Too Much K-Meta!

[Traverse]

So I'm pretty much a beginner. I have 3 wines going since last year and I've been trying to figure out why they taste like crap. Well the actual taste isn't bad, its the smell and the zing that hits my throat that's bad. I have come to the conclusion that I think I have too much K-meta in each batch; what exactly would this taste like? I don't know enough to be able to say for sure. I followed directions (1 campden tablet when racked every 45 days or so) but I think that was excessive. I tasted my Cab on Saturday night and it burnt my throat, I can still feel it today. When I swirled it and shook the bottle, the zing went down a little which is what lead me to believe it was a K-meta Problem. How can i fix this? I know I'm going to have to uncork everything :/ but I really want this wine to turn out well. I remember reading about an S02(?) detector; is this something I should get?

-Traverse

 

[DoctorCAD]

Excess CO2 gives that zing feeling. Did you degas?

Your 1 campden tablet every 45 days might be a bit high, but not excessive. That is 1 tablet per gallon, right?

 

[djrockinsteve]

Open a bottle and let it rest overnight. That will allow the sulfite to escape. Often times after a few hours you can taste the difference if there is too much sulfite there.

For my juice buckets I do not sulfite until after I rack when fermentation is complete. Then I add 1/4 teaspoon for 5 gallons.

6 weeks later when I rack off of sediment I add a pinch (1/8th) teaspoon.

After it has aged I add about half a pinch when I back sweeten. No more. I have tested the levels which vary but all are in an acceptable range at bottling.

I don't use Camden tablets but potassium meta bisulfide from a jar.

 

[Traverse]

Yes, I degassed and it doesn't seem like there is any fizz in it, it just burns and the smell stings the nose a bit too. I was putting 2 tablet for every 3 gallons.

dj - I will do that tomorrow. If it does help, I can open all the bottles up, throw them in a carboy and let it sit in open air; for about how long for say around 5 gallons? Will that put me in danger of oxidation? Dang, those SO2 kits are pricey.

-Traverse

 

[Pumpkinman]

Traverse, I don't think that you want to keep the wine (all of the wine) in open air, it will get oxidized fast, you need to have it topped off with an airlock.
SO2 kits are pricey....tossing all of the wine down the drain is much more pricey.

What kind of wine are they?
Is the wine made from a Kit, Juice Bucket, Fresh Grapes, or a country/fruit wine?
What variety of wine is it (Merlot, Amarone, Moscato and so on)?
When was it started?
Did you take a starting gravity with a hydrometer?
What yeast was used?
Did you use Yeast nutrients?
Did you test for PH, TA and SO2 levels?
What is the temperature of the wine and the ambient temperature where the wine is in process?
Is there any off or foul odors, if so please describe them?
Does the must or wine have an off or foul flavors, if so, please describe.
Did you add any additives (Meta, Campden, Sorbate and so on)?
Did you rack to a carboy/secondary, if so, what was the gravity reading?
Did you start MLF, if so which MLB was used?
Was a MLB nutrient used?
Did you back Sweeten? If so, with what and did you stabilize with Meta and/or Sorbate?

 

[Traverse]

That's a lot of questions to answer lol. I am new to this but I do know quite a bit so I'm going to skip some of your questions, not to be rude - just tired. I've got 2 kit wines:Cab Sauv and Riesling, and one made from scratch - raspberry. Riesling is over a year, cab sauv is a year and rasp is 10 months. I only learned to test TA in the must AFTER all of mine had fermented...but i know now. No foul odors in must, but now they have a stinging smell that I'm pretty sure belongs to the KMeta. No other additives (beside nutrients n stuff). Gravity on all were within normal range, I've racked several times since they were born. No Mlf, no back sweeten.

So my wine is at my buddys house, and that wine we tried sat open for a couple days and he told me it tasted much better than it did before so I think that I just have to let it air out. So you say not to leave it in open air - if I put an air lock on it, will the sulfites eventually escape? and how long do you think it would take? Ballpark

-Traverse

 

[djrockinsteve]

Yes don't let wine sit open to air. I meant when you open to drink let it open a bit.

You could splash rack.

 

[Traverse]

Ok, I knew what you meant I was just thinking if it works for a small amount it may work for more. I guess I'll splash rack and just wait for it all to leech out. Thanks all,

-Joel