Adding Potassium Sorbate and K Meta?

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Q2XL

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I have made a strawberry/banana melomel. I am ready to stabilize it. I have very close to 4.5 gallons total.

How much of both additions do I need to stabilize the melomel before my long-term aging?

Do I add both at the same time?

Do I just add the additions dry or should I mix them with mead or water to disolve them before adding to the secondary?

Any thoughts would be a big help.
 
I'm sure you know this, but I'll mention this for those who don't know- you only have to use sorbate and k-meta if you'll be sweetening the batch. If you're leaving it alone, no reason to sorbate it.

The "dosage" for k-meta is 1/4 teaspoon per 5 gallons, and for sorbate it's 1/2 teaspoon per gallon. So, let's see- most of 1/4 tsp of k-meta and 2 1/4 teaspoon of sorbate. Check the sorbate package, to make sure that my memory is still good!

I like to boil some water (or a bit of the wine/mead) in a glass measuring cup, about 1/4 cup or so. Then dissolve the k-meta and sorbate into that. Pour that into a new carboy, rack into it and then top up. Wait at least 3 days before sweetening.
 
I'm sure you know this, but I'll mention this for those who don't know- you only have to use sorbate and k-meta if you'll be sweetening the batch. If you're leaving it alone, no reason to sorbate it.

Well, I am not sure that I will be back sweetening it. I have racked it a couple of times but it is still fermenting. My last check 8 days ago was at 1.010, so I am guessing that it has dropped a bit more. I don't want it to go much further then it is now although I am not yet sure on back sweetening it at this point.

So, is it ok to add the additions even though I MAY not be sweetening it?
 
Well, I am not sure that I will be back sweetening it. I have racked it a couple of times but it is still fermenting. My last check 8 days ago was at 1.010, so I am guessing that it has dropped a bit more. I don't want it to go much further then it is now although I am not yet sure on back sweetening it at this point.

So, is it ok to add the additions even though I MAY not be sweetening it?

Well, in my experience, I've never sucessfully stopped an active fermentation with campden and sorbate. Sorbate inhibits yeast reproduction, but doesn't kill yeast. Sorbate works better with k-meta (campden) but doesn't kill yeast either way- so if you have a colony of active yeast that don't need to reproduce you really can't stop an active fermentation, either.

You could try cold crashing, racking off the lees, and then sorbating/k-meta, and that MIGHT work.
 
Well, what's really strange, at least to me, is that I made this melomel on June 6th. I added the fruit to the secondary on June 28th...22 days. I then left it on the fruit for 9 days and racked it off the fruita on July 7th. I let it go until August 10th and racked off the residual strawberry sediment and it is still bubbling slowly.

I don't get it, I am 73 days since I started and it is still going. I want it to stop! lolol
 
Well, what's really strange, at least to me, is that I made this melomel on June 6th. I added the fruit to the secondary on June 28th...22 days. I then left it on the fruit for 9 days and racked it off the fruita on July 7th. I let it go until August 10th and racked off the residual strawberry sediment and it is still bubbling slowly.

I don't get it, I am 73 days since I started and it is still going. I want it to stop! lolol

Well, obviously you're not speaking nicely enough to it. If you just tell those little living organisms what you want, I'm sure they'll be happy to comply! :D
 
I guess i should have read this thread before i posted my new one. :)

I had a 5 gallon batch of Cherry Melomel that I made last year. I only have 2 bottles left, but how long will they last since i didn't use any K-meta before bottling? I didn't use any Sorbate for that matter either..

Someone once told me that using K-meta and Sorbate before you bottle will allow your mead to age longer and more gracefully in the bottle. Whereas is you never used the k-meta, then you've got maybe a couple years until it gets funky. Any truth to this? Opinions?
 
Well, what's really strange, at least to me, is that I made this melomel on June 6th. I added the fruit to the secondary on June 28th...22 days. I then left it on the fruit for 9 days and racked it off the fruita on July 7th. I let it go until August 10th and racked off the residual strawberry sediment and it is still bubbling slowly.

I don't get it, I am 73 days since I started and it is still going. I want it to stop! lolol

Only real way to tell if it is still going is to take hydrometer readings. Bubbling airlock doesn't necessarily mean active fermentation.
 
Whereas is you never used the k-meta, then you've got maybe a couple years until it gets funky. Any truth to this? Opinions?

This is not necessarily true. Some meads will age fine with sulfite. Sorbate doesn't really help with aging - it just helps to keep fermentation from restarting. Sulfite actually acts as an anti-oxidant and can slow down browning and oxidation and may help wines (and some meads) age longer. Yours may work out just fine, so taste and see.
 
This is not necessarily true. Some meads will age fine with sulfite. Sorbate doesn't really help with aging - it just helps to keep fermentation from restarting. Sulfite actually acts as an anti-oxidant and can slow down browning and oxidation and may help wines (and some meads) age longer. Yours may work out just fine, so taste and see.

But what if I didn't use Sulfite, Sorbate, or anything? I just bottled it and started drinking it. :D ...would that effect how long its good for?

That's why this time around I want to make sure i put the right stuff in there before i bottle it so that i can stash some bottles for a LONG time.
 
But what if I didn't use Sulfite, Sorbate, or anything? I just bottled it and started drinking it. :D ...would that effect how long its good for?

That's why this time around I want to make sure i put the right stuff in there before i bottle it so that i can stash some bottles for a LONG time.

As long as fermentation is done, then just bottle and stash. Just make sure the bottle is sealed well and you'll be fine.
 
Some meads (especially traditionals) may age just fine without sulfites, or any additives. Personally I like to add sulfites as they may prevent contamination from spoilage organisms and may also act as an anti-oxidant to slow down browning with age.
 
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