Potassium sorbate help!!

[Shaggywolfman]

First time brewer here. I'm making a raspberry mead. I mixed my musk and let it sit for 24 hours. Then I added my yeast. Only afterwards did I realize I also added my potassium sorbate right off the bat also. Is my musk completely ruined or is there any way to salvage this? I've been advised to wait a few days to see if fermentation starts, but that I could add another packet of yeast. TIA

 

[dmtaylor]

Sorbate doesn't kill yeast, it just neuters them so they cannot replicate... which is important at the beginning of the fermentation. My advice would be to add another pack or two of yeast to help the ones that are in each pack to do a good job for you. Then keep your fingers crossed. It will probably still turn out, but might take several months.

 

[bushpilot]

What if you get another batch going as a starter, then dump it in after it gets going? No idea if it will work.

 

[dmtaylor]

What if you get another batch going as a starter, then dump it in after it gets going? No idea if it will work.

Excellent idea! Even if you just made a small 2-liter batch or something like that, got the yeast heavily active, then added to the original batch, this should generate enough new cells to move the original batch along nicely.