Sodium metabisulfite sucked into cider

[Grad]

I have a noob question. After racking my cider into a 5 gallon better bottle(first time using a better bottle) for secondary fermentation, I accidentally sucked all the sodium meta solution out of the airlock(s style) into the cider. I used about 15 grams sulfite for one litre of water. I'm worried that this may impart a sodium flavour in the finished cider. I wouldn't be worried if it were potassium meta but I've heard of sodium leaving a taste. I don't want to open the secondary to taste it because I don't wanna expose it to unnecessary oxygen. Has anyone had this happen to them and did it affect the flavour?
Thanks in advance!

 

[mwilcox]

There's, what, less than an ounce of liquid in a S-shaped airlock? 20 mL or so? And it appears your airlock liquid was less than 1% sulfur dioxide solution. There will not be enough Na in that tiny amount of liquid added to 5 gallons to be a concern. It's less than pretty much any sulfite calculator would have had you add before fermentation.

However you shouldn't be afraid to taste your cider. Without knowing pH or activity of your cider technically you just added a bit of antioxidant , and it wasn't going to oxidize from you taking a sample anyway.

 

[Grad]

There's, what, less than an ounce of liquid in a S-shaped airlock? 20 mL or so? And it appears your airlock liquid was less than 1% sulfur dioxide solution. There will not be enough Na in that tiny amount of liquid added to 5 gallons to be a concern. It's less than pretty much any sulfite calculator would have had you add before fermentation.

However you shouldn't be afraid to taste your cider. Without knowing pH or activity of your cider technically you just added a bit of antioxidant , and it wasn't going to oxidize from you taking a sample anyway.

K great thanks for the reply, much appreciated!

 

[Evan55]

No reason to use sulfite in your airlock. I use cheap vodka, many people use starsan. Neither is a concern if sucked back in. (the vodka could even be a benefit )

 

[Wovensummers]

Evann55, am I missing something on using vodka or starsan in the airlock? I've always just used filtered or bottled water and never had a problem.

 

[ancientmariner52]

I'll, respond, since I got nothing better to do. Water is bacteria friendly, and could (not saying will) get pushed back into your vessel, if pressure inside drops or pressure outside rises. Vodka or a no rinse sanitizer prevents this. The cheapest vodka, on account of it has no flavor at all.

I use vodka, and a time or two I've found tiny little gnats floating in it. I just love the tiny little smiles on their tiny little dead faces.

 

[Nebraskan]

How about plain old air? I've fermented many a batch with 3 piece airlock and just the bubbler center and cap. I've even fermented many batches with nothing more than a slightly loose lid. At the winery hundreds of thousands (just this year) have been fermented with no airlocks of any kind. White wine, and cider in tanks with open tops, not even the lid put on. Red wine fermenting in vats on skins with absolutely no covers. In fact, I've seen red wine grapes in bin boxes, with loose lids and before fermentation started all kind of fruit flies crawling around on the fruit. We're talking thousands. No issues.

 

[Nebraskan]

BTW, those open top fermenters are about 6 feet across, just to give you an idea of open exposure. Each day, morning and before going home, the crew attach hose and pump to the bottom of each tank and a guy on top with hose, "pumps over" the red fermenters.

Sulfite in the water of the airlock is nothing to worry about. we ADD KMBS at the rates of 30 to 70 ppm to the apple juice before fermenting and then add another 40 ppm at the end of fermentation during racking.