Sour Graf - School me in campden/sulfiting

So I made a graf a few weeks back, maybe a month or so that went a little something like this

for 6 gallons i used
4 gallons cider (flash pasteurized no preservatives)
2 lbs munich
2 lbs pale
8 oz crystal 20
8 oz crystal 40
2 oz wheat
mashed @ 154 and added a half ounce of cascades for 1/2 hour of boil
pitched 2 liter starter of denny's fav 50.

OG was 1.052

Upon racking it was sitting @ 1.011, tasted awesome, just like I wanted but lacking the body I desired. I added 4 oz of maltodextrine during the racking. Also maybe important to add that it was not clearing at all so during the rack I added an amount of pectic enzyme necessary for 4 gallons of juice which miraculously cleared the whole thing in less than 12 hours. Crystal clear.

Beings that it was a six gallon batch and only 5 gallons fit in my secondary, i put the extra gallon in a 1 gallon carboy to give to a friend and have him force carb it.

I just got off the phone with him and he said its sour. Sure enough, I looked and have an infection growing on the top of the 5 gallons and it smells tart n tasty. I'm not the least bit dissapointed and actually can't sleep because of excitement. Both him and his wife said its good, very slight funk with noticeable cherry tartness. I'm guessing I used some sour equipment on accident, or it picked it up from the pectic enzyme i just dumped in.

Anyway, whats the best way to handle this situation? I was thinking slamming it with campden or dosing it with some pot. metabisulfite, forcecarbing, then bottling. I've never used campden or pot metabisulfite but I have some of both. could someone school me on which would be better for this situation and how i should go about doing this or give me a better plan?

Thanks in advance, all feedback, thoughts, and suggestions are appreciated!

Campden has K-meta in it, but it is just a bit less pure. Essentially they are the same thing. The normal dose for wine is 1 tablet per gallon, but I'm not 100% sure what it takes to stabilize what you've got going on here.

Congrats for infecting your graff deliciously!

oooooo drrr i should have known that k-meta = pot metabisulfite

You could try cold crashing then force carb.

Decided to just let it go and see what happens. Tasted and racked onto 7 lbs of sour cherries last night.

It was @ 1.006 when i racked onto the cherries.
Slight twang in the scent along with lots of apples. Very mildly tart on the very tip of the tongue that is followed by an oddly smooth, almost buttery mouthfeel, then bland dry cidery finish.

I'm considering adding some russian river dregs i've had on about a pint of wort for approx 3 months in hopes to increase the amount of tartness.

ReverendTenHigh said:

Decided to just let it go and see what happens. Tasted and racked onto 7 lbs of sour cherries last night.

It was @ 1.006 when i racked onto the cherries.
Slight twang in the scent along with lots of apples. Very mildly tart on the very tip of the tongue that is followed by an oddly smooth, almost buttery mouthfeel, then bland dry cidery finish.

I'm considering adding some russian river dregs i've had on about a pint of wort for approx 3 months in hopes to increase the amount of tartness.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a pedio infection, due to the sourness and buttery mouthfeel -- diacetyl. If you pitched brett you could get rid of most of the diacetyl as long as you're willing to wait several more months and don't mind the brett flavors.

Sweet. I thought I read somewhere that pedio doesn't produce diacetyl in the absence of brett....either way, that sounds like a plan. I don't believe i tasted diacetyl, just felt the odd smoothness. I've decided to pitch about a pint of russian river dregs cultured in a pint of starter for about 2 months unless anyone can tell me why I shouldnt do that. I want this tart, I want it sour.

I'm thinkin the bugs will have plenty to munch on considering its still sitting @ 1.006 and is a cider