WineXpert Adding K-Meta How much is too much?

[filerunner]

I Have a questions about adding K-Meta. I have 4 bottles each from 2 better kits I made about 2 years ago. On my last racking before bottling I added 1/4t K-Meta(I didn't bulk age). I had some this last May and it was great, I had some the other day and it tastes like it's turning bad.
My questions are, what if I just put a whole teaspoon of K-Meta in before bottling? would it help with preserving or taste awful? and how much K-Meta can you add before getting an odor or taste?

 

[Floandgary]

??? Did you also stabilize with Potassium Sorbate before bottling???

 

[filerunner]

Yes. I did everything according to the instructions. I just wondered if 1/4t is enough for 2 or 3 years and would it hurt to put more than that in before bottling.

 

[salcoco]

1/4 tsp per 5 gallons is normal addition which will give you 50ppm depending on ph.

adding more can cause a sulfur smell and taste in the wine depending on your sensitivity to these smells/taste. type of storage, type of closure can affect wine in storage.

by tasting bad what do you mean? off odors? vinegar?

 

[filerunner]

Kind of acidic. No odors really.

 

[NorCal]

What is your pH?

 

[filerunner]

I don't know the pH. If the pH is off, what could I have done to cause this when I made these kits? Both of these tasted great just 3 Months ago.

 

[NorCal]

I don't know the pH. If the pH is off, what could I have done to cause this when I made these kits? Both of these tasted great just 3 Months ago.

I've never made a kit wine, where I'm sure the pH is within a tight range. However, it sounds to me your wine has spoiled, which could be a result of inadequate protection. A 4.0 pH wine has 10x the free SO2 requirement of a 3.0 pH wine, so knowing the pH us critical in knowing how much SO2 to add, to keep it from spoiling.

 

[filerunner]

Thanks for the information. I think I will start checking pH before bottling although with the kits I'm probably limited to adjustments at bottling time.

 

[LeChat]

@Norcal

Kit wines are not like making wine from grapes. That is, you don't have to check pH or acidity. The kit has been manufactured to be fermented without any adjustments of this type.

@Fileruner

I don't think pH has anything to do with this. In my opinion, I would suspect that perhaps microbial contamination may have happened. Are you sure that you are following proper sanitation and cleaning procedures?

If you suspect that a contamination is not the issue, it could be related to residual CO2 in the bottles. Does the wine fizz a bit when you pour it? I find that CO2 can leave the impression of acidity.

 

[wineh]

You may have just had a weak cork. Open the other bottle and find out.

 

[SouthernChemist]

Unless something has gone wrong, you should not have to check or manipulate the pH of a kit wine. It's possible (without knowing what the wine actually is) that the wine has reached its peak and is on the decline. Adding metabisulfite is not going to change that.

 

[Vincent]

Somewhat off the spirit of this thread, but I've got a question if others have had a similar problem regarding additional k-meta for long term bottling. After adding per the instructions prior to bottling it didn't fully dissolve and left my Pinot Grigio cloudy, which ultimately ended up as a powdery sediment at the bottom of each bottle. Only noticed this in a Pinot Grigio, never in a red - that I could tell. I added the correct amount, mixed it well after racking it over into a clean carboy, then immediately bottled. On my last Pinot noir, I racked to a clean carboy, added the extra K-meta and let it sit for two days, then bottled. No problem that I could tell, but I haven't tried another white wine, but about to soon. This isn't a problem to continue doing, but I worry I won't be getting the full benefit of the k-meta, and lose the ability to long term bottle. Anyone have any thoughts on this?


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[salcoco]

your best procedure is to dissolve the k-meta before adding it to the wine . take a sample of wine and dissolve it there. You should not need more than 1/4 tsp for 5 gallons.

 

[jsiddall]

After adding per the instructions prior to bottling it didn't fully dissolve and left my Pinot Grigio cloudy...

Are you sure about that? I just dissolved a tablespoon (12 times the dose required for 5 gal of wine) in just a quart of room temperature water and the K-meta was fully dissolved and the water was crystal clear after about 5 seconds of shaking the jar it was in.

I don't think dissolving is the issue. Maybe a reaction with something in the wine, but it seems too soluble to stay undissolved for long.

 

[Vincent]

I would have thought so as well. What kind of reaction were you thinking?

I was very pleased with how well it a cleared at the fining/stabilizing stage. Prior to bottling, I racked off into a clean carboy, where I stirred in the k-meta, then bottled. I noticed it was now cloudy, and was shocked to see it remain in suspension. It obviously remained cloudy in the bottles - hindsight I should have known to stop and not bottle the rest. I ended up uncorking about 10 bottles, putting them back in a small carboy. After 3 days I bottled these again, and they were very clear, and remained that way in the bottle. The ones I didn't uncork had a noticeable sediment (powdery substance) at the bottom. Flavor didn't change, both types were good - short of having to chew the last glass of the one with the sediment that I did drink all the way through. I ended up just not fully finishing those bottles. Wasteful I know, but call it pride as much as caution. Maybe I pulled some lees over from the racking, but I felt I was very careful. How would I know if it was lees, and not undissolved k-meta?


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[jsiddall]

Sorry, I really don't know what might be going on. Hopefully someone with much more experience will have an answer.

One thing I will say is I have bottled some crystal clear wine which later ended up with sediment in the bottles. I was worried it may have been re-fermentation, but the lack of any bottle pressure ruled that out. I was basically told that even clear wine can continue to drop sediment after bottling. Bulk aging may be the best remedy for this.

In my case I simply pour the bottles carefully, in one steady pour, to leave the sediment behind. I can get perhaps 90% of the wine out clear. The remainder is slightly cloudy but it tastes fine so I just make sure I drink that glass myself.