RJ Spagnols Is it 100% necessary to add sulfite...

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mazzum

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If aging wines over 6 months. I have made close to 20 kits and have yet to add any. That said my wines have rarely made it past six months before they were sadly all gone. I now have enough to begin some extended aging but because I haven't used any type of sulfite I am fearing letting them go to far past 6 months. I will be starting a Brunello this week and am considering changing tactics but wanted some input from experienced makers first. Thanks in advance.
 
I wouldnt think of letting my wine go without protection!!! A sure add IMO!!!!
 
Mazzum, I guess the short answer is "no," it is not 100% necessary.


That being said, you had better be very sure of your procedures and processes. You must be sure that no appreciable amount ofoxygen comes in contact with the wine and that you are fully protected from many types of micro-organisms that can spoil the wine. These can be airborne, on you, on yourequipment or even in the juice when you purchase it.


Lastly, unless you or someone in your family has an allergy to sulfites and that is the reason for not using them, I would have to ask why you would not take this easy insurance step (which in itself is not fool proof)? Wine was made for thousands of years without sulfites and a lot of it spoiled. Why take the chance?
 
Rocky and Wade, thanks for the input. I guess to answer the question of why I haven't added in the past is; sometimes I feel less is more and maybe we tend to over-complicate simple things. As Rocky said it was made for 1000's of years without sulfites so why now? I am not opposed to adding it just wandering if everyone does and if you can have consistant success without it. I do follow stringent cleaning methods just for the record. Highly considering the addition by the way. And still worry about the bottles I have aging now. Guess I just need to man up and drink them all and start sufiting this week.
 
I wouldn't sweat it too much. I use as few clarifiers as possible (frequently, none) and actively avoid adding anything that is not 'native' to the wine, which is essentially grapes, yeast and maybe oak flavoring items (dust, cubes, spirals - which are all removed before bottling). That said, I do add k-meta at bottling time, but not as much as suggested (usually half or a little more of the kit's package, or ~1/16th teaspoon if it's not from a kit). If I am bulk aging it for a year, I will add it at least once during racking(s), but no batch gets more than three doses total.

Main thing I wanted to add, though, is that the problems that can arise from omitting sulfite will be gradual, over months, not overnight or a few days. If you notice some of the bottles you are aging starting to get worse instead of better (during periodic taste tests, of course), then drink it up and chalk it up to experience. But it won't suddenly go from great to horrible in one or two days' time, just because you omitted the sulfite - oxidization or contamination takes some time to have a dramatic effect on the bottle.
 
The sulfite that comes with the kit will normally protect the wine for 2 to 3 years if the wine isn't exposed to an unusual amount of oxygen. Winexpert kit instructions call for an extra 1/4 tsp of Kmeta at bottling if the wine won't be consumed within 6 months, but I have read that that isn't strictly necessary if you use appropriate winemaking techniques.
 
You are right it was made for 1000's of years but lots of that wine went bad due to this, its why we add it now to protect our investment.
 
Actually sulfides have been used to protect wine for a couple thousand years. We know it was used by the Romans and perhap by others before them. Why not use a practice that hasbeen proven to be safe and effective over such a long time?
 
Mazzum...


I'm a little unsure of your exact question. This post is in the Spagnols KIT forum. You mention starting a Brunello, presumably a kit. So my answer is for such a kit.


Kits come with a package of sulphite to be added post fermentation (with sorbate and clearing agents). Most kits also suggest/recommend adding extra sulphite (not included with the kit) if keeping the wine longer than a certain period of time.


Have you been adding the sulphite that comes with the kit? If not, you should be, even for wines being kept less than 6 months.


Are you asking if you should be adding the extra sulphite (usually prior to bottling)? That's personal choice. I tend not to add it. Many others do addit.


Steve
 
Yes, I have been adding the sulfite in the kit. Just not adding any additional.
 
My apologies for the poor wording in my original post now that I go back and reread it. My question is specifically about additional sulfite prior to bottling.
 
If I were to age it past 4 months in the carboy te I would add the additional. Also, if I were to be bottling my wine wit plans on it sitting for a few years before opening it like an Amarone would need then again I would add it. If this was a something I planned on opening and to start drinking I wouldnt bother.
 

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