Backsweetening having used only sorbate

[jmureiko]

Are any of familiar with backsweetening a batch of brew using only potassium sorbate to stop the re-fermentation? Obviously, most people use potassium or sodium metabisulfite before adding potassium sorbate, but it has recently come to my attention that some home brewers have had success using only the sorbate. What are your thoughts?

 

[Yooper]

Are any of familiar with backsweetening a batch of brew using only potassium sorbate to stop the re-fermentation? Obviously, most people use potassium or sodium metabisulfite before adding potassium sorbate, but it has recently come to my attention that some home brewers have had success using only the sorbate. What are your thoughts?

It might work. The worst thing would be if you add apples or apple juice in the mead, as if MLF occurs after sorbating, it ruins the mead with a "geranium" smell.

If MLF isn't a concern, then it might be fine. Sorbate works better in the presence of sulfite, but it might work just fine without it.

 

[jmureiko]

Hey Yooper, thanks for the feedback. I'm new to brewing and not familiar with the term MLF.

 

[Yooper]

Hey Yooper, thanks for the feedback. I'm new to brewing and not familiar with the term MLF.

Oh, thats an abbreviation for "Malo-lactic fermentation". Often red wines are put through it, but some whites too. Some fruits (like apples) that are high naturally in malic acid may spontaneously go through MLF when primary fermentation finished if the wine/mead/cider isn't sulfited. If that happens, it's fine, as it reduces malic acid into the smoother lactic acid which is nice in some wines.

But if it happens after the mead/wine/cider is sorbated, an unpleasant taste and aroma happens, resulting a geranium smell and flavor (geraniol).

 

[saramc]

Is there a reason you do not want to use k-meta with the sorbate? It does much good for your wine, helps prevent browning and oxidization plus helps keep nasties from growing. To me it is like, why spend all the time and money only to have it potentially go down the drain because you opted out of a dime's worth of k-meta.

Perhaps pull off one gallon or half gallon of whatever it is you are working with and see how that goes before you go cold turkey on the k-meta used with sorbate.

 

[fun4stuff]

It might work. The worst thing would be if you add apples or apple juice in the mead, as if MLF occurs after sorbating, it ruins the mead with a "geranium" smell.

If MLF isn't a concern, then it might be fine. Sorbate works better in the presence of sulfite, but it might work just fine without it.

This happened to me a couple years ago. I was all out of sulfite... so just used potassium sorbate. Had to dump a majority of it after a few months. Interesting - didn't know this happened more commonly with apples... it was a cyser made with honey and apple cider.

 

[jmureiko]

Well, I'm a bit of a hippie when it comes to chemicals, and always prefer to avoid them when possible. After hearing one fellow had success using just the sorbate on some batches of wine coolers, I thought I'd ask. I'll probably just suck it up here at the beginning of my mead making education and just use them both.

 

[Peppers16]

Well, I'm a bit of a hippie when it comes to chemicals, and always prefer to avoid them when possible. After hearing one fellow had success using just the sorbate on some batches of wine coolers, I thought I'd ask. I'll probably just suck it up here at the beginning of my mead making education and just use them both.

I propose that few chemicals used in winemaking are less healthy than the ethanol we aim to produce

 

[Yooper]

Well, I'm a bit of a hippie when it comes to chemicals, and always prefer to avoid them when possible. After hearing one fellow had success using just the sorbate on some batches of wine coolers, I thought I'd ask. I'll probably just suck it up here at the beginning of my mead making education and just use them both.

I don't sweeten mead or wine, and totally avoid sorbate since I don't need it. I don't like the taste of it.