Potassium Sorbate

[pelletben]

I have 4 gallons of cider that has finished fermenting and now would like to back sweeten. I plan to prevent refermentation with potassium sorbate.

Can I add the PS to the primary, let it sit and then rack to a secondary and sweeten or should I rack off the yeast, then add the PS? And how long after adding the PS can I sweeten?

 

[UpstateMike]

Can I add the PS to the primary, let it sit and then rack to a secondary and sweeten or should I rack off the yeast, then add the PS?

I would rack to a secondary, then add PS.

And how long after adding the PS can I sweeten?

I'd wait 24 - 48 hours.

 

[Yooper]

Remember that sorbate doesn't kill yeast- it just stops yeast from reproducing. So if you have lots of yeast, either in the form of lees or in suspension, the sorbate won't stop any re-fermentation.

You only want to use sorbate once the cider is completely done, dropping no new lees, and is clear. If there are still billions and billions of yeast in suspension, the sorbate won't "work".

Also, sorbate works better in the presence of sulfite, so consider using 1 campden tablet per gallon along with the sorbate to stabilize the cider.

 

[pelletben]

Thanks! I'll try it over the weekend.