xmas toyz - SO2

[BobF]

I just ran my first free SO2 test using the A/O setup I got for xmas. I have always made sulfite additions via the calendar & alternate racking methods.

Approx 1 month ago I stabalized (sulfite/sorbate) a concord batch. In preparation for bottling, I ran the SO2 test to see where it was at.

12.8ppm - not nearly enough! I'm surprised to see the numbers this low. I'll be normalizing my sulfite stock and watching SO2 much more closely.

I've never had a problem, but I'm glad I'm refining my processes before I do. Some of these batches have a lot of time and blood in them ...

 

[AlFulchino]

actually there is nothing wrong w 12.8 under the right circumstances

but forgetting that for a moment..how many gallons in this patch and how much sulfite did you add back then?

 

[BobF]

3g batch. I added the equivalent of 1/4 tsp to 5g

 

[AlFulchino]

then i am surprised at the 12.8...it should be higher....is the kmeta a bit on the old side? that might be the source of things....or if you splash racked it at all, that could also do it

nevertheless, if kept under airlock then a 12.8 wont be bad at all

 

[BobF]

I'm OK with 12.8 until I bottle. That's when I want to boost it up to 40-ish for aging.

I've had the k-meta for a while. I make a solution for additions. That's why I mentioned normalizing. My plan is to do an addition to a gallon of water and measure the results.

That will tell me how much to add to get what I want out of it.

This is exactly the reason I decided to set this up. I like to *know* 'how much' stuff I'm adding when I make an addition.

 

[surlees]

Bob,

I've had the k-meta for a while. I make a solution for additions. That's why I mentioned normalizing. My plan is to do an addition to a gallon of water and measure the results.

The proper way to standardize your A/O setup for accurate results is to use Potassium Acid Phthalate to find the actual normality of the .01N NaOH you're using. Over time, NaOH will weaken as it absorbs moisture from the air. It's very hygroscopic. What you think is .01N may actually have deteriorated to .098 or some other value. This will affect your results. You don't need to throw out "old" NaOH, but you do need to know its actual strength. I won't go into the procedure here because you can probably search the forum and find what you need to know. Any questions, please let me know.

Fred

 

[ibglowin]

Congrats on the new A/O setup. Love mine as well. I had the exact opposite problem. I was adding every 90 days and not needing it. I am finding that I can go with the initial packet and thats it depending on how long I bulk age.

I agree with Al. That amount sounded very low for an initial dose. A 6 gallon wine kit will come with a 5gm pack of sulfite crystals. This would equate to 2.5 grams for a 3 gallon batch. It is hard to weigh 2.5 grams accurately on a cheap scale, they could be off by quite a bit at that low a level. They become more accurate at higher levels (~50 gm usually)

Remember Sulfite levels are based on:

1) Wine type, Red requires less than a White
2) pH, as pH goes down, the levels required to protect your wine also go down. You should be able to find a table online that will give you the correct dose at a certain pH.