Wine Kit Question

If you add the metabisulfite too early, you'll inhibit the yeast and prolong fermentation. Wait until at or below 0.995 s.g. Bubbling will die down as wine approaches 'dry'; the yeast have little left to ferment then, and the yeast will go dormant/die from lack of sugar.

From my mentors, the rule of thumbe is to add a little potassium metabisulfite after ferment and after each racking, 20-50 ppm, depending on pH of the wine. Final addition just before bottling.

Over the course of the must/end-of-ferment/rack(s)/bottling metabisulfite addition process, I'm guided to not exceed 200-250 ppm cumulative addition of potassium metabisulfite in order to keep it from tasting like sulfur bomb.

Gene

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

Joe - It's a good idea to try to follow the directions as closely as you reasonably can (at least the first time you do a particular kit) but even a kit wine is dependent on yeast, a living organism whose behavior is not entirely predictable. The expected date is only an estimate - go by the S.G. reading and bubbling. The point here is to wait until fermentation is finished; if your temperatures are a little below average, it may take the yeast longer to finish fermenting.

Adding the sorbate will prevent renewed fermentation after the first fermentation has finished. It does not kill the yeast, it will not stop an active fermentation. Rather, it prevents the yeast from multiplying, so that a few stray yeast cannot re-start fermentation after the original fermentation has finished and you have racked off the original yeast. So wait until it stops bubbling and the S.G. is down at or near the expected level, before you add the sorbate.

Personally, I do a lot of kits and only add the sorbate if I am sweetening the wine. If the fermentation has finished and there is no residual sugar in the wine, there is no need for the sorbate. On the other hand, it doesn't hurt.

I wouldn't worry about the SO2 levels -- follow the directions for this, too. You will probably bottle this wine in a few months -- if you keep the carboy topped up and add the recommended pot. meta. that comes with the kit, you should have no issues with oxidation. If this were a wine you intended to cellar for a decade or more, you might want to measure the SO2 levels right before bottling, and perhaps adjust them. In the case of a 4-week kit, you'll be lucky to have a bottle or two left by the end of the year, so don't worry about it. Enjoy!

Doug

Joe:

You sound inexperienced at wine kit making. The first few times, follow the instructions. That means wait the 18 days. Make sure that fermentation is finished, ie sg below .995 before proceeding.

Just because somebody else said to do something doesn't make it right. They may be talking about something else entirely. Like the guy who told a newcomer to add campden tablets to his kit wine. The 'experienced' friend had never made a kit, and didn't know that it wasn't required.

In the case of additional metabisulfite, it is not usually added until after the kit instructions are complete, ie if you will be doing long term aging of teh wine.

Steve

Joe, Steve is right smack on! Good advice he gives! I'm on my 8th wine kit, and following instructions make the best wine. The wine kit company WANTS you to be repeat buyer, so it's maximized to the best wine. When they say wait until ... wait. When they say add water to top off, add water. They have balanced the PH, the alcohol levels, etc. are for your kit. Following instructions makes the best kits. I also agree with Steve, if you want to add additional Metabisulfite just prior to bottling or bulk aging - that's fine. See Jack Keller's site

good rack> Joe:

Agree with those posting above. Follow instructions. They will generally yield the best result.

There is one exception that you might consider. That is the sorbate. As Doug said, sorbate will prevent yeast from reproducing. It is good insurance that a cleared, finished wine will not restart fermenting in the bottle. However, if you are finishing your wine dry (leaving it at 0.995) there really is no reason to add sorbate. The kit makers add it as insurance but it serves no purpose and some people say they can taste it and do not like it. But it is up to you.

Ray