Sodium Metabisulfite added before yeast :(

[ljmarinac]

I just capped my first brew in its fermenter, then did some last second internet research to make sure everything was ok... then I realized I might have made a huge mistake. I added sodium metabisulfite (stabalizer) before adding my yeast and capping the brew to ferment. I added a teaspoon to a five-gallon batch, and now I'm wondering if adding a stabilizer a couple of hours before adding yeast is a great way to make sure the yeast never grows. Do I have a five-gallon bucket of crap-water on my hands, or should I see this through and check on it in a couple of weeks??

 

[bdupree]

you should be fine and have a good fermentation. Just wondering though, are you using sodium metabisulfite as a sanitizer? if so, i would definately get some star san. If you're adding it to prevent oxygenation, you don't really need that either. Everybody messes something up on their first few brews or so. It's a learning process. Good luck, and enjoy your first brew.

 

[wyzazz]

You don't need to "Stabilize" wort, you just boiled it for an hour so it should be plenty sanitary. Give it 24 hours and repitch some yeast to ensure you have enough to complete fermentation. By that time the sodium metabisulfite should have gassed off.

 

[slicksmix]

Potassium sorbate is a stabilizer. I guess sulfite could be one as well but u really don't need that stuff unless you're making wine

 

[ljmarinac]

Yeah, I suppose I should probably explain WHY I added the stabilizer. I didn't have a proper cooling aparatus for my wort (turns out five gallons of boiling water takes about 6 hours to reach room temperature), so I put it in a sink full of cold water and icy pops to cool things down. After a couple of hours the wort came down to 125 F, and I started worrying after 3 hours when it was only down to 105 F that I might be developing an infection while the fermenter sat, open, maintaining a nice core temperature to promote bacteria. After ward I put it in fridge for a couple of hours to drop the temp. then when it was around 80 F I added the yeast, shut it up, and walked away. However, when I came home today, my blow-off tube had spewed over a quart, and it's steadily working on its second as we speak. Yeast salvaged, a-ok?

 

[likwidbliss]

Get bags of ice or make a wort chiller.

I would do as others said, wait 24 hrs then repitch. yeast are pretty tough! Like microscopic UFC fighters!

 

[theredben]

No need to worry about the wort taking so long to cool down next time. If you have a lid on it, the kettle can sit for days without any serious infection. Good to hear the yeast got going again. Since you now have yeast growth, there is no need to repitch new yeast. Welcome to the beer world (no more Potassium Metabisulfate!).

 

[bdupree]

another thing... stir that wort while it's in the ice bath. 5 gallons, when stirred, in an ice bath, should cool to room temperature in under 30 minutes.

 

[ljmarinac]

This sight kicks ass, I'm really impressed with all the tribal knowledge around home brewing that I couldn't find anywhere else

 

[malweth]

I use k-meta to off gas chlorine. This may not be entirely necessary, but it should always work. I've also used it in raw must and cider.

A campden tablet has about 1/10 tsp of k-meta...
I use 1/4 tsp per 5 gallons without a problem. It adds extra sulfites (about 10 times the necessary dosage for chlorine), but I don't have a spoon smaller than that.

 

[billtzk]

Hey I am making mead and I put potassium metabisulfite into my must to sanatize it from bad bacteria and wild yeast. I then waited 25 hours for it to do its buisness then i added my yeast nutrient, energizer, and yeast. I used the potassium metabisulfite instead of a campden tablet. Will I still have good results?

As long as you put the right amount, you'll be fine.

Some campden tablets are the potassium variety, some are sodium. The ones I've seen that are potassium metabilsulfite weigh .44 grams each. The last sodium metabisulfite tabs I bought were .60 grams each.

To sanitize your must before pitching, the target concentration is supposed to be around 50 ppm SO2 (sulfur dioxide). Either 1/4 teaspoon of potassium or sodium metabisulfite or 4 of the .44 gram potassium metabisulfite tablets would be about right for 5 gallons of mead must.

 

[bullinachinashop]

Hey I am making mead and I put potassium metabisulfite into my must to sanatize it from bad bacteria and wild yeast. I then waited 25 hours for it to do its buisness then i added my yeast nutrient, energizer, and yeast. I used the potassium metabisulfite instead of a campden tablet. Will I still have good results?

Campden is KMS in tablet form.

Bull

 

[billtzk]

Not necessarily, Bull. Sometimes Campden tablets are sodium metabisulfite. The sodium metabisulfite and the potassium metabisulfite do have slightly different molecular weights, but in practice, you use them the same way.