WineXpert Wrong for 5 years /when to add K-Meta

[tonyt]

So when did Wine Expert kit instructions start saying to add K-meta at the beginning of their step 4 (racking and Clarification)? This is the new (my first) Eclipse line, the Lodi Cabernet. I started it mid March, fermentation went very well. Stabilized and cleared end of March at SG .994. Let sit for a month and racked today noticing a NOTE in the instructions that if you want to age more than 6 months you should add 1/4 tsp of K-Meta at this step. I have always added about every three to four months counting from the day I added the K-meta during Stabilizing and clearing step, usually a month earlier. Adding it now seems like double. So for those of us that aren't chemists and don't have the $$$ gadget to measure, should we add at clearing and racking then every 3 or 4 months or skip the second dose when racking off sediment and count from the stabilizing step?

edited to add: This stuff is crazy good, hope it holds for several months till I bottle in late fall or early 2014.

 

[Putterrr]

I think it is more for those that are bottling as per the instructions. They can't open the bottles later just to add Kmeta so it is added at bottling time.

You should be OK to add it 3-4 months after the last dose. I have no fancy measuring thingy so I'm going by what I do. I have this kit waiting to start so good to hear that it is gooooood

cheers

cheers

 

[wineh]

That instruction has been there as long as I have been making Winexpert kits. I will note however, that instruction is only present for the premium and ultra premium kits, and not the 4 week versions (Vintner's reserve, world vineyard etc) as those go directly from stabilizing to bottling.

 

[grapeman]

That extra dose is to increase the S02 level for long term aging. With the higher quality kits, many like to age a year before drinking, so the extra k-meta helps protect the wine better for longer term storage.

 

[captainl]

I have been doing what puttr does. I did just get a kit to test the so2 levels. I just haven't had a chance to use it yet. I might get around to it and test 2 carboys that only have the initial dose and are about 3 and 4 months into aging. I'll report back if I get around to it. I have always wondered the same thing too.

 

[captainl]

Well I tried my first SO2 test. here are my results

Winery series Cabernet sauvignon.

Started 1-18-2013
stabilized 1-30-2013
started bulk aging 2-13-2013 NO additional kmeta added

current 6-4-2013 readings

ph 3.25
14.4 ppm free SO2

according to Winemaker magazine at this ph I need 23mg/L of free so2. To bring up 6 gallons I need .32 grams of sulfite powder. Which is less the one campden tablet???

Is this PH too Low?
It doesn't sound like a lot of K meta that I need to add.

Is 14.4 ppm in the danger zone at this point or should it be expected after 4 ish months without any additions?

Thanks.

 

[robie]

Well I tried my first SO2 test. here are my results

Winery series Cabernet sauvignon.

Started 1-18-2013
stabilized 1-30-2013
started bulk aging 2-13-2013 NO additional kmeta added

current 6-4-2013 readings

ph 3.25
14.4 ppm free SO2

according to Winemaker magazine at this ph I need 23mg/L of free so2. To bring up 6 gallons I need .32 grams of sulfite powder. Which is less the one campden tablet???

Is this PH too Low?
It doesn't sound like a lot of K meta that I need to add.

Is 14.4 ppm in the danger zone at this point or should it be expected after 4 ish months without any additions?

Thanks.

It is in the bad zone, if you intend to bottle it at that PPM. Unless you intend to drink it all in the next couple months.
It will continue to drop each week/month. You could have some problems by this time next month. I'd bring it up to the proper level now and test again in a couple months. You can always go a little higher than the 23PPM without any problems, again, unless you intend to bottle it right away.

Get yourself some KMETA powder and forget the campden tablets. The powder is much easier to use.

 

[FABulousWines]

according to Winemaker magazine at this ph I need 23mg/L of free so2. To bring up 6 gallons I need .32 grams of sulfite powder. Which is less the one campden tablet???

Grind a campden tablet down to powder. Divide the powder pile into four equal sections. Discard one section and use the remaining three. That will be approx. .33 grams (a campden tablet is about .44 grams).

 

[captainl]

Cool. thanks for the info. I do have k meta powder i'll be using. Probably add .5 grams k meta. I plan on bottling half and racking the other half on to some cubes tonight.

My other wine: WE arg malbec bonarda

disclaimer: I used the same reaction solution that i used on the cabernet. not sure if that is an acceptable way or not. But this will be check again in the future.

started 2-20-2013
stabilized 3-7-2013
tested 6-4 2013

ph 3.58
SO2 25.6 ppm
target SO2 48 ppm
will be adding 1 gram kmeta. which is about 2 campden tablets.

Both additions seem smaller than I would have expected. Hope this info helps you guys.

 

[WinerBob1]

I'm new at this but my WE supplier said to add a 1/8 tsp of K Meta a week before bottling. I bulk age for 5 - 6 months. Hope this is right.

 

[chrisjw]

I used to never add additional kmeta when bulk aging but I topped up, did not open the carboy for 6 months, used a breathable silicone stopper, and stored the wine in a very cold cellar. However, I decided to take the 'hope' out of the equation and purchased a pH meter (to measure pH and TA) and an AO setup to test free SO2 levels.

 

[captainl]

Mine where topped up and not touched for about thre and for months. Also kept in a temperature controlled environment at 65 degrees. Based on my tests, I would say 6 months is pushing it and I would add 1/8 tsp at the 3 month Mark if I couldn't test the so2 levels.

 

[WinerBob1]

Mine where topped up and not touched for about thre and for months. Also kept in a temperature controlled environment at 65 degrees. Based on my tests, I would say 6 months is pushing it and I would add 1/8 tsp at the 3 month Mark if I couldn't test the so2 levels.

Thanks C - do you add another 1/8 tsp 3 months later before bottling - my supplier gave me the impression that only 1 1/8 tsp is enough to keep the wine for a couple years

 

[captainl]

I'm no expert at this as this is my first time testing so2....but...

If bulk aging I would add 1/8 tsp every 3 to 4 months. And have one of those additions coincide with bottling. The so2 dissipates with time in a carboy...and to a lesser extent in the bottle.

I would be interested in taking so2 test at bottling and 1 year later to see the difference. But I don't have anything bottles that I know the so2 levels except the ones I did yesterday. I'll report back in a year or so.

 

[WinerBob1]

I'm no expert at this as this is my first time testing so2....but...

If bulk aging I would add 1/8 tsp every 3 to 4 months. And have one of those additions coincide with bottling. The so2 dissipates with time in a carboy...and to a lesser extent in the bottle.

I would be interested in taking so2 test at bottling and 1 year later to see the difference. But I don't have anything bottles that I know the so2 levels except the ones I did yesterday. I'll report back in a year or so.

OK - sounds right - Thanks

 

[chrisjw]

I don't believe that there is a straight answer here, which is what I was trying to get at, unless you do a free SO2 test and test the pH of the wine. Without that you are guessing. How much SO2 depletion (SO2 binding) depends on too many factors to give a very accurate "general rule of thumb." SO2 binding depends on several factors including acidity level, storage temp, how often you rack, how much you top up, how often you open the container, how good of a seal you have, the type of storage container, whether you purge the oxygen out of the headspace or not, and how much free SO2 you have in the wine.

The general rule, in a glass carboy, is to add 1/4 tsp of kmeta before racking, assuming you rack every 3 months during bulk aging. I don't rack until bottling so always thought, for me, that was way too much.

If you want to bulk age to anything greater than 6 months, I would highly recommend that you invest in an AO setup (or other SO2 test kit) and a pH meter.

If your conditions are ideal and you are bottling at less than 6 months then 1/8 tsp can't hurt much.