Advice Needed: Should I use potassium sorbate in my apple win?

[Microphobik]

I have an apple won't that is bone dry

 

[Microphobik]

I have an apple won't that is bone dry

Sorry about that, hit send too soon. I was saying that I have an apple wine that is bone dry and I wanted to sweeten, but I just read about the off flavors potassium sorbate can impart. ABV is only at 11%. Any advice on using PS or a better approach?

 

[Yooper]

Sorry about that, hit send too soon. I was saying that I have an apple wine that is bone dry and I wanted to sweeten, but I just read about the off flavors potassium sorbate can impart. ABV is only at 11%. Any advice on using PS or a better approach?

The only dependable way I know if is to stabilize, using campden (metabisulfite) and sorbate. Sorbate does impart a slight flavor, but if you're sweetening the wine there really isn't any other choice that is reasonable. Some people don't taste it, in the proper amounts.

I mean, you could bottle and then pasteurize them right away and hope the corks don't blow, but I wouldn't really call that "dependable".

 

[Microphobik]

Thanks.

 

[bregiz]

what about using a non fermentable sugar?

 

[Microphobik]

what about using a non fermentable sugar?

I'm really not too fond of fake sugars. Both in the way they taste and for health reasons. I have no problem with lactose but somehow lactose in a wine doesn't quite feel right. I have made an apple juice concentrate by freezing apple juice and letting the juice drip, leaving the water behind, then doing it again, so that I could get some sweet and additional apple aroma, and was all set to go until I read that Potassium sorbate has a taste that most people don't like.

I read in another thread about bringing the entire batch up to 140 degrees to kill any yeast still alive and THEN bottling, but I'm really unclear how that will effect the taste, or if it will even work well. If anyone has any experience with that I'd love to know.

 

[saramc]

People pasteurize wine all the time. Since this is a still wine there is no reason the corks would blow unless you overfill, no impact on flavor when I did comparison. There is a sticky in cider section on stovetop pasteurization. But on the sorbate front most people cannot even tell it is there unless you add too much. More is not better with sorbate.

 

[HBngNOK]

Bottle, pasteurize, cool, cork? Cover filled bottles with tin-foil during pasteurizing and cooling steps?

 

[StoneArcher]

You would have to sweeten each bottle individually. Seems a pain for consistency, but I suppose on a small scale it wouldn't be bad.

 

[Microphobik]

I read in another thread about bringing the entire batch up to 140 degrees to kill any yeast still alive and THEN bottling, but I'm really unclear how that will effect the taste, or if it will even work well. If anyone has any experience with that I'd love to know.

I was referring to a technique that suggested I rack into a pot and pasteurize the entire batch of wine at 140 for just a few minutes, not in the carboy. Most posts I have read about pasteurizing wine bottles mentioned breakage and pressure issues with the corks. I was just wondering how pasteurization effects flavor though. I have read a lot, and not at all. Guess I'll have to experiment.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Honda88]

I would think you would have some oxidation problems when heating a finished wine up to 140 degrees in an open pot but maybe I am wrong. I think you are right though you just need to experiment and go from there, maybe try it on a small batch to see if it spoils....

 

[Microphobik]

I think you are right though you just need to experiment and go from there, maybe try it on a small batch to see if it spoils....

Yeah, I think that's what I'll need to do. Should be bottling within the next week or so. I'll try this with 4 or 50 bottles and see what happens. I'll report back once I have some results.

 

[TexasWine]

Have you considered using champagne bottles and capping them with crown caps (beer bottle caps)? That way you could stove top pasteurize the bottles without worrying about popping corks or breaking bottles.

 

[Microphobik]

Have you considered using champagne bottles and capping them with crown caps (beer bottle caps)? That way you could stove top pasteurize the bottles without worrying about popping corks or breaking bottles.

Considered it, but have just heard of a lot of problems. I think I'll just stick with a dry wine this go around and will test the batch pasteurization method on a small portion of the batch.