Sulphite taste

[ZSHJ]

When I began to bulk age my WE Sonoma Cab Crush I added 1/4 tsp of potassium sulfite and have been aging for 6 weeks. I racked to a new carboy today to remove a oak spiral and the wine has a sulphite chemically taste. Will this mellow with more time or should I bottle and hope for the best. Any sugestions welcome thanks for your time.

 

[grapeman]

What you taste is new wine and it will improve dramatically in time. Don't rush out and bottle it at this time. A little bulk aging will mellow it out some.

 

[Dean]

Like Appleman said, anything at such a young age that even resembles wine is pure coincidence! You will taste the sulphite (at least I do) up to 12 weeks after you add it. After that, it goes away.

 

[ZSHJ]

Thanks for the info, I will stick it in the corner for another two months and try it again. Should I sulphite before bottleling or leave it be.

 

[xanxer82]

I was reading somewhere on the web to add 1/8 tsp of kmeta a couple days before bottling. i'm sure some of the guys here will have something to add to this method.

 

[IQwine]

why add two days before?

 

[xanxer82]

If aging longer than a few months.

 

[ArdenS]

My Cellar Craft instructions recommend adding 1/8 tsp of KMeta if you plan to bulk age longer than 55 days. From that I would infer that they would not recommend adding that amount of KMeta for bulk aging less than 55 days.

 

[robie]

Mosti has a writeup on bulk aging and adding sulfites:


http://www.mostimondiale.com/Demystifyingwine.html

 

[grapeman]

Thanks for the info, I will stick it in the corner for another two months and try it again. Should I sulphite before bottleling or leave it be.

That depends on when you want to bottle it. If you would like to bottle soon, don't add any more. If you want to wait a few months, then add 1/4 tsp k-meta again, wait a few days and bottle. Because you added more, you shoul wait a few months to tryit if you don't want to smell it again for a while. If it is a good red and is really clear, you could just bottle now and forget the additiona sulfite addition.


Of course the safest course of action would be to test for free S02 levels before adding any more.

 

[Goodfella]

The Mosti page suggests to add 3 grams every 6-8 months. That seems like alot less than most people recommend????