Free stuff! But what do I do with it...?

[worlddivides]

I ordered a ton of stuff earlier this week and it arrived this afternoon. I was a little worried about the yeast, because even though it's September 9th, it got up to 101 degrees today.

Anyway, all of the stuff I ordered came fine, but I got an entire pound of potassium metabisulfite that I did not order. I checked the receipt that was in the box and I wasn't charged for it, so I guess the packager must have accidentally thrown it in with my purchase.

I've never used potassium metabisulfite before, so I don't even know what I'd do with a whole pound of the stuff. I know it can be used like Campden tablets (which I have used only on four batches so far), but it wouldn't be much use to me if it were Campden tablets either since 90% of the stuff I brew is beer (I've only made one batch of wine before and I didn't use potassium metabisulfite then).

Any suggestions on what to use this stuff on? It doesn't have to be mead either. I've been thinking of making another batch of cider or maybe a cyser. Then again, I've never used Campden tablets or potassium metabisulfite on any ciders I've made before either. :fro:

(I put this in the mead forum because most of the stuff in my purchase was for mead: another 5 gallon carboy, some medium toasted French oak cubes, etc.)

 

[Yooper]

It is an effective sanitizer, but I've been making wine for 25 years and don't think I've used a whole pound yet! It'll go bad before you can use it up.

 

[worlddivides]

It is an effective sanitizer, but I've been making wine for 25 years and don't think I've used a whole pound yet! It'll go bad before you can use it up.

That's what I thought. It says 1/4 of a teaspoon adds 50 ppm to 5 gallons of must or wine, which would mean that there are probably several hundred batches of wine worth of potassium metabisulfite in this pound (assuming only 1/4 of a teaspoon per batch, although I know it can also be used immediately before bottling).

There isn't an expiration date written on the package, so I assume it doesn't start going bad until I open it up and first expose it to oxygen. It has a plastic zipper, thus it's resealable, but I guess after the first time I start using it, I'm not going to be able to use it for too long.

Is it used for anything other than wine? The package only mentions wine and I've only ever heard it used in the context of wine before.

I kind of wish they had accidentally given me a ton of StarSan or PBW or even a pound of dry malt extract, but this is what they accidentally gave me, so if I don't use it, it'll go to waste. :cross:

 

[Frognostic]

It is said to work better when combined with citric acid.

I read somewhere that it should be one part potassium metabisulfite to four parts citric acid.

 

[Yooper]

It is said to work better when combined with citric acid.

I read somewhere that it should be one part potassium metabisulfite to four parts citric acid.

No, I wouldn't do that. It is highly effective on its own when mixed at the proper "dose". The sanitizing dose is much higher than the wine addition dose, so using it at a sanitizer would be using it much more quickly.

To prepare a sulfite solution for sanitizing winemaking equipment, dissolve 3 Tbsp. of the k-meta powder in approximately 1 quart (1/4 gallon) of warm water. Mix well to dissolve, and then once dissolved, top that up to 1 gallon and cap tightly. Now you have a 1 gallon batch of sanitizer that is very effective, and will last for about a month or more.

 

[Frognostic]

No, I wouldn't do that. It is highly effective on its own when mixed at the proper "dose". The sanitizing dose is much higher than the wine addition dose, so using it at a sanitizer would be using it much more quickly.

To prepare a sulfite solution for sanitizing winemaking equipment, dissolve 3 Tbsp. of the k-meta powder in approximately 1 quart (1/4 gallon) of warm water. Mix well to dissolve, and then once dissolved, top that up to 1 gallon and cap tightly. Now you have a 1 gallon batch of sanitizer that is very effective, and will last for about a month or more.

I use the sodium metabisulphite rather than the potassium metabisulphite tbh and the instructions for that say 1 tsp per pint.

The reason that i mentioned the citric acid thing is because a few people have said metabisulphite is more effective when used with it.

I've also heard people say metabisulphite is an ineffective sanitiser which i hope is untrue because that's what i use (with citric acid, i confess) to sterilise my equipment.

There's a report saying that sodium bisulfite is more effective at killing Helicobacter pylori in acidic conditions and this influenced my sanitation methods even though it's probably overkill in the wine making context.