I am looking to make wine that is more on the sweet side. I have make wine
that is slightly sweet but would like to see my results more on the sweet
taste. I will be trying to bottle my wines ealier to leave some residual
sugar but also use potasium sorbate to stop the ferment process. Is there a
limit as to how early I can stop the process? I don't need any popping
bottles in the cellar. Thanks.

I suggest you modify your procedure. Sorbate is not good for stopping an
active ferment. It is good for preventing fermentation from restarting
after it has stopped. The recommended procedure for making sweeter wines is
to ferment to dryness, let the wine clear so that you get rid of most of the
yeast, then use sulfite and sorbate and sweeten to taste. Do not aim for a
residual sugar level. Aim for a alcohol level, then sweeten to taste.

If you follow your procedure you will have "popping bottles in the cellar."
;o( Maybe not every time but some are going to blow.

Ray

"anvsmart" > wrote in message
...
> I am looking to make wine that is more on the sweet side. I have make wine
> that is slightly sweet but would like to see my results more on the sweet
> taste. I will be trying to bottle my wines ealier to leave some residual
> sugar but also use potasium sorbate to stop the ferment process. Is there
a
> limit as to how early I can stop the process? I don't need any popping
> bottles in the cellar. Thanks.
>
>
>

"Ray" > wrote in message digy.com>...
> I suggest you modify your procedure. Sorbate is not good for stopping an
> active ferment. It is good for preventing fermentation from restarting
> after it has stopped. The recommended procedure for making sweeter wines is
> to ferment to dryness, let the wine clear so that you get rid of most of the
> yeast, then use sulfite and sorbate and sweeten to taste. Do not aim for a
> residual sugar level. Aim for a alcohol level, then sweeten to taste.
>
> If you follow your procedure you will have "popping bottles in the cellar."
> ;o( Maybe not every time but some are going to blow.
>
> Ray
>


An alternative is to cool the must/wine a little before your desired
stopping point. Keep it very cool (30 F) until the yeast settle out,
rack off the lees, sulfite and sorbate (or sterile filter).


Andy