Campden to finish cyser?

[myndflyte]

I'm a week or so out from bottling my first cyser and plan on doing it into wine bottles. With that being said, should I stabilize with something like campden tablets before bottling?

It was in the primary for 3 weeks, fermented down to 0.998 and at the time of bottling, will have been in the secondary for about another 3 weeks. I've never used wine bottles before but I just want to make sure I'm not going to blow any corks.

 

[Maylar]

Campden (Potassium Metabisulfite) is an antioxidant, and yes it's recommended for anything that will sit in bottles for any length of time. If you also use Potassium Sorbate, that will keep any unwanted bottle carbonation from happening (together they make what we call stabilizers).

 

[myndflyte]

Campden (Potassium Metabisulfite) is an antioxidant, and yes it's recommended for anything that will sit in bottles for any length of time. If you also use Potassium Sorbate, that will keep any unwanted bottle carbonation from happening (together they make what we call stabilizers).

Does this sound good enough to do? 1/2 cup of water, add 1/4 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite and 3.75 teaspoons of potassium sorbate; stir until fully dissolved. Can I just add it to my bottling bucket when I rack it to there or should I stir it in first and let it sit for a period of time? There will be no back sweetening or anything like that.

 

[Yooper]

Does this sound good enough to do? 1/2 cup of water, add 1/4 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite and 3.75 teaspoons of potassium sorbate; stir until fully dissolved. Can I just add it to my bottling bucket when I rack it to there or should I stir it in first and let it sit for a period of time? There will be no back sweetening or anything like that.

What is your volume? That would work for 6 gallons, but still a bit high on the sorbate.

If it was me- and I wasn't sweetening the batch- I would skip the sorbate. Yes, it inhibits yeast reproduction but it does impart a slight taste and I'm not a fan unless it needs to be added because of it being a sweetened wine or cider.

 

[myndflyte]

What is your volume? That would work for 6 gallons, but still a bit high on the sorbate.

If it was me- and I wasn't sweetening the batch- I would skip the sorbate. Yes, it inhibits yeast reproduction but it does impart a slight taste and I'm not a fan unless it needs to be added because of it being a sweetened wine or cider.

I have a little less than 5 gallons. The less I'm adding, the better, in my book. So you're thinking just some Campden tablets? How many tabs should I use and does it matter if it's potassium or sodium metabisulfate?

 

[Yooper]

I have a little less than 5 gallons. The less I'm adding, the better, in my book. So you're thinking just some Campden tablets? How many tabs should I use and does it matter if it's potassium or sodium metabisulfate?

1 crushed campden tablet per gallon should be fine- so 5 tablets crushed and dissolved in a little of the cyser or water and added to the cyser. I use K-meta, but if you don't mind a little sodium, you could use the NaMeta.

If you are sure the cyser is done, and it's clear (like read a newspaper through it clear), then the sorbate won't hurt but isn't necessary either.

 

[koniowsky717]

So my cyser has been in primary for 2 days.. not a whole lot of airlock activity, but I'm pretty sure its fermenting. I poped the top off today to do my first aerate, and this **** stinks like rotten eggs. If I bring my nose closer the smell goes away and I just get a strong co2 burn and cider smell.. but at the top of the bucket, it's rotten. Did you experience this, or is this common?

 

[koniowsky717]

Should add, I'm adding fermaido following the batchbuilr calculator

 

[Yooper]

So my cyser has been in primary for 2 days.. not a whole lot of airlock activity, but I'm pretty sure its fermenting. I poped the top off today to do my first aerate, and this badword stinks like rotten eggs. If I bring my nose closer the smell goes away and I just get a strong co2 burn and cider smell.. but at the top of the bucket, it's rotten. Did you experience this, or is this common?

Rotten eggs is a very bad sign. Grab a long handled spoon or something, sanitize it, and stir out some of the c02. Get the nutrients out, and use them appropriately. If you don't treat this, it will ruin the cyser.

 

[koniowsky717]

Rotten eggs is a very bad sign. Grab a long handled spoon or something, sanitize it, and stir out some of the c02. Get the nutrients out, and use them appropriately. If you don't treat this, it will ruin the cyser.

Yea, I went ahead and stirrer again around noon and added 1/4 tbs of fermaid o, then did my scheduled sna just now. Smell seems to have went down.. hope I'm good

 

[TimKonn2]

1 crushed campden tablet per gallon should be fine- so 5 tablets crushed and dissolved in a little of the cyser or water and added to the cyser. I use K-meta, but if you don't mind a little sodium, you could use the NaMeta.

If you are sure the cyser is done, and it's clear (like read a newspaper through it clear), then the sorbate won't hurt but isn't necessary either.

im gonna be racking off lees, hopefully cleared, end of this month then ageing till about april. Can i just add campden when i rack, or do i have to wait till i bottle?

 

[Maylar]

When you rack.