I used the stabilizer wrong!

[cintipam]

Hi all

Really a novice here and I just realized that instead of mixing the sorbate into cold water and then adding to wine I just tossed the measured dose of crystals into the top of the carboy. I did this just over a month ago to my first one gallon batches, Crangrape and Cranberry Orig Ocean Spray. They were my first batches just to help me get used to tools and procedures, but I'd like to drink them down the road if possible. I also tossed in the Kmeta dose the same way. Should I dose them again, this time mixing into cold water first, or is it too late? I have to dose my second batch with stabilizer today, this time a 6 gal batch of cranapple. If it is ok to toss in the Kmeta I"m guessing I"d need to stir it when added to such a large carboy. Any other tips and suggestions very welcome as I'm learning that the more I think about it the more nitpicky questions come to my mind about ways I can mess it all up.

thanks in advance

Pam in cinti

 

[GreginND]

I don't understand. Did you not stir them in before? I can't believe they didn't eventually dissolve. It should be no problem. You do not have to add more sorb ate.

 

[cintipam]

Greg I just measured the amount in a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon and dumped it directly into the open top of the one gallon jug. I think I did gently rock the jug a bit, then waited about 3 days before adding a little bit of 2 diff extracts to each, waited one more day then a final racking into the sealed jug (poly seal cap) they are in today. There was a 3rd kind (Cranberry no sugar added) that we found so tasty that it is about gone. It is only because I noticed a flavor change in the 3rd jug that I read a lot of additional info about sorbate and realized that I had not done it correctly. I know it is wrong to over Kmeta wine, not sure what the effect of too much sorbate would be. Thought I should ask before i overdosed with more sorbate.

thanks for your reply. I'll keep an eye (and nose) on it to try to detect any changes before they get pronounced.

Pam in cinti

 

[cintipam]

Realized I should have been more specific about the flavor change. The young wine was a bit rough around the edges, but it was quite tasty and tart. We really like tart. The wine seemed to smooth out after a couple weeks and the rough edge (the burning at the back of the throat) went away, which was great, but it also lost a lot of the tangy tartness we had been enjoying. No color or odor change, just what we probably the wine trying to mature. The other 2 jugs seemed lacking quite a bit, hence the extracts. No backsweetening to any of the 3, but the crangrape will be quite a while before I consider drinking it. Tastes like concord grape juice right now. It will be a learning experience to monitor it's changes (or lack of) over time.

Hope this is enough info for reassurance to let it mature, or to suggest more sorbate since some will need some long maturing time.

Pam in cinti

 

[GreginND]

Sorry, I'm still a little confused. You said you have not backsweetened any of the wines. So they are all dry? What were the extracts you added? Do these contain any sugar? If the wines are dry and you are not going to sweeten them, there is no need for sorbate.

Dumping in the sorbate as you have done is not "wrong". If it all dissolves it is still there in your wine. People usually mix with a little water or wine before adding only so that it easily dissolves. You do not need to add more. If you add too much sorbate you will start to taste it. It has a funny bubble gum taste.

Sorbate you only add once. K-meta needs to be added again if the wine is aging for a while. The SO2 will dissipate over time.

The change in flavor you describe could just be the wine aging and mellowing out. If it is not tart enough for your tastes you could add a little bit of acid blend. I presume you are not measuring the acid levels.

 

[cintipam]

Correct on all counts. The extracts I added were a touch of chocolate flavored extract to both, additionally apricot to the cranberry wine and cranberry extract to the too concord grape tasting crangrape. No sugar added intentionally. These extracts were purchased at my local Home Brew made esp for beer and wine, so my supposition is no sugar in them. I did ask there about adding acid post sorbate and got a don't do it answer from the store owner. I'm glad it is ok to add more acid since that is what I enjoy most in wine, esp fruit wine which I'll be mostly making from my bushes and trees in the yard. I figured since I like tart flavor anything that tasted right to me would be high enough acid to help preserve the wine.

My memory is saying Kmeta lasts about 3 months, is that correct? I'll taste at that time to verify if I still need to add acid.

I greatly appreciate your help here. Hopefully with more experience i'll have fewer dumb questions. I do read lots and lots and lots of the forums to try to learn before I mess up, but stuff still happens.

Pam in cinti

 

[GreginND]

How long the SO2 stays in the wine varies a lot and depends on the wine chemical makeup and how much oxygen it gets exposed to. But I think a small dose every 3 months is fine if you are not measuring it.

Acid additions is just fine. Add a little bit at a time and taste because it is easy to overdo it.

In the future, you don't need to add any sorbate unless you add sugar. A dry wine will be fine without sorbate.

 

[cintipam]

thank you GreginND. Very helpful info and feedback. It is great to know that things are well and how to keep them that way. Now that I know how I'm off to stabilize 6 gals of cranapple. I plan to age in airlocked carboy for a while just in case it goes into MLF.

Pam in cinti

 

[Arne]

When thinking about adding acid, draw a glass and add just a pinch. Taste it, then if needed add a bit more. Stir it a little each time, then taste. Before adding to the whole batch, try another glass with the amount you thought is right the next night. Tastes change as you keep on sampling. Again, you don't really have to ask me how I know. LOL, Arne.