Sorbate vs. Sulfite

When you stabilize, you typically use both. The sorbate prevents the yeast from dividing and multiplying. The sulfite inhibits yeast function, and prevents bacterial infection. When you use sorbate you definitely want to add sulfite to prevent malolactic bacteria (which are common) from metabolizing the sorbate which creates a geranium odor than cannot be cleared.

With JAO, if you've followed the recipe, you don't have to stabilize it. Having been fermented in a warm temperature until the yeast die on their own, there is very little risk of refermentation.

I have a question related to this. Schramm's book says that sorbate is necessary when backsweetening and sulfite (campden) when adding fruit. Let's say I'm racking a plain mead into secondary on top of fruit or cider juice. Do I also need to sorbate? I'm thinking 'yes' because adding fruit is kind of like backsweetening, isn't it? And is it okay to add them at the same time (i.e. with the fruit before racking?).

When I make a fruit mead, I generally rack the mead into the fruit in secondary. I do this without any sorbates or meta's. The yeast in the batch outnumbers and wild yeast.

I use the stabilizers at the end, using a tablespoon of sorbates with a 1/4 teaspoon of metabisulphate per five--six gallon batch. This essentially 'kills' the yeast. These stabilizers will not stop an active fermentation.


Phil