The kit that I am currently making says to add the sorbate and
metabisulfite on Day 18 when the specific gravity is .995 or less.
Right now the gravity is 1.002 and it is still bubbling quite a bit.
Should I just wait untill the bubbling subsides? It's also very
cloudy yet and I think that is because of all the activity going on
inside. Once it gets closer to .995 will the bubbling
die down? When I do rack it should I add metabisulfite before each
racking to the new carboy? Since it is a 4 week kit it moves things
along pretty fast and I don't want to over rush the wine into
something that isn't drinkable. I have read many different processes
and I'm just trying to see which ones work best or if it's a whatever
works kind of thing.

Thanks,
Joe

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

wrote:

> The kit that I am currently making says to add the sorbate and
> metabisulfite on Day 18 when the specific gravity is .995 or less.
> Right now the gravity is 1.002 and it is still bubbling quite a bit.
> Should I just wait untill the bubbling subsides? It's also very
> cloudy yet and I think that is because of all the activity going on
> inside. Once it gets closer to .995 will the bubbling
> die down? When I do rack it should I add metabisulfite before each
> racking to the new carboy? Since it is a 4 week kit it moves things
> along pretty fast and I don't want to over rush the wine into
> something that isn't drinkable. I have read many different processes
> and I'm just trying to see which ones work best or if it's a whatever
> works kind of thing.
>
> Thanks,
> Joe
>

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
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/measures.asp for measurements and
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/extended.asp for what others have
learned from extending wine kits.

good racking!
DAve

Steve Waller wrote:
> 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

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

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> The kit that I am currently making says to add the sorbate and
> metabisulfite on Day 18 when the specific gravity is .995 or less.
> Right now the gravity is 1.002 and it is still bubbling quite a bit.
> Should I just wait untill the bubbling subsides? It's also very
> cloudy yet and I think that is because of all the activity going on
> inside. Once it gets closer to .995 will the bubbling
> die down? When I do rack it should I add metabisulfite before each
> racking to the new carboy? Since it is a 4 week kit it moves things
> along pretty fast and I don't want to over rush the wine into
> something that isn't drinkable. I have read many different processes
> and I'm just trying to see which ones work best or if it's a whatever
> works kind of thing.
>
> Thanks,
> Joe
>
>