Stabilizing a 55 gallon drum of Cider

timotb said:

This year I decided to go big and make 55 gallons of hard cider in a 55 gallon drum instead of individual 5 gallon carboys.

Last year was the first time I tried stabilizing before letting it go completely dry for a sweet taste. I'm using Red Star Champagne yeast and I know this stuff is hard to shut down.

Can someone verify my dosages for a 55 gallon container dissolved first.

Potassium Metabisulphite = 2.3 teaspoons
Potassium Sorbate= 110 teaspoons or 18.3 oz.

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timotb said:

thanks...Do I look right on the K sorbate?

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timotb said:

Last year was the first time I tried stabilizing before letting it go completely dry for a sweet taste. I'm using Red Star Champagne yeast and I know this stuff is hard to shut down.

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GinKings said:

Sorbate and sulfite are normally added to prevent renewed fermentation AFTER fermentation has been halted by other means. They are not meant to be used to stop an active fermentation. A fermenting 55 gallon barrel contains billions of active yeast cells. Sorbate and sulfite do not kill yeast, so after adding them, you'll still have billions of active yeast cells.

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