K-Meta and Frequency

Was thinking about this over the weekend. As a guideline, when bulk aging in a carboy, you should rack every 3-4 months and add 1/4 tsp. of K-Meta at that time.
My question(s) is, why do you need to add the K-Meta? Is it due to the exposure to air when racking?
If you don't rack every 3-4 months, and say bulk age for 6-8 months without racking, do you need to add K-Meta, as the carboy is under airlock?

When you add SO2 to a wine, the first thing you need to understand is that a portion of it gets bound to the acetaldehyde,yeast, bacteria, oxygen and sugars in the wine or must. The rest stays unbound and is called "free" SO2. It is the free SO2--not the bound--that protects your wine.

So the goal is to use as little SO2 as possible because too much will give it a sulfite aroma and taste. So the amount of SO2 that will end up as free is in direct relation to the PH. A wine with a PH of 3.2 needs about 20PPM of free SO2, while a wine with a PH of 3.8 needs about 80 PPM.

This is another reason why you should own a PH meter and always know the PH of your wine even if you usually don't do any PH adjustment of the must before fermentation. Otherwise, you don't know where you're going. An SO2 test kit is a good tool to learn where your wines are at and how much SO2 needs to be added.

If you have sufficient SO2 in the wine after you get it in the carboy, you might only have to make 1 more SO2 addition during one of the rackings, and then once you get the right amount of free SO2, you might not need any again until bottling time at the end of the 8 months of bulk aging. Doing the SO2 test will tell you where you need to go.

If you go to the MoreWine website, they have a free download called MoreManual on SO2 Management. Probably something you'd enjoy reading so that you have a better understanding of this subject.

I have racked my wine twice in the last 2 weeks, just got the AI1 and trying to degass.

This means I have racked the same wine 3 times in the last 3 months. I had added K-meta in august with my last rack (initial K-meta was in April when Ferm stopped).

I was going to hold off my last dose of K-meta until I bottle in October,
Does that sound right?

I am always concerned about excessive K-meta.

Elmer--what kind of wine is this? I really discourage manual degassing unless you're working with a kit or some early drinking wine.

The only way to know where you're at is an SO2 test kit. For new, and unexperienced winemakers, doing a few SO2 tests will tell you where you're at, with the frequency and amounts of meta you are typically using during rackings. This is the only way to tell, otherwise we're all just guessing. Remember too--the PH of the wine is important to know when you are trying to determine the correct amount of free SO2.

Turock said:

Elmer--what kind of wine is this? I really discourage manual degassing unless you're working with a kit or some early drinking wine.

The only way to know where you're at is an SO2 test kit. For new, and unexperienced winemakers, doing a few SO2 tests will tell you where you're at, with the frequency and amounts of meta you are typically using during rackings. This is the only way to tell, otherwise we're all just guessing. Remember too--the PH of the wine is important to know when you are trying to determine the correct amount of free SO2.

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It is a Mosti Mondale, Cab Franc.
I had begun this wine in March and been using a auto siphone which just added gas to it. (even thought I would degass for an hour, when I auto siphoned to rack, it just got added back it.)
now that I had the AI1 pump I wanted to get it degassed in hopes that it would clear alittle better.
I was trying to avoid adding sparkalloid, but I was intent on bottling in Oct, can push back to November, because this batch has to be ready to be a holiday gift!

Bottom line, I was off my schedule in making it and I am trying to make up some time with my last low end kit!

Turock said:

If you go to the MoreWine website, they have a free download called MoreManual on SO2 Management. Probably something you'd enjoy reading so that you have a better understanding of this subject.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. I will definitely read it when I get a chance. And it sounds like I need a new piece of equipment, PH meter.

Elmer---So this is a kit and degassing is proper for it. What do the kit instructions advise? As a rule of thumb, if you don't test the SO2, you can figure that 50PPM is plenty for protection. This is a red kit with a higher PH--so 50 PPM of free SO2 would be fine, especially if you haven't added meta since the ferment, and considering the manual degassing which can introduce O2.

If the kit wants you to add the sparkaloid, shouldn't you use it????

Turock said:

Elmer---So this is a kit and degassing is proper for it. What do the kit instructions advise? As a rule of thumb, if you don't test the SO2, you can figure that 50PPM is plenty for protection. This is a red kit with a higher PH--so 50 PPM of free SO2 would be fine, especially if you haven't added meta since the ferment, and considering the manual degassing which can introduce O2.

If the kit wants you to add the sparkaloid, shouldn't you use it????

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I dont really read Mosti Mondale directions anymore.
There is no mention of sparkalloid and the directions indicate the kit would be clear and drinkable by day 30 (I am on day 160 ish).