I added Sorbate today

[BlueRidgeBilly]

How long should I wait before I back sweeten?

 

[cpfan]

Some people sweeten immediately, others like to wait a while (I've heard a week). Personally I like to make sure that the sorbate has dissolved into the wine (no little white sorbate rods floating), and feel it's OK to sweeten then (so 15 minutes?).

Steve

 

[jswordy]

Typical wait period is 3-5 days. I have also added sugar right afterward and never had a problem, but that runs the risk of referment in the short term. Technically, sorbate does not stop a fermentation.

When you added sorbate, did you also add k meta? Usually the two are added at the same time. K meta knocks them back, sorbate keeps them from multiplying, is the theory.

If you add sugar quickly, keep watch on the carboy.

 

[BlueRidgeBilly]

I did the K-Meta in January. I just now did the sorbate. I am looking at Oct to backsweeten and bottle.

 

[Runningwolf]

I did the K-Meta in January. I just now did the sorbate. I am looking at Oct to backsweeten and bottle.

Ensure your S02 is up to where it should be. Normally we add both at the same time. I like to stabilize at least a few days before back sweetening. I know wineries add sorbate and sugar at the same time. I guess as long as your meta and sorbate are added in the proper dosage before adding sugar, you will be fine.

 

[Wade E]

As stated above, you should always add sorbate when your S02 levels are in check!

 

[Turock]

You sorbated too early. Wine should be clarified,aged and stabile before the use of sorbate. It should only be used right before bottling.

 

[Flem]

Although it may be different for fresh grapes or fruits, with every kit or juice bucket I've made, I added the sorbate at the same time I stabilized and then, if I was going to backsweeten it, I would do it several months later.

 

[Wade E]

As Flem said, directions with almost any kit has you add sulfite and sorbate right when fermentation is done. It is how I do all my wines and with the exception of 1 batch in all my years its worked just fine and with that 1 batch its a little questionable if I even added the sorbate as I was called away during the stabilizing process and the sorbate at that was like 2 years old. It was before I knew there was a shelf life on sorbate.

 

[Turock]

As Flem said, directions with almost any kit has you add sulfite and sorbate right when fermentation is done. It is how I do all my wines and with the exception of 1 batch in all my years its worked just fine and with that 1 batch its a little questionable if I even added the sorbate as I was called away during the stabilizing process and the sorbate at that was like 2 years old. It was before I knew there was a shelf life on sorbate.

Are we sure this is a kit wine? I didn't know that kits tell you to add sorbate as soon as fermentation is finished. But then, as I read threads on people making non-kit wines, they are using this same technique and they shouldn't be. Sorbate will not be your friend and won't do anything for you if you transfer this technique from kits to fruit and grape wine. I think we need to make distinctions as to what advice we give to non-kit winemaking.

 

[shoebiedoo]

I haven't been adding sofbate to my juice wines. If I were to start, wouldn't I add it once fermentation is complete?

 

[Julie]

Turlock,

There are, including Wade and myself, some when making a fruit wine will k-meta, sort ate and backsweeten when fermentation is complete. The reasoning behind this is miminize rackings. I have never had a wine not clear on me nor one re-start a fermentation and I do a pile of fruit wines.

 

[Runningwolf]

I don't think it really matters when you add the sorbate and meta as long as you make both additions at the same time after fermentation is 100% completed and racked off all lees. I typically add both after the second racking and then sweeten when ever I get around to it, meaning anywhere from the next day to next month.

 

[Duster]

Turlock,

There are, including Wade and myself, some when making a fruit wine will k-meta, sort ate and backsweeten when fermentation is complete. The reasoning behind this is miminize rackings. I have never had a wine not clear on me nor one re-start a fermentation and I do a pile of fruit wines.

+1 for me as well, 3 or four days of an unchanged SG reading below 1.000 and in goes the K-Meta and Sorbate. I generally degass at this time as well so stir, stir, stir, have a glass, stir, stir, stir. well you get the point. From there I will remove a quart or so from the carboy, back sweeten with simple syrup, and top up with the quart that I removed earlier. I have never had a problem with this method for fruit wines. I have only ever made one kit wine and the directions were a bit different, in that case I did exactly as they said to.

 

[Bacci]

I know this is not a kit wine forum, but I just added the sorbate to a kit about 2 weeks after adding the KMET. I couldn't stand it any longer and decided I better add the sorbate, I've always included in to my kits but was going try without sorbate and finings on my first WE kit. Guess I'll be allright.
Mosti kit instructions (for what their worth) say to add sorbate right before bottling.

 

[shoebiedoo]

I generally degass at this time as well so stir, stir, stir, have a glass, stir, stir, stir. well you get the point.

That's my favorite way to degass. Only for me it turns into stir, stir, stir, have a glass, stir, stir, stir, have a glass, sir, sir, sir, have a glass, sur, sur, sur, have a glass, srrr, srrr, srrr....Zare, iss dun

 

[Turock]

Julie--That's very interesting. How does it minimize rackings? Could it be that you only THINK it minimizes your rackings?

We are big fruit wine makers too, along with Niagara and concord. After we get it over to the secondary, we only rack one time---barring any use of bentonite or clearing agents. If we use them, then,of course you need to rack that off. So then you're into two rackings. But that's it.

Intersting reads on sorbate gives you info that it is only effective when most of the active yeast cells have been removed by racking. That's because there's way too much yeast for the sorbate to handle. So wine needs to be clarified,stabile, and aged before sorbate is used. You can sorbate,add meta,and sugar and immediately bottle---we've been doing that for 23 years. Some people like to wait for a week or two to bottle after the sorbate,meta and sugar so the wine calms down and isn't hot--- to reduce bottle shock. Or to be sure they aren't going to have any more sediment.

If your wines are fully aged, you should never worry about a referment. And I think that kit wine techniques are being transfered over into fruit and grape winemaking,at least as far as sorbate is concerned, and it's not the correct way to go about it. There's a ton of white paper on sorbate on the internet--if you Google it, you'll see for yourself the proper use of it.

 

[mmadmikes1]

I have not added sorbate to a wine in 2 years and still have not had a wine re start. And yes I have backsweeted

 

[Julie]

Julie--That's very interesting. How does it minimize rackings? Could it be that you only THINK it minimizes your rackings?

We are big fruit wine makers too, along with Niagara and concord. After we get it over to the secondary, we only rack one time---barring any use of bentonite or clearing agents. If we use them, then,of course you need to rack that off. So then you're into two rackings. But that's it.

Intersting reads on sorbate gives you info that it is only effective when most of the active yeast cells have been removed by racking. That's because there's way too much yeast for the sorbate to handle. So wine needs to be clarified,stabile, and aged before sorbate is used. You can sorbate,add meta,and sugar and immediately bottle---we've been doing that for 23 years. Some people like to wait for a week or two to bottle after the sorbate,meta and sugar so the wine calms down and isn't hot--- to reduce bottle shock. Or to be sure they aren't going to have any more sediment.

If your wines are fully aged, you should never worry about a referment. And I think that kit wine techniques are being transfered over into fruit and grape winemaking,at least as far as sorbate is concerned, and it's not the correct way to go about it. There's a ton of white paper on sorbate on the internet--if you Google it, you'll see for yourself the proper use of it.

Turlock, I have already given you one warning on being rude, don't do it again! Be a little nicer in your post, Your first line was uncalled for. You know in about every post you make you talk about what "We" do. Who are these we people?

When your wine has completed fermentation, the yeast start to fallout because they have eaten as much as they can. If you rack, k-meta and sorbate then backsweeten and wait until clear then rack, this would be one less racking as oppose to racking, stabilizing, clear, racking and then backsweeten and rack again because sometimes your wines cloud up again after back sweetening.

I would very much be interested if you can reference the articles you have read about sorbate, this sounds like this would be very interesting to read.

 

[Turock]

I only asked you a question because I'm curious about your process and your thinking so everyone can learn from one another. I can't understand why you keep harrassing me.