WineXpert Stabilizing Wine

[rdemone]

Hi. My kit did not inlcude a kmeta pack only icing glace and sorbate. So long story short, I have stabilized my wine yesterday without adding any kmeta. Is it too late to add now. What exactly should I do?

 

[ArdenS]

Icing glaze??? Sounds like a cake recipe!

 

[rdemone]

thanks for the help

 

[diggerdan17]

Go ahead and add 1/4 tsp of kmeta per 6 gallons, you will be fine.

 

[ArdenS]

Sorry, wasn't trying to be unhelpful, just surprised. Now that I look at it again I recognize that it was isinglas, a fining agent made from the swim bladders of fish. I am surprised, though, that the manufacturer didn't include some K-meta (perhaps under some other name). I don't have much experience with Winexpert, so someone else will have to comment on their practice in that regard. The advice, though, is good to add some K-meta at this point. It'll help protect your wine while it's in secondary.

 

[rdemone]

Great! Thank you. I'll add the 1/4 tsp today. I'm assuming just a light stir?

 

[Runningwolf]

Yes I agree with abone. Add the 1/4 tsp asap.

 

[PeterZ]

Draw about 1/4 cup of wine out of the carboy, dissolve the K-meta in that, and then stir it in.

 

[v1rotate]

I'm not sure 1/4 tsp is enough KM for the stabilize step. Isn't the packet usually labeled 5gm? Maybe I am remembering wrong, but I thought KM weighed roughly 6gm per tsp. I have a couple of WE Primitivo kits unopened in the wine cellar I could check if no one knows.

 

[ArdenS]

Jim,

I believe you are correct about the weight equivalent for K-meta - 1/4 tsp is app 1.4 gm and 1 tsp app 6.2 gm. All other things being equal, 1/4 tsp of K-meta should result in about 45 ppm in 5 gallons. Obviously, a lot of that is going to get bound, so that if you were to test it your measurement would likely not be that high.

Arden

 

[cpfan]

Arden: WE usually includes a K-meta packet with the kit.


redmone: My notes indicate that the packet is NOT labelled with an amount. Suggest that you callor emailWE. They should be able to answer.


Steve

 

[rdemone]

Thank you all this is very helpful...I have noticed more than1 inch of accumulation at the bottom of the carboy. Should I consider syphoning to another secondary or just let be for the next 2-3 weeks until clear?

 

[v1rotate]

It won't hurt anything to let the wine sit on the lees for a couple of weeks. You will probably want to rack to a clean carboy (if available, else to the fermentation bucket while you clean your carboy) and let it rest for a couple of months before bottling.

Call Winexpert to report a kit without KMeta. They will let you know how much to add. I'm thinking the amount should be 3/4 tsp, but check with them.

Which kit are we talking about, by the way?

 

[Runningwolf]

It won't hurt anything to let the wine sit on the lees for a couple of weeks. You will probably want to rack to a clean carboy (if available, else to the fermentation bucket while you clean your carboy) and let it rest for a couple of months before bottling.

Call Winexpert to report a kit without KMeta. They will let you know how much to add. I'm thinking the amount should be 3/4 tsp, but check with them.

Which kit are we talking about, by the way?

Recommended dosage is 1/4 tsp per 5-6 gallons. The kmeta that comes in kits could have a different potency. Stick with the instructions on your bottle of k-meta and add it as Peter instructed. I am thinking the above poster meant 1/4 tsp.

 

[v1rotate]

Recommended dosage is 1/4 tsp per 5-6 gallons. The kmeta that comes in kits could have a different potency. Stick with the instructions on your bottle of k-meta and add it as Peter instructed. I am thinking the above poster meant 1/4 tsp.

I just looked at a package of KM included with my MMM OVZ and it is 5gm. This would correspond to about 3/4 tsp of KM. I suspect that quite a bit gets bound right away with the oxygen rich wine after stabilizing, thus the seemingly high dosage included with kits for the stabilizing step.

I know that the "recommended dosage" of KM is 1/4 tsp if you are bottling and not planning to finish the batch within 6 months (for WE kits anyway) and 1/4 tsp if you are doing extended bulk aging and you rack every 3 months, but I believe the correct amount that should be added at stabilizing is 3/4 tsp. A quick call to WE by the OP will clear this up immediately.

 

[rdemone]

It was the Vintners Reserve Merlot wine kit by WE. I gave WEa call and they did say to add 3/4 tsp and 1/4 tsp extra if you age for more than 6 months. Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Runningwolf]

WOW, thanks for the update and education for me. I assumed and yup I know what it means!

 

[ArdenS]

Thanks for that feedback from WE; good information.

 

[Flem]

Dan, When you stabilize your juice buckets, how much K-meta will you add? 1/4 tsp? 3/4 tsp? Curious.

 

[Runningwolf]

Dan, When you stabilize your juice buckets, how much K-meta will you add? 1/4 tsp? 3/4 tsp? Curious.

1/4 tsp. I will then test the S02 level later.