potassium sorbate and campden - how to dissolve?

[bob1852]

Hi there HBT - I haven't stablized and back-sweetened mead or wine before today.

I took 1/2 tsp. of potassium sorbate and 1 crushed camped tablet in a clean 1-gallon jug and racked on some wine. How long until the stuff disolves? It's been about 12 hours and I can still see it sitting on the bottom of the jug.

Is there a better way to get the stuff into solution?

thanks!

 

[travestyofnature]

I use about a 1/2 cup of really hot water, crush in and stir until disolved. Add that to my carboy and then rack on top of it with the mead or wine. Pretty much the exact same way you add priming sugar to a bottling bucket. Hope that helps.

 

[gregbathurst]

I use about a 1/2 cup of really hot water, crush in and stir until disolved.

This is a good way to do it but be careful of the concentrated solution in the cup; SO2 can be quite dangerous at these concentrations and has caused numerous fatalities in the wine industry. Don't be tempted to sniff it or leave it where children can get it.

 

[Yooper]

Usually, I use a sanitized baster and pull out some of the wine. I stick it in the microwave with the campden tablets for a minute. I stir well (keeping my face far away!) and then add the sorbate. Stir until completely dissolved, then put into a new carboy. Then, I rack the wine into it.

If yours doesn't dissolve, you may have to try again in a new carboy. If it's not dissolved in the wine, it won't do any good. Wait a few days, though, because you definitely don't want to oversorbate. In too-large quantities, sorbate has a distinctive (bad) taste.

 

[bob1852]

thx.

I did your method Yooper on one of the wines and it seems to work. I tried just racking on the other and I can still see of the campden. I need to crush better next time.

thanks for the replies.

 

[gx37987]

so after using yooper's method for disolving the campden and the sorbate how long do I need to wait till I back sweeten and bottle.