too much Kmeta. What now?

[zack67360]

Tonite I was crushing my first batch of grapes for my first batch of 'real' homemade wine. I had bought potassium metabisulfate in the powder form to add, as the campden tablets always left chunks. The salesperson had written 1/4 tsp per gallon on the bottle. I had crushed about 7 gallon and had added 1/4 per GALLON when I noticed my mistake. So instead of a little under 1 tsp for 10 gallons, I have about 4 tsp in my must. My question is what now? Should I wait longer than 24 hours to add my yeast? Or should I go ahead and add tomorrow after 24 hrs. have passed as usual? Also, I don't think I'll add anymore Kmeta throughout the rest of the process, thoughts on that?
Thank you,
zack

 

[MalvinaScordaad]

Ok so now you have have to make a good yeast culture and warm up the must to 80 and ferment and punch down 4 times a day and all should be ok and don't add anymore!
Malvina

 

[zack67360]

Thank you Malvina, I felt awful when I discovered what I'd done. I will not add anymore Kmeta, even when I bottle.
zack

 

[Poormanfarm]

I had the same problem with chunks using campden tablets until I purchased a mortor and pestle ( I think I spelled it right). It is a tool that people use to grind up herbs in the kitchen. It does a great job. It seems a little easier than using a measuring spoon and dry powder. That may prevent future mistakes. Most people here would probably go with the K-meta powder it seems.

 

[toddrod]

in a previous thread of mine I had talked about how my red grapes blanched after kmeta was added. I appears now that I am in the same boat as the OP by adding too much kmeta.

So this is what I am going to do. I am going to crush another 50 lbs of grapes and start them off with another big yeast culture. Then, once this is really going, I will add the over sulfited must, a little at a time, to the new fermenting must. All this will be done in my garage where the temps are about 85 degrees these days.

This should work if I understand the information given here.

Any more suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bob1]

once that starts fermenting it will blow off all the free SO2 in it. You will still need to add SO2 latter.

 

[GreginND]

Thank you Malvina, I felt awful when I discovered what I'd done. I will not add anymore Kmeta, even when I bottle.
zack

During fermentation and racking much of the bisulfite should be dissipated. I would not suggest simply not adding any more. I think you need to check the SO2 levels during aging and before bottling to make sure you have enough.

 

[toddrod]

once that starts fermenting it will blow off all the free SO2 in it. You will still need to add SO2 latter.

As long as I can get it fermenting I do not mind adding more later on.

 

[bob1]

I know thats a lot. Splash racking will help drive a bunch off of it.

 

[zack67360]

Added the yeast yesterday after rehydrating it in some warm sugar water and giving it an hour or so to kick start. I currently have 2 - 5 gallons of thick grape crush and noticed this morning a little bubbling in the air locks. Took the top off and pushed them down as instructed. The contents of one of the buckets seems thinner than the other, but there is a little fermentation definetly going on in both. I used a paint mixer to crush the grapes, which worked but not as well as I'd hoped it would. I am thinking later today when I pop the tops off to push down again, I may wash and sanitize my hands good and crush by hand the grapes that have floated up that are still whole. I did add pectic enzyme. zack

 

[mmadmikes1]

Or you can do what I do and just not use the stuff until aging. BTW I have made 1000's of gallons without any problem not using it at start or to stabilize. I add at aging to control oxidation only.

 

[zack67360]

Thanks madmike. Good to know. I'd rather not add Kmeta if I don't have to. New at wine making and just going by what everyone else does.
zack

 

[GreginND]

There are pros and cons to adding bisulfite prior to fermentation. If you are going to do a cold soak or otherwise delay starting fermentation for any period of time I think it would be best to judiciously use bisulfite. Another reason to add it prior to fermentation is to knock down any wild yeast populations that could be present to ensure fermentation takes place with the yeast you want.

If you can get a good ferment going quickly, say from an active starter, I think the benefits of bisulfite are not as important.

 

[mmadmikes1]

I always have a strong yeast starter going before I get started with the must prep. I will add, when I go to California in October I get crushed and d-stemed in my fermenters and have starters going in the car when I get there. I don't like to add anything I don't need to and If there is a simple way to avoid it, I use it

 

[zack67360]

Just an update. Progress is going SLOWLY. Hardly any bubbles in the air lock at all. I have 2 primary buckets going, one seems to be doing a bit better than the other which no doubt recieved the higher dose of Kmeta. When I take the top off and stir, I get some foam up then and the second primary smells strong of sulfur which is the one that isn't doing much. My plan is to continue as doing for the rest of the week, and then friday or saturday straining off the solids and combining the juice into one primary and giving it another dose of yeast that I will have gotten started. This time I think I'll introduce a little of the wine slowly to the yeast starter every half hour or so before adding the starter so it will not be such a shock to the yeast.
zack