When to stabilize apple wine?

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RedneckRich

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Greetings. I have six gallons of apple wine that I made from apple juice - no water added. I racked it and topped it off with water when it finished fermenting about a week ago (no other additives). It has settled out nicely and I'm getting ready to rack it again. When should I add potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite? And how much of each should I add? I plan to let it continue to clear naturally for a while, and later use fining agents if I need to. I plan to eventually sweeten it with wine conditioner just before bottling.

Any/all advice appreciated. I've made many kits but I'm new to wine from fruit. Thanks!
 
You should add some metabisulphite soon. How much, the answer depends on the pH of the wine. But 1/4 tsp is probably close. Rack ever the months or so. If you need to add clearing agents do it after the third or fourth racking. Potassium sorbate before you backsweeten. And you might consider just sugar or maybe brown sugar dissolved in your wine. Many folks report odd tastes from wine conditioner.
 
Greetings. I have six gallons of apple wine that I made from apple juice - no water added. I racked it and topped it off with water when it finished fermenting about a week ago (no other additives). It has settled out nicely and I'm getting ready to rack it again. When should I add potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite? And how much of each should I add? I plan to let it continue to clear naturally for a while, and later use fining agents if I need to. I plan to eventually sweeten it with wine conditioner just before bottling.

Any/all advice appreciated. I've made many kits but I'm new to wine from fruit. Thanks!

You can add your Kmeta now, 1/4 tsp/6 gallons every three months is a rule of thumb if you don't have the capability of testing pH and free sulfite to adjust as needed.

Wait to add your sorbate until you are ready to sweeten, and do it in close proximity to your next SO2 adjustment in three or six months, let it sit a bit, then sweeten. You'll still be able to continue clearing after adding your sweetener, so that timing isn't so critical.
 
Done. Racked and added 1/4 tsp K-meta. Topped up with water. I'll rack it again in 3 months or when I have enough sediment to justify racking it. I have an acid test kit. Can I use it to test free sulfite if I buy a different chemical? I have Ph test strips. Close enough???
 
Done. Racked and added 1/4 tsp K-meta. Topped up with water. I'll rack it again in 3 months or when I have enough sediment to justify racking it. I have an acid test kit. Can I use it to test free sulfite if I buy a different chemical? I have Ph test strips. Close enough???

Acid test kit won't do much good testing for free sulfite. As afar ac pH testing, I'd imagine that in a white wine, the pH test strips are a lot easier to read than red wine.
 

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