Sulphites...

[BrewerJ]

So I'm new to this forum and have been searching all over the place for an answer in this direction. Hopefully someone can give me an answer.

I'm not a winemaker by any means, but I am a brewer. I'm currently looking into brewing a Belgian ale with an addition of grape must. I'm looking at adding the grape must about a third of the way through primary fermentation, and am slightly concerned with contamination of the beer from fun stuff living on the juice. I'd be selecting a wine kit and using the juice provided.

My question is this, should I be adding sulphites or heating the juice first and holding at a temp, then cooling quickly? I don't want to kill off my yeast though, so I'm not real sure where to go with this.

Any help would be great. Thank you in advance!

 

[Deezil]

If you're using a wine kit, I'm pretty sure they're close-to, if not actually, pasteurized. There won't be much alive in that bag of juice to contaminate anything.

 

[stef57]

I agree with Deezil,
When you purchase a wine kit, the must is in a sanitize bag or pail and it is ready for yeast. They're is no need to heat the must before pitching.

If it's safe for wine yeast, it should be just fine for their beer counterparts...

If you are still concerned, I guess it wouldn't hurt anything to heat it to 72c (160f). It only takes a few seconds to pasteurize at that temperature.
I certainly wouldn't add sulphites to it though

But again, I'm sure it's just fine right out of the box

 

[stef57]

Oh and welcome to the forum

 

[vacuumpumpman]

welcome to the forum !!

 

[sour_grapes]

Welcome to wineland, BrewerJ!

 

[mmadmikes1]

Ya, wine kit sounds like best bet. Really hate having to agree with Deezil.

 

[Deezil]

Really hate having to agree with Deezil.

Lmao, you'll survive

 

[BrewerJ]

Awesome! Thanks guys! Sorry it took a while to get back on here. Been busy at home and in the brewery.

I've decided to add 2.5 gallons into the kettle at flame out during whirlpool, and another 2.5 gallons post fermentation to back-sweeten based on the advice in this thread. Thanks again!

Cheers!

 

[PhilDarby]

I agree as well im sure the factory will have sterilised the juice before dispatch, also, you might be able to use grape concentrate for the same reasons, this year they are in short supply but it wont aways be the case I expect.