Sulphite

[Rewam]

Hello - I'm new so first of all, "Gday" everybody.
I feel a bit embarrassed as my first post is about a major stuff up and asking for help, but here goes:
Last year I made around 80 liters (20 gallons) of fruit wine, mandarin, plum and pear.
I have racked them off several times and ready to bottle but they (continue) to have a very strong sulphite taste, so strong as to be undrinkable.
Looking back at what I did (and here is the embarrassing thing) I realise that I was using a TABLESPOON in stead of a teaspoon and then might have even added a bit more to be sure.
I have read that splashing the wine might help but, does anybody have any other suggestions?
Can the wine be saved or is it destined for the still?
Thanks

 

[sour_grapes]

The good news is that the sulfites will dissipate. You can "splash rack" between carboys to reduce your sulfites, as suggested.

 

[Johny99]

Splash rack and time will help. But now, tell us more about that still!

Ps buy a scale and do you kmeta that way. Grams are grams.

 

[Rewam]

The good news is that the sulfites will dissipate. You can "splash rack" between carboys to reduce your sulfites, as suggested.

thank you very much for the reply
....but how long do I have to wait?
What I really mean is; if I were to bottle or just leave in a sealed bulk container, will the sulphites dissipate by themselves over time?
and how much time?
If I "splash rack" will this reduce the "shelf life" of the wine or make it oxidise - not that it matters a lot, I can't drink the stuff at the moment anyway

 

[Rewam]

Splash rack and time will help. But now, tell us more about that still!

Ps buy a scale and do you kmeta that way. Grams are grams.

Scales or maybe a pair of glasses and just read the instructions more carefully
as for the still, its a crude little thing I made but quite efficient, excellent for removing the alcohol from those batches of wine that just aren't good enough for the glass and then can be used to fortify desert wines or use in liqueurs.

 

[Johnd]

thank you very much for the reply
....but how long do I have to wait?
What I really mean is; if I were to bottle or just leave in a sealed bulk container, will the sulphites dissipate by themselves over time?
and how much time?
If I "splash rack" will this reduce the "shelf life" of the wine or make it oxidise - not that it matters a lot, I can't drink the stuff at the moment anyway

No one can answer your question definitively because no one knows how much sulfite is in your wine. Buy a free SO2 test kit, splash rack and test your sulfite til you get the free SO2 down to around 50 ppm, and bottle. Your wine will be just fine for years afterwards.

 

[Rewam]

No one can answer your question definitively because no one knows how much sulfite is in your wine. Buy a free SO2 test kit, splash rack and test your sulfite til you get the free SO2 down to around 50 ppm, and bottle. Your wine will be just fine for years afterwards.

Thanks JohnD - great suggestion - now to find a test kit, seems that no one in OZ is selling them and no one in the US wants to post one
Now, for academic interest, will SO2 eventually dissipate from a sealed bottle/container? I cannot see how but.....

 

[NorCal]

You want the wine to taste the way you want it to taste, before you bottle it. Don’t be afraid to splash the heck out of it, you will smell it blow off. You added about 150 ppm, which isn’t the end of the world. I would also guess that you may be smelling H2S, not the added SO2, which would benefit from splash racking as well. Also, as a note, we are not allowed to discuss distillation on the forum.

 

[Rewam]

You want the wine to taste the way you want it to taste, before you bottle it. Don’t be afraid to splash the heck out of it, you will smell it blow off. You added about 150 ppm, which isn’t the end of the world. I would also guess that you may be smelling H2S, not the added SO2, which would benefit from splash racking as well. Also, as a note, we are not allowed to discuss distillation on the forum.

Hello - thank you for the comments.
Not sure about the H2S, it is definitely a metabisulphate smell although it is interesting to know that sulphur dioxide can be an issue.
Looks like there is going to be some splashing happening around my place shortly, maybe I can make a mechanical splasher to help!
thanks for the heads up re distillation.

 

[user 36973]

A more contolled method than splashing the wine around is to dose it with hydrogen peroxide. This will definitely address the excess sulfites but you'll need to run a bench trial.

 

[Rewam]

A more contolled method than splashing the wine around is to dose it with hydrogen peroxide. This will definitely address the excess sulfites but you'll need to run a bench trial.

Thank you for that, I had wondered about that but didn't know if it would just neutralise each other or impart another taste, and how much do you use?
Love to hear some ideas on this

 

[user 36973]

Back of the envelope calculation says 1ml of 3% peroxide per liter treats 75ppm of SO2. In other words, it doesn't take much and it depends on how old your peroxide bottle is as to its current concentration. Be cautious and go slow with the additions so you don't overdose.