smyrnaquince
Well-Known Member
During racking and when bottling, are sulfites required or optional?
If I ferment the wine out completely, there shouldn't be anything for yeast to further consume, so I shouldn't need sulfites to stop the yeast. My understanding is that the alcohol in the wine would stop other nasties (yeast and/or bacteria) from growing. Are sulfites needed "just to be safe" or for some other reason?
If I do need them, I've heard to add them at every other racking, then again at bottling, at the rate (each time) of 1 Campden tablet per gallon. Does that sound right?
Right now, I've got a blackberry wine in the secondary, but will be making other wines, so this a a "question in general", not a question for a specific wine.
Thanks!
If I ferment the wine out completely, there shouldn't be anything for yeast to further consume, so I shouldn't need sulfites to stop the yeast. My understanding is that the alcohol in the wine would stop other nasties (yeast and/or bacteria) from growing. Are sulfites needed "just to be safe" or for some other reason?
If I do need them, I've heard to add them at every other racking, then again at bottling, at the rate (each time) of 1 Campden tablet per gallon. Does that sound right?
Right now, I've got a blackberry wine in the secondary, but will be making other wines, so this a a "question in general", not a question for a specific wine.
Thanks!