Preservatives are an important part of wine making.
You shouldn’t worry that adding 'preservatives' to your home-made wine
will somehow make it “not home-made”. The thing we most often
recommend is sulfites; which naturally occur in small amounts during fermentation.
Not only do sulfites keep wine from developing infections like film yeast,
mould, and acetobacter (vinegar bacteria),
they also keep the wine from oxidizing. Without the use of sulfites
you have to be exceedingly careful to keep all of your equipment very sanitary;
and your wine will spoil much more quickly, therefore it must be consumed
more quickly. Cleaners and sanitizes
are
not the same as stabilizers.
Potassium Metabisulfite
Potassium metobisulfite is used to increase the aging life of WinExpert
wine kits; by adding only ¼ teaspoon to the full 6 gallons during
the final racking. When used in place of Sodium Campden Tablets for
sulfite additions to wine, use ¼ tsp or one tablet per 5 to 6 gallons
which yields 40-45 ppm. Simply dissolve in a small amount of cold
water then stir into wine thoroughly.
To make a 25% cleaning solution,
dissolve 8 teaspoons into 1 gallon of cold water. It has a Hazard
classification of “Irritant” and will incite an allergic reaction in hypersensitive
individuals. People with asthma or emphysema should not breathe the
dust or sulfur dioxide gas from the prepared solution. The sulfite
content of wine can be determined with a Titrets
sulfite titration kit.
Powdered Potassium
Metabisulfite 2
oz. POTASSIUM METABISULFITE POWDER $1.95
1
LB. POTASSIUM METABISULFITE POWDER $4.95
Campden Tablet
Potassium Metabisulfite 100
ct. POTASSIUM METABISULFITE CAMPDEN TABLETS
$2.95
1
LB. POTASSIUM METABISULFITE CAMPDEN TABLETS
$14.95
Potassium Sorbate
1
oz. POTASSIUM SORBATE $1.95
1
LB. POTASSIUM SORBATE $14.95
Potassium Sorbate is a stable salt of sorbic
acid derived from the berries of the mountain ash tree. It prevents
renewed fermentation in sweet wines and inhibits the reproduction of mould
and yeast. To use, dissolve 1½ teaspoons of Sorbate
per 5-6 gallons of wine, in cool water and then stir in thoroughly.
However, DO NOT add until ALL fermentation is finished and the wine is
clear and stable. Sorbate that is present during malolactic fermentation
will be converted to hexanedienol (geraniol), a compound with the strong
odor of geraniums.
Wine Sweetener & Conditioner 500
ml. WINE CONDITIONER $4.85
One ounce per gallon of wine conditioner is recommended
for a slightly less dry wine. Two ounces per gallon will make a semi-sweet
wine. We recommend that you start with 1 to 1½ oz per gallon.
You can always add more if you want it sweeter. You must add potassium
sorbate to your wine when using conditioner. Wait at least 7 days
after adding wine conditioner before bottling.
