Too much sulfite.

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

tacomaguy20

Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
38
Reaction score
2
I am making a batch of white zinfandel from concentrate. I used the homewinery.com concentrate which I forgot was already sulfited. I added water to just over 5 gallons and added 1/4 teaspoon of kmeta. I waited 24 hours to pitch the yeast. I did not create a yeast starter. Well I don't have any way to test the so2 but I'm guessing that it is too high because I waited about 3 days and no activity. Then I created a starter from the other pack of yeast that I had. This was the first time using the yeast (58w3) so I'm not familiar with it but the starter looked good and bubbled up nice so I pitched the yeast and nothing for two more days. I've read to stir the juice and so I've been doing that. The acid level seems about right and I did add yeast nutrient to the juice when first mixing everything up. Any advice would be good. I could make another starter but I don't have any of the same yeast.
 
Stir the hell out of it. When your arm falls off, pick it back up and keep stirring :)
 
so the question is, if I get this down to a good sulfite level, will the fermentation start or will I have to pitch again?
 
It could go either way. K-meta just stuns yeast, doesnt kill them. So they might be a little stressed & ferment just fine, or they might not come back. It's really a guess.
 
Splash rack like hell. Keeping the lid OFF will also help.

Fermentation should start when you add more yeast (starter).
 
Splash rack like hell. Keeping the lid OFF will also help.

Fermentation should start when you add more yeast (starter).

Or maybe a trolling motor dropped into the primary bucket. :: Be sure to sanitize it first! :)
 
Rick only a REDNECK like you would think of this.
 
Instead of dumping the whole starter in a finnicky batch... add a little of the must to the starter, bit by bit... over several hours. The yeast will "get used to" the higher sulfite levels and multiply better.

Debbie
 

Latest posts

Back
Top