Sulfites!

[SkiNuke]

I am trying to wrap my head around sulfites. I understand that they are used to prevent oxidation and to retard wild yeast and bacteria growth, but if you follow good sanitation procedures and be aware of headspace, then is it really necessary? Maybe you don't have to worry with beer, but I never add sulfites to a brew, even when I am storing it for extended periods of time, and I have never had an oxidized bottle *knock-on-wood*.

Is adding sulfites really important for wine-making, or is it just insurance? My gut tells me we are over complicating the wine-making process, if people have done it before without the addition of sulfites, did they just accept bad batches or did they have a system that worked as well as our use of sulfites? Also, wouldn't adding sulfites hinder the yeasts ability to cleanup after fermentation and cause it to take longer to age?

 

[Bensiff]

I am trying to wrap my head around sulfites. I understand that they are used to prevent oxidation and to retard wild yeast and bacteria growth, but if you follow good sanitation procedures and be aware of headspace, then is it really necessary? Maybe you don't have to worry with beer, but I never add sulfites to a brew, even when I am storing it for extended periods of time, and I have never had an oxidized bottle *knock-on-wood*.

Is adding sulfites really important for wine-making, or is it just insurance? My gut tells me we are over complicating the wine-making process, if people have done it before without the addition of sulfites, did they just accept bad batches or did they have a system that worked as well as our use of sulfites? Also, wouldn't adding sulfites hinder the yeasts ability to cleanup after fermentation and cause it to take longer to age?

Sulfites have been used for more than a 1000 years. You need them in wine making because you aren't boiling to sanitize the must so you have all sorts of potential for unwanted bugs. Not to mention making good wine means bulk aging which means you will be racking a handful of times so having something to scavenge oxygen is highly important. I see no reason to not use sulfites, it is cheap, been used forever, effective, and the whole allergic to sulfite thing is pretty much a myth.

 

[SkiNuke]

Yeah, I never put any stock into the whole allergic to sulfite thing, if you can drink normal wine then you are fine. Maybe I just need to change my way of thinking when it comes to making wine. The only reason I am wary of adding sulfites, is that I dislike the idea of adding chemicals or other ingredients after fermentation starts. However, if sulfites are really the only way to reliably get good wine, then I am sure it's worth the shift in thought process.

 

[springmom]

It's not an allergy, as such. It's a chemical sensitivity. Just like some people cannot be around chlorine bleach without a reaction (if you're asthmatic and have this, it's a really big deal!) some people can't deal with sulfites. I chose Iodophor for sanitizing for this reason. Really strong chemical smells (and let's face it, sulfur counts) are something I have to avoid. I suppose I could wear a mask, as I do when I have to use bleach, but if I have to mask up to put something in that I'm eventually going to drink....meh. There are alternatives, so I use them. Star-San is good too, and you can keep it around, but with Iodophor you can't.

When I get around to harvesting my Texas persimmons, I *will* use Campden tablets. Anything that the cows and the deer may have been nosing, yeah, it gets a Campden tablet. Otherwise, no.

My highly overinflated $.02, worth less than you paid for it

 

[novalou]

Yeah, I never put any stock into the whole allergic to sulfite thing, if you can drink normal wine then you are fine. Maybe I just need to change my way of thinking when it comes to making wine. The only reason I am wary of adding sulfites, is that I dislike the idea of adding chemicals or other ingredients after fermentation starts. However, if sulfites are really the only way to reliably get good wine, then I am sure it's worth the shift in thought process.

Another school of thought: sulfites are everywhere. We come across sulfites everyday in nature. By adding sulfur dioxide to our wine, we are increasing the concentration that's already there. The increases concentration keeps the wine fresher longer. If you don't want to add sulfites, you just have to consume the wine sooner, which most of us don't have a problem doing!

 

[Yooper]

Another school of thought: sulfites are everywhere. We come across sulfites everyday in nature. By adding sulfur dioxide to our wine, we are increasing the concentration that's already there. The increases concentration keeps the wine fresher longer. If you don't want to add sulfites, you just have to consume the wine sooner, which most of us don't have a problem doing!

That's correct.

Few people are actually allergic to sulfites. There are a few more who are sensitive to them.

But people who actually ARE sensitive to sulfites shouldn't consume any wine at all, because sulfites are naturally present as a by-product of fermentation. Even "sulfite free wine" has sulfites naturally, but no more is added.

If someone is sensitive to sulfites, there are far more sulfites in some food items than homemade wine- like sauerkraut, raisins, bottled lemon juice, cheese, processed meats, etc. If someone sits in front of you eating sauerkrut and tells you they can't have red wine because of the sulfites, you know they are full of baloney (which they also can't eat!).

However, sulfite sensitivity is no joke for people who really are sensitive. Some people with asthma do react to sulfites. I have asthma, but am not sensitive to reasonable amounts of sulfites. For those who are, they can get short of breath and get hives.

Home winemakers generally use no more than 50 ppm of sulfites. That's far less than is in something like marashino cherries or canned fruit.

Sulfites got a bad rap, probably because of labeling.

 

[porcupine73]

So far I have not used camden, time will tell if any of my brews got messed up that way. The first two batches seem ok but I imagine there is much more risk not using it. I have noticed that my homebrews don't make me feel bad really at all the next day, almost more energized in fact, whereas any commercial liquors I usually feel bad the next day with a slight headache all day.

 

[springmom]

Yooper has it right, through sensitivity is a gradient, not an either/or. Some folks have food sensitivity of various types and can manage it with the "4 days off" model. (you can have something once in a while, IOW, but not very often). I manage a food allergy this way, and have never needed an epi pen.

For me, Iodophor's faint chemical scent is no problem. bleach, much more so. But it doesn't mean I can't drink chloramine-treated tap water. Gradients of sensitivity.

I avoid sulfites as a sanitizer because I suspect the fumes would do bad things and I have an easy option. But I'll use Camden tablets when they're needed.

 

[springmom]

And I need to teach my autocorrect that those little white tablets' name has a p in the middle! :face palm: