Adding sulphites

[Guthrie]

Are there reprocussions to not adding sulphites during the wine making process ?

 

[Nateo]

Sulfites kill bugs and wild yeast. So, your wine will be more vulnerable to infection, or if the must were infected to begin with, it will continue to be infected.

 

[Guthrie]

So the alcohol produced would not kill off any bacteria? I just bottled some pineapple wine and did not pasteurize the juice nor did I add sulphites. Is it safe to drink?

 

[Nateo]

Bacteria that is harmful to humans can't live in alcohol. Spoilage bacteria might be present, and it may make the wine turn to vinegar, but it won't hurt you. It just may not taste good.

 

[Guthrie]

That's a load off, thought I might have to pitch the whole batch. Thanks

 

[Nateo]

If you had good sanitation, it'll probably keep for a while. If you had not-so-good sanitation, drink it fast and enjoy it young.

 

[Dicky]

If you had good sanitation, it'll probably keep for a while. If you had not-so-good sanitation, drink it fast and enjoy it young.

There's an encouragement for poor sanitisation. Haha!

 

[Yooper]

The main reason to use sulfites at the beginning when you mix the must to kill wild yeast and bacteria.

After fermentation starts, the main reason to use sulfites is as an antioxidant (sulfites bind with the wine so oxygen can't) for racking and as a preservative.

I use sulfites, in much smaller amounts than commercial wines have, for the antioxidant and preservative qualities at every other racking and at bottling, with a goal of keeping the sulfites around 50 ppm.

 

[Guthrie]

So just before I bottle would a Campden tablet per gallon be sufficient, and if so would the wine be drinkable within a few weeks or more like months.

 

[DoctorCAD]

I use 1/2 tablet per gallon before bottling.

Red wine needs to sit at least a month, some whites are drinkable in 2 weeks. Bottle Shock needs to go away first.

I always tell people that wine is like good potato salad...it tastes like potatoes, celery, onions and mayonnaise for the first day or two. After that, it tastes like potato salad. All of the differing flavors and mouth-feels come together to make something that is better than the sum of its parts. That is what the waiting does to wines.

 

[Guthrie]

A very fitting comparison, thanks for the help.