Torani syrups?

[BernardSmith]

Asking a question about the ability of yeast to ferment syrups when the ingredients include Sodium Benzoate as preservative. Can yeast get at the sugars or is, for example, Torani at best usable to back sweeten a wine? I am asking but I intend to check this out myself.

 

[Ohio Bob]

I’ve used Torani to flavor my blackberry ports. I would not recommend fermenting these syrups, but only use as a flavoring or back sweetening.

 

[BernardSmith]

Ohio Bob, Is that because the Benzoate acts much like K-Sorbate and prevents yeast from budding (reproducing)? Would a large enough colony of viable yeast cells overwhelm the preservative? Thanks.

 

[Rice_Guy]

What dilution were you thinking of? If you dilute enough there is a risk.

As an example I just tested strawberry at 2%, 4%, 6% rates. Because of dilution I added metabisulphite and sorbate to the gallon carboy before bottling. I don’t trust it when diluted.

The action of benzoate and sorbate are different. Sorbate attacks the cell walls of micro organisms when they are trying to reproduce. Benzoate will kill but mainly molds. Both chemicals can be produced naturally in some metabolic pathways, and detoxified by some organisms.

 

[Ohio Bob]

Ohio Bob, Is that because the Benzoate acts much like K-Sorbate and prevents yeast from budding (reproducing)? Would a large enough colony of viable yeast cells overwhelm the preservative? Thanks.

No, the flavor might not be the same if the syrup goes through fermentation, as opposed to post-fermentation. But that is speculation on my part.

 

[BernardSmith]

What dilution were you thinking of? If you dilute enough there is a risk.

As an example I just tested strawberry at 2%, 4%, 6% rates. Because of dilution I added metabisulphite and sorbate to the gallon carboy before bottling. I don’t trust it when diluted.

The action of benzoate and sorbate are different. Sorbate attacks the cell walls of micro organisms when they are trying to reproduce. Benzoate will kill but mainly molds. Both chemicals can be produced naturally in some metabolic pathways, and detoxified by some organisms.

Given that there are 19 g of sugar in every 2 T and so there are 152 g in every cup, so there are 608 g in 4 cups of the syrup is 1.3 lbs and so if 4 cups of the syrup is added to water to make 1 US gallon, the SG would be about 1.058 or a potential of about 7.5% which is a strong cider... BUT I have no idea how such a concentration of syrup might taste as a wine. I presume that if a portion is 2 T and that portion is added to say, coffee to flavor the coffee, then you are adding 2T to say, 6-8 fl oz. If a gallon is 128 Fl oz ,then you would be adding about 21 portions to a gallon but I would be adding about 32 portions to the same volume. I don't mind doing experiments but making a gallon from this syrup ain't inexpensive