Is addind more sugar to backsweeten immidiately after sorbate ok?

[miccbull]

I have have some welches wine sitting in a carboy at 0.990 for 4-5 months now and I want to get it into bottles so it can be enjoyed this summer but the backsweetening timing is unclear to me.

If I were to rack to a new carboy could I add the sorbate and k-meta then immidiately start adding more welches concentrate to backsweeten or do I have to wait for those chemicals to "kick in" before the wine is stable enough to add the sugar?

I ask because I dont really have any other wine like this to top off after racking - by backsweetning immidiately the new grape concentrate should eliminate the need to top off I hope.

 

[bkisel]

I've back sweetened with "finishing blend", sugar and simple syrup at that stage with both a number of kits and both batches of DB that I've done. The first time I did this was as per RJS instruction sheet. I think most folks prefer to back sweeten just before bottling or a week or so before bottling. If doing it shortly before or at bottling, which I've done twice, your'll probably want to add at least some sorbate and maybe also a bit of k-meta.

...
3. Add Pkg. #2A Sulphite to the wine and stir vigorously.
4. Add Pkg. #2B Potassium Sorbate (if your kit contains 2 packages add
both) to the wine and stir vigorously.
5. If your wine kit includes finishing blend or sweetening blend,please refer to label
instructions and add now.
6. Important: Degas wine vigorously for 5 minutes by stirring
with the handle of a spoon or with a drill mounted stirring
device. INSUFFICIENT STIRRING WILL PREVENT THE WINE
FROM CLEARING ADEQUATELY.
7. Add Packet D1 (Kieselsol) to wine and stir for 1 minute. Then add D2 (Chitosan)
and stir well. Important: Do not reverse the order of Kieselsol and Chitosan.
Degas wine for 5 minutes by stirring vigorously.
...

 

[Arne]

You can backsweeten right away. That being said, I usually stabalize let it sit for a week or more, then sweeten. Then I usually let it sit for a while to make sure it doesn't take off again. A while is probably a week or more in this instance. Then if it doesn't referment and it is nice and clear, it is time to bottle. You can sweeten it and bottle, but you stand more of a chance of refermenting in the bottle if you don't wait a bit. Shouldn't happen, but I have seen it once or twice, whether bad (old) sorbate, maybe too much tasting while working with the wine (never happens around here, LOL) or maybe just the moon lining up with the earth wrong. Mite be the wine gremlins, too. Little buggers swap sorbate with nutrient, break hydrometers, drink your wine while you are not watching. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[Turock]

Since this is a Welch's wine, it's probably clear within that time frame. If you think you've got the bulk of the yeast cells off of it, then it's perfectly fine to use some more concentrate for sweetening, along with the sorbate and meta. If there is nothing but a lite dusting of lees on the bottom, then you probably have the yeast cells off of it. If you want, you could do this and let it sit to be sure no refermentation is going to happen. Just be sure to rack it into a clean carboy before you do this.

 

[miccbull]

Thank you everyone. I'll rack, stabilize, and sweeten to taste tonight then probably bottle in a week. Looking forward to it!

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

We recomend adding the sorbate and K-Meta, wait 12 to 24 hours, back sweeten to taste, wait another 12 to 24 hours to make sure some extra healthy yeast cells don't take off, then bottle. Had a customer add the sorbate, K meta and sugar all at once, yup they blew.

 

[Loner]

Don't go crazy with concentrate to back sweeten. If you use too much you will have a tart tasting wine .. Ask me how I know.


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[miccbull]

Don't go crazy with concentrate to back sweeten. If you use too much you will have a tart tasting wine .. Ask me how I know.


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How much did you use? I think I used 13 to make the wine. I was just going to add more to taste as it is super dry right now.... maybe it would be better to make a syrup as well?

 

[Loner]

I made six gallons. I fermented 24 and back sweetened with six cans. It's not a throw away, in fact I'm having a glass now. Grape flavor is very forward and tart. Looking back I would have used two cans of concentrate and sugar to bring sg to where I like this wine .. 1.020


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[Runningwolf]

It is perfectly fine to stabilize your wine, sweeten and bottle the next day. I've done it plenty of times with batches from 6 gallons to 600 gallons with no issues or bombs. It is up to you to ensure you mixed everything well and all sugar is dissolved. With that said, since you are adding Welches concentrate or any additional flavor I would let it sit in the carboy for a week or two to allow the flavors all marriage together.