Help me understand "stabilization"

[kev211]

Ok, so i know there are a million threads, reddit posts, etc on the interwebs regarding this subject matter, but as is normal for said interwebs, every one has a different opinion or viewpoint so I came here to get another one, ha! Also, none of my google searches have resulted in a question that matches mine so here we go...

This also maybe should be in the mead forum, but it is about stopping fermentation, so who knows...

I made a mead about 2 weeks ago. Must started at 1.096 and today I transferred to secondary at ~1.010. The mead is definitely still fermenting, but it had hit my desired sweetness so I transferred all 5 gallons. When I transferred I added k-sorb and k-meta. (1/4tsp k-meta and 2.5 tsp k-sorb). I know the basic principles of each. One inhibits oxygen while the other limits reporduction of yeast. That said, everything online says it wont stop fermentation. Is that true? If so, Im assuming that my mead will continue to ferment? Or no, once the current alive yeasties stop due to the k-sorb?

That said, if my mead does continue to ferment and it bottoms out around 1.0, do I need to add more k-sorb or k-meta before backsweetening or will I be over dosing with the two? What should my next steps be.

Thanks in advance!

 

[IAmPistolPete]

OK I'll take a stab at it
You do have a couple options from what I see...
- allow to ferment dry & backsweeten with a non-fermentable sweetener like erythritol or stevia etc
- pasteurize the mead at 140F for 20min. prob not practical in a 5gal batch unless you have a BOP
- sterile filter - like the commercial wineries do. It's cheaper than it used to be but does require an investment
- chemicals - like you did. However I have always cold crashed when approaching my goal gravity. Chilling to 35F or so for a few days puts the yeast in a suspended animation. Also helps the yeast & other particles drop out. Then I rack & add KMeta & KSorb. The less yeast you have to target, the better chance of getting at the little buggers. Sorbate doesn't actually kill the yeast, but it does make them wish they were dead.
Also - adding those compounds to a live healthy fermentation can give off flavors as those yeastie boys struggle to keep on keeping on.

 

[kev211]

OK I'll take a stab at it
You do have a couple options from what I see...
- allow to ferment dry & backsweeten with a non-fermentable sweetener like erythritol or stevia etc
- pasteurize the mead at 140F for 20min. prob not practical in a 5gal batch unless you have a BOP
- sterile filter - like the commercial wineries do. It's cheaper than it used to be but does require an investment
- chemicals - like you did. However I have always cold crashed when approaching my goal gravity. Chilling to 35F or so for a few days puts the yeast in a suspended animation. Also helps the yeast & other particles drop out. Then I rack & add KMeta & KSorb. The less yeast you have to target, the better chance of getting at the little buggers. Sorbate doesn't actually kill the yeast, but it does make them wish they were dead.
Also - adding those compounds to a live healthy fermentation can give off flavors as those yeastie boys struggle to keep on keeping on.

Thank you. Unfortuantely all of my cold storage is currently tied up with beers, so didnt have the option to crash it out, or i 100% would have. That said, I wouldnt call it a "live healthy" fermentation as its definitely nearing completion at 1.010 so hopefully no off flavors. That said, did I use the effectiveness of the ksorb and kmeta already? And should I add more once terminal gravity has been met? I would prefer to backsweeten with honey if needed, but I dont want to assume that the k-sorb and k-meta i added at transfer can hold off fermentation and then end up with bottles blowing up. Counter to that, I dont want to add more k-sorb and k-meta if not necessary and end up with too much, if that makes sense.

Not really sure how to proceed here. Obviously did this one wrong, but trying to figure out how to right my slowly capsizing ship.

Thanks

 

[IAmPistolPete]

I think patience will be the key for this time around. Wait & see what happens over the next few weeks. If in 2 weeks you're still at 1.010 then you're probably good to go but I'd wait another 2 weeks before bottling. If it's gone down then wait a few more weeks til it's done & stable. Rack & add 30% more KSorb. Allow to sit for a few more weeks then try back-sweetening. I think you'll just hafta wait this one out...