Potassium metabisulfite

[user 51583]

I added 1 tsp to 6 gallons of wine at bottling. Do I fix it or let it be

 

[Johnd]

I added 1 tsp to 6 gallons of wine at bottling. Do I fix it or let it be

Let it be, it will dissipate over time. IIRC, it’s still below the threshold of being tastable, and very well protected.

 

[Flufnagel]

Not sure how you could fix it in any case, so you will need to ride it out.

That's about 167 ppm of free SO2. It will indeed drop over time.

How much you over-did it depends on the pH and ABV. Here's a good and relatively succinct article on that:

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/fs/fs-52-w.pdf
Tl;dr more SO2 is needed for whites, higher pH, lower ABV. And less for reds, lower pH, higher ABV.

 

[user 51583]

Ok, if I can't taste it now, is there a potential in the future for the taste to come through?

 

[BarrelMonkey]

What kind of wine is it? I think 167ppm is in the range where you can notice it... It is possible to remove it using hydrogen peroxide, but you have to be careful not to overdo it (and the reaction produces sulfuric acid, albeit a small amount...) See this thread and this one for further discussion.

Since you say 'at bottling' I assume that means the wine is now in bottle? If so, you'd have to unbottle it to fix it... As others have suggested, I would probably leave it and see how it has settled down, say, 3 months from now.

 

[user 51583]

It's a Pinot noir. It is bottled. It is a light tasting wine and has a cherry forward taste. Nothing objectionable but not much of a profile.
Does it take time for the so2 taste to come forward? It is possible that the potassium metabisulfite is older than it should be. I'm looking for anything positive. I will unbottle it if needed,

 

[NorCal]

You could have splash racked before bottling to get some of it to bind up. If you are not tasting it now, should be fine in the future.

 

[user 51583]

Yeah in hindsight. I didn't realize it until I was cleaning up and re-read the label. I should probably wait to indulge until I'm done.
Thanks for your input

 

[winemaker81]

I agree with @NorCal, if you can't taste or smell it, the wine is fine. The amount you added is within the legal amount in the USA. If, when serving, you smell a burnt match smell, that's the K-meta. Aerate the wine to dissipate the smell.

My son & I sample when working on our wines ... but we keep it to small amounts until the cleanup is done. Until it becomes second nature through practice, it helps to write down what you are going to do, including amounts.

Also, read the package label every time you touch a package. An acquaintance picked up K-meta, thinking it was acid ... in hindsight it is amusing. But not at the time.

 

[user 51583]

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