Sulfite at secondary?

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Spikedlemon

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It's interesting to see different methods and slightly different directions.

For the juice I got from a local vinyard: they recommended sulfiting 50ppm as soon as I rack to secondary.
While most kits don't recommend it until after racking out of secondary.

Any plus/minus to either method?
I could see the early addition of sulfites would help protect the wine from any extra headspace in secondary.
 

codeman

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A 'secondary' with a kit IS NOT the same as a 'secondary fermentation' with raw juice.

The secondary fermentation means MLF.
In kits 'secondary' just means transferring the liquid to a more air tight vessel.
 

hounddawg

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hum I've never done a kit but just the same that is news to me. ya just gotta love this site,
Dawg


A 'secondary' with a kit IS NOT the same as a 'secondary fermentation' with raw juice.

The secondary fermentation means MLF.
In kits 'secondary' just means transferring the liquid to a more air tight vessel.
 

Spikedlemon

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A 'secondary' with a kit IS NOT the same as a 'secondary fermentation' with raw juice.

The secondary fermentation means MLF.
In kits 'secondary' just means transferring the liquid to a more air tight vessel.

Was for a Sauvingnon Blanc - no MLF.

They recommended sulfate after transferring out of the primary fermentation bucket when wine was <1.004 SG
 

bkisel

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Could they have misspoke or you misunderstood? Unless I had a good explanation for that process I'd feel uncomfortable doing it before my wine femented to dry. Note, I'm not saying you shouldn't.
 

Spikedlemon

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Went back to re-read the instructions they gave. It is as I stated except at <1.000SG (not 1.004 as previously noted)
 

Johny99

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Went back to re-read the instructions they gave. It is as I stated except at <1.000SG (not 1.004 as previously noted)

Sounds to me like they are doing it to inhibit mlf. I prefer to wait until primary is done using small scale hydrometer eyes and ears, cool it good, wait a week or so, them meta to inhibit mlf.
 

Boatboy24

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Went back to re-read the instructions they gave. It is as I stated except at <1.000SG (not 1.004 as previously noted)

That makes more sense. I'd add that the SG should go unchanged for a few days as well. You want to be sure it is done fermenting before you add the sulfite.
 

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