corks and you clean up the mess.
Before backsweetening the wine, add 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite (K-meta) per 5 gallons of wine (this is a very small amount) and typically 1/2 tsp potassium sorbate per 1 gallon. Then sweeten to taste and bottle. Sorbate + K-meta prevent a renewed fermentation in a wine which does not have active fermentation.
If you are not backsweetening, add the K-meta. It is an antioxidant and preservative, which extends the shelf life of your wine.
Thanks Thats what I thought but wanted to make sure.If you are bottling a dry wine (fermented to completion [all sugar consumed], not backsweetened), stabilization is not required.
If you are going to sweeten the wine before bottling (common with non-grape wines, which benefit from at least a bit of sugar), if you do not stabilize, the fermentation will probably restart in the bottle. This is often referred to as "bottle bombs", but unless you are using screwcap bottles, it's not "bombs". What you get are mini-volcanoes, as the yeast eats the sugar and emits alcohol and CO2. The CO2 blows the corks and you clean up the mess.
Before backsweetening the wine, add 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite (K-meta) per 5 gallons of wine (this is a very small amount) and typically 1/2 tsp potassium sorbate per 1 gallon. Then sweeten to taste and bottle. Sorbate + K-meta prevent a renewed fermentation in a wine which does not have active fermentation.
If you are not backsweetening, add the K-meta. It is an antioxidant and preservative, which extends the shelf life of your wine.
Thanks for your reply, thats what I thought but wanted to make sure.
