Do you need to use Potassium Sorbate?

[brottman]

Can someone help me set the record straight - in wine making, do you have to use Potassium Sorbate? I've got a mead going right now that I wasn't planning on addking Ksorb, and was just going to let it bulk age and clear on its own for about a year. I did however add Kmeta to it, as I know that is important.

Put another way - is there any drawback if someone chose not to add Potassium Sorbate to a wine? (other than back sweetening - I know what a disaster that could be).

I'm still new to winemaking and love that I can come here to get all my questions answered!

 

[codeman]

Sorbate is birth control for yeast. If you're not backsweetening or adding any other sugars you should be fine without sorbate, but i don't know as I've always used it.

 

[richmke]

I have skipped K-Sorbate on kits where there is no back sweetening. So far, no problems.

 

[ibglowin]

Sorbate is an insurance agent in case you weren't paying attention and or your wine didn't ferment to dry and you didn't notice and bottled it anyway. It also has anti-microbial properties as well. Not needed if the wine was fermented to dry and you practice good sanitization. Like others have said if you add an f-pack or backsweeten your wine then yes, you need it to keep the yeast from coming back to life and turning your wine into Champagne.

 

[brottman]

Is it possible to backsweeten a wine with no sorbate (using real sugar) that has been dry and aging in a carboy for months? Or will this restart fermentation no matter how long you wait?

 

[Arne]

Is it possible to backsweeten a wine with no sorbate (using real sugar) that has been dry and aging in a carboy for months? Or will this restart fermentation no matter how long you wait?

Chances are good that it will start a referment. Mite take a while, but if there are any good yeasts left in there they will probably start to reproduce. Next post will be "Why are my corks pushing out??" I have been there too. Makes a big mess when they blow. Arne.

 

[richmke]

If you wait long enough, the yeast will die. However, you are likely to die before the yeast does.

Two options:

Make such a high ABV wine that the yeast give up; or

Filter with a 0.5 micron filter. That removes 99% of yeast and bacteria, and back sweeten a day or so before you drink the wine - open the bottle, back sweeten, let it sit in the fridge overnight.

 

[ibglowin]

Yeast are incredible "survivors" of nature that have been around and viable for eons literally. It doesn't matter how long you bulk age. If there is residual sugar in the wine, unless you sterile filter or add Sorbate you are literally rolling the dice.

Is it possible to backsweeten a wine with no sorbate (using real sugar) that has been dry and aging in a carboy for months? Or will this restart fermentation no matter how long you wait?

 

[Lamarkeiko]

I plan on back sweetening a couple gallons of wine I am ready to bottle. I would like to know the amount of potassium sorbate per gallon recommended prior to adding sugar. I believe I am suppose to wait 24 hrs before adding sugar. I will be racking my 3 gal. carboy into 1 gal. jugs prior to sweetening, and then adding potassium sorbate. Am I on the right track?

Lamar

 

[ibglowin]

It all depends who you ask really. Kit manufacturers have you add approx 0.2 g/L or about 2.5g total for your 3 gallons.