Can I backsweeten later on?

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LJC

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Hey Everyone,

I am still working on my first red wine kit, It has competed fermentation and went down all the way to dry at 0.995 SG, I am not sure if I want to back sweeten yet and am at the clearing stage, so I added the Sorbate anyway. My question is after leaving it to clear for a month, if I am not happy with the taste / sweetness level, can I just back-sweeten at that time and leave it in the carboy to bulk age as long as I desire with no real consequences?
 
Potassium sorbate eventually loses its protectiveness and degrades to ethyl sorbate. I'm not sure how long this takes.
 
k-meta so it doesnot oxidise, i havewaitedup to 2 years to back sweeten my country wines, but when you do back sweeten you will have toput new sorbate in in order to not chance refermentationh. now i've never made akit nor a grapewineonlycountry wines, from fruits an berries, and to me andthosearound me thewinewas fine. i have sent several bottles across thecountry to 3different members and i only had one complaint and that wasbecause to one 1 sent a blackberry by accident that was very light bodies, not enough berries per pound, it was ment as a top off not to be bottled, but thatwas only one of my many mistakes, this isjust my unlearned 2cents,, others might tell you different and if i was you i'd listen to them, but in my limited making i alwayswaitat leasta year to 2 year to back sweeten, but you will have to add freshsorbatewhen you back sweeten, but you should add 1/4 tea spoon sulfate every 3 monthsto keep your winefresh and colr good.. hope this helps..
Dawg





UOTE=LJC;634182]Hey Everyone,

I am still working on my first red wine kit, It has competed fermentation and went down all the way to dry at 0.995 SG, I am not sure if I want to back sweeten yet and am at the clearing stage, so I added the Sorbate anyway. My question is after leaving it to clear for a month, if I am not happy with the taste / sweetness level, can I just back-sweeten at that time and leave it in the carboy to bulk age as long as I desire with no real consequences?[/QUOTE]
 
Last edited:
Lots of folks do it right before bottling! [Please, no wise cracks.
smilie.gif
] I've done it a few times like that with no new fermentation kicking off.
 
Always be careful sweetening new wine. As wine ages it will become less harsh and taste sweeter. If you sweeten new wine and this happens you may end up with a wine sweeter than you want.
 
Best policy is to never add anything to your wine until you have to. That way, in a situation like this, if you decide you don't need to back-sweeten it up you haven't added anything unnecessary. If you do decide to back-sweeten, you can add that sorbate a week before you back-sweeten and you can be sure it will be far more effective. As mentioned, wines mellow out with age so age in bulk and adjust for sweetness just before bottling, IF needed.
 
Thanks for the comments everyone. I will give it a month then taste it again and see if the harshness drops off a bit. And for next time I won't add any sorbate unless I plan to backsweeten and will do so right before.
 
Best policy is to never add anything to your wine until you have to. That way, in a situation like this, if you decide you don't need to back-sweeten it up you haven't added anything unnecessary. If you do decide to back-sweeten, you can add that sorbate a week before you back-sweeten and you can be sure it will be far more effective. As mentioned, wines mellow out with age so age in bulk and adjust for sweetness just before bottling, IF needed.

This has me curious. I'm about to rack from my fermenter to begin stabilizing and clearing. The kit instructions have me adding both sulphite and k-sorbate.

If I decide I want to back sweeten in about a months time, do I just add the sulphite now then add the sorbate at time of backsweetening?
 
This has me curious. I'm about to rack from my fermenter to begin stabilizing and clearing. The kit instructions have me adding both sulphite and k-sorbate.

If I decide I want to back sweeten in about a months time, do I just add the sulphite now then add the sorbate at time of backsweetening?

Yup! That is what I would do.
 
Thanks for the comments everyone. I will give it a month then taste it again and see if the harshness drops off a bit. And for next time I won't add any sorbate unless I plan to backsweeten and will do so right before.

In my opinion if you only wait a month the harshness will drop off just that, a bit. Unless you are in a hurry to bottle I would recommend waitingat least 3 months. I know its hard with your first kit. You may also want to cinsider buying a 3 or 5 gallon carboy, bottle some and keep the other bulking.
 

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