Wine chemicals and additives

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WINE STABILIZERS

Preservatives are an important part of wine making. Don't worry that adding 'preservatives' to your home-made wine. The thing we most often recommend is sulfite, and it occurs naturally in small amounts during fermentation. Sulfites are your friend. Not only do they keep wine from developing infections like fiIm yeast, mould, and acetobacter (vinegar bacteria), they also keep the wine from oxidizing. Without the use of sulfites you have to be terrifically careful to keep all of your equipment very sanitary and you still have to drink your wine up as quickly as possible before it spoils. Cleaners and sanitizes are not the same as stabilizers.

POTASSIUM METABISULFITE	2 oz. $1.45-	1 lb. $3.80-
For sulfite additions to wine, 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons gives 50 PPM. 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. Hazard classification is Irritant and will provoke allergic reaction in hypersensitive individuals. Individuals with asthma or emphysema should not breathe the dust or sulfur dioxide gas from the prepared solution. The sulphite content of wine can be determined with a Titrets sulfite titration kit.

POTASSIUM SORBATE	1 oz. $1.50-	1 lb. $14.70-
Stable salt of sorbic acid derived from the berries of the mountain ash tree. Prevents renewed fermentation in sweet wines and inhibits reproduction of mould and yeast. Do not add until all fermentation is finished and the wine is clear and stable. Dissolve 1-1/2 teaspoons of Sorbate per 5-6 gallons of wine, in cool water and then stir in thoroughly. Must not be added until all fermentation has ceased. Sorbate present during malolactic fermentation will be converted to hexanedienol (geraniol), a compound with the strong odor of geraniums.

CAMPDEN TABLETS	50 ct. $1.50-	1 lb. $9.95-
Sodium Metabisulphite tables used to suppress unwanted bacteria and wild yeast prior to fermentation and to stabilize wine during racking. Each pre-measued tablet equals 1/3 oz (10 gr). For every gallon of wine completely crush one or two tablets. Dissolve in a small amount of cold water then stir into wine thoroughly. This sodium source of metabisulfite is not recommended because of possible flavor changes in wine. The US government currently bans the use of sodium metabisulfite in all wines made in or imported into the country due to health concerns over sodium in wine. A much better choice would be potassium metabisulfite.