SO2 level before bottling?

[Mark Kissel]

Hi all,
I have had a few wines fail due ZERO Kmeta level 8 months later, turned to vinegar pretty much. I believe those I left in primary open fermentation toooooo long and that did it. Getting ready to bottle a kit of Montepulciano red which has been aging in a carboy for a month. Free SO2 is at 44ppm. Per the recommended PH/SO2 chart it should be 40 ppm @ PH 3.48 and TA 6.8. Seams pretty stable, but would you up the level before bottling so its safe for a year or two of aging?

thanks,

Mark

 

[RPh_Guy]

If you've been monitoring the amount of sulfite consumption in your bottles, you might have a better idea than any of us what level at bottling is good.

You could probably add another 10ppm or more if you plan to age it a while. That's pushing into the range where it may be detectable if you start drinking it right away though.

 

[Mark Kissel]

thanks, my thoughts were that if it has been stable for a month, should not drop too much after bottling. I have tested a couple store bought wines and all seam fairly low on SO2, below 20ppm. I guess this makes since for a wine 3 to 4 years old.
Thanks for the input!

 

[RPh_Guy]

if it has been stable for a month, should not drop too much after bottling.

Sulfite interacts with oxygen. Bottling introduces a lot of oxygen, and then oxygen continues to enter the bottle with the rate and timeframe depending on the type of closure.

For a red at pH 3.32, 20ppm free SO2 is 0.6ppm molecular, which is the ideal target at the time it's served.

Hope this makes sense. Cheers.

 

[Mark Kissel]

Yep, totally. All comes down to how long you want to sit on it before drinking I guess...my will power is not that good, unfortunately....