Looking For Answers

[nursejohn]

About a month and a half ago, I bottled a chocolate/cherry wine. I used a Vintner's Harvest fruit base and added Hershey's cocoa in my recipe. Before bottling, I back sweetened with simple syrup. I used K+ Sorbate as directed. Last night, I came home to find one of the corks blown out and one other starting to push out. I only bottled 5 bottles and when I took the corks out of the other 4, it was like what champagne does. Anyone have any idea what went wrong? Thanks for your help so that it doesn't happen again, John.

 

[grapeman]

John it is best to add the k-meta and k-sorbate to your wine first. I then let it sit for about 24 hours to let the stuff do it's work with the yeast to stun it and prevent renewed yeast activity. Once it has stabilized, I then sweeten. I prefer to place it back under airlock for a few days, just to make sure it doesn't start to work again. If all remains still, I then bottle.


You obviously got a renewed fermentation, so the sorbate hadn't ever kicked in.

 

[fivebk]

Maybe your sorbate isn't any good and needs to be replaced??

BOB

 

[nursejohn]

Thanks for the replies. That makes sense to me. My K+ Sorbate was new, but what I did was to add it, then add the syrup and bottle right then. I learned a good lesson. Thanks again.

 

[ArdenS]

A+ on what appleman said. Being the eternal pessimist, I put in k-meta and sorbate before sweetening, then let it sit a week before I bottle. During that week I periodically check for renewed fermentation.

 

[Wade E]

Been there on a batch of plum that I thought I had added sorbate but guess I didnt. I had written down that I added it but was interrupted by my son of 3 at that time and guess it never made it in!

 

[Tom]

My question,
How big a batch
How much k-meta and sorbate you add

 

[nursejohn]

Tepe, it was a 1 gallon batch and I added 1/2 teaspoon. I went by the directions on the K+Sorbate bottle.

 

[Tom]

Looks like appleman is right or you didnt degas.

 

[Dean]

Appleman hit the nail on the head. I usually wait at least 3 weeks after stabilizing if I'm going to add any sweetening to the wine. This gives it enough time to fully work.

K-Meta is added to kill the nasties and stop oxidation. K-Sorbate is added to essentially prevent the yeast from replicating (think yeast condoms!). The problem is, usually the yeast colony is still so big after you add those ingredients, so you have to wait.

The important thing to remember is that just because you added sorbate doesn't mean the yeast still can't eat! They will eat the new sugars until they die. Waiting a couple of weeks helps to ensure that, and the sorbate makes sure they can't reproduce, so the colony dwindles to very small traces.

 

[nursejohn]

Thanks everyone for the help. Dean, the yeast condom comment is hilarious. This is what I refer to as a "lifetime lesson".

 

[Wade E]

I usually wait also but its funny that most kits have you add these ingredients and then the sweetener at the same time and Ive never heard of one of these start fermenting, just scratch batches.