I've got a little less than a gallon of bisulphite that I made up
several months ago as part of a larger batch. This has been stored in a
eealed gallon container. It still smells plenty strong. I've got just
a few bottles to sanitize. How long does it last? If the burnt matches
are still strong, is it OK? This wine won't be in the bottle for more
than a few months.

Dick

In article >, Dick Heckman > wrote:
>I've got a little less than a gallon of bisulphite that I made up
>several months ago as part of a larger batch. This has been stored in a
>eealed gallon container. It still smells plenty strong. I've got just
>a few bottles to sanitize. How long does it last? If the burnt matches
>are still strong, is it OK? This wine won't be in the bottle for more
>than a few months.

If the "burnt matches" smell is still strong, it's OK. How long does it last?
Dunno, I never measured. Months, at least, as long as it's kept in a sealed
container. Best answer I can give is "until the burnt matches smell fades."

Thanks, that's what I thought but I wanted to check.

Doug Miller wrote:
> In article >, Dick Heckman > wrote:
>> I've got a little less than a gallon of bisulphite that I made up
>> several months ago as part of a larger batch. This has been stored in a
>> eealed gallon container. It still smells plenty strong. I've got just
>> a few bottles to sanitize. How long does it last? If the burnt matches
>> are still strong, is it OK? This wine won't be in the bottle for more
>> than a few months.
>
> If the "burnt matches" smell is still strong, it's OK. How long does it last?
> Dunno, I never measured. Months, at least, as long as it's kept in a sealed
> container. Best answer I can give is "until the burnt matches smell fades."

Dick

Did you realize that you can make wine and sanitize without the
bisulphite?

To sanitize the bottles with no sulfites - after you wash them, place
them in a cold oven then bake them at 325 - 350 degrees F. for at
least 20 minutes after the oven reaches temperature. (Note it takes a
bit later to come to temperature when it's full of bottles.) I bake
mine in batches - when I'm preparing dinner. When they cool, I place
a small piece of food wrap over each bottle. (I line up 3 bottles and
place a thin strip wrap over all three and cut inbetween the
bottles.) I store them in the wine bottle box - then they are ready
and sanitized when I'm ready to bottle. I've never had any problems -
and when I've been able to keep wine for 5 years, or intentionally do
it - it is still good. If you want more info - you are welcome to
contact me at my email address or within this forum.

Anine

Bottles don't have to be sanitized. Just pretty clean. As soon as they
hit the air they become unsanitized and I doubt you bottle your wine
in a vacuum. Cleaning with bleach or oxiclean then rinsed should be
fine as long as the sulfite levels in the wine prior to bottling are
high enough.



> wrote:
> * Dick
>
> Did you realize that you can make wine and sanitize without the
> bisulphite?
>
> To sanitize the bottles with no sulfites - after you wash them, place
> them in a cold oven then bake them at 325 - 350 degrees F. for at
> least 20 minutes after the oven reaches temperature. (Note it takes a
> bit later to come to temperature when it's full of bottles.) *I bake
> mine in batches - when I'm preparing dinner. *When they cool, I place
> a small piece of food wrap over each bottle. *(I line up 3 bottles and
> place a thin strip wrap over all three and cut inbetween the
> bottles.) *I store them in the wine bottle box - then they are ready
> and sanitized when I'm ready to bottle. *I've never had any problems -
> and when I've been able to keep wine for 5 years, or intentionally do
> it - it is still good. * *If you want more info - you are welcome to
> contact me at my email address or within this forum.
>
> Anine

In article >, wrote:
>Bottles don't have to be sanitized. Just pretty clean. As soon as they
>hit the air they become unsanitized and I doubt you bottle your wine
>in a vacuum. Cleaning with bleach or oxiclean then rinsed should be
>fine as long as the sulfite levels in the wine prior to bottling are
>high enough.

I think you're confusing "sanitize" with "sterilize".

"Cleaning with bleach or oxiclean" *is* sanitizing.
Bottles *do* have to be sanitized.
They do *not* have to be sterilized.

I was actually directing my response at the suggestion of heating the
bottles to 350 degrees. While I'm sure it will work, I was just
pointing out that it may be overkill. BTW, bleach and Oxiclean will
sterilize if used at a high enough dosage.

On May 7, 11:24*am, (Doug Miller) wrote:
> In article >, wrote:
>
> >Bottles don't have to be sanitized. Just pretty clean. As soon as they
> >hit the air they become unsanitized and I doubt you bottle your wine
> >in a vacuum. Cleaning *with bleach or oxiclean then rinsed should be
> >fine as long as the sulfite levels in the wine prior to bottling are
> >high enough.
>
> I think you're confusing "sanitize" with "sterilize".
>
> "Cleaning with bleach or oxiclean" *is* sanitizing.
> Bottles *do* have to be sanitized.
> They do *not* have to be sterilized.

And yes, I used the wrong term.

On May 7, 11:24*am, (Doug Miller) wrote:
> In article >, wrote:
>
> >Bottles don't have to be sanitized. Just pretty clean. As soon as they
> >hit the air they become unsanitized and I doubt you bottle your wine
> >in a vacuum. Cleaning *with bleach or oxiclean then rinsed should be
> >fine as long as the sulfite levels in the wine prior to bottling are
> >high enough.
>
> I think you're confusing "sanitize" with "sterilize".
>
> "Cleaning with bleach or oxiclean" *is* sanitizing.
> Bottles *do* have to be sanitized.
> They do *not* have to be sterilized.