Stabilizing Alternatives to Halt fermentation

[AquaSusurro]

So glad I stumbled across this forum.

Keeping things simple and somewhat accurate, my intention is to produce a mead around 10% abv adjusting brix accordingly from the beginning, back sweetening to taste. I want a flat mead, no carbonation at all. However I am highly sensitive to sulphites of any kind. For example, half a glass of regular off the shelf wine will ruin my night and the whole next day. I am able to drink self brewed wines that are carefully prepared with only natural and/or organic ingredients. For the last three batches of self brewed wine I have added 1 fl oz. per 1.5L bottle of my own colloidal silver ascorbate(csa). It leaves no taste, and allows the wine to age without going off. An opened 1.5L bottle half full on my kitchen counter tasted good three months later, even better. The Silver Ascorbate will inhibit bacteria fungus and yeasts.

Have any of you tried halting the fermentation of mead with anything other than sulfur and sorbate. I,ll be adding the csa when the abv is correct before racking.

 

[Maylar]

It's the potassium sorbate that inhibits yeast growth. The sulfite is an antioxidant, and it also "helps" the sorbate do its job (I dunno how, but that's what I've read). You could use sorbate alone, but (again, from reading) there's a chance of it creating geranium odors if used without sulfites.

I suggest that you look into Xylitol as a sweetener. It's an organic sugar alcohol that's not fermentable and tastes just like sugar with no aftertaste. I've used it very successfully as a sweetener in cider and cysers without any sorbate or sulfite. Be aware though that it's very toxic to dogs.

 

[joe.vinciguerra]

As Maylar suggests, Potassium Sorbate inhibits reproduction and potassium Metabisulfite inhibits the yeast from performing fermentation. So hypothetically, if you can get enough of the yeast out then you can just Sorbate. I've done this successfully, but it's not the best method.

However, if you are that sensitive to sulfites then you shouldn't drink any alcohol (home or commercial) since yeast will produce sulfites on their own. I would stay away from commercially dried fruits as well. Have you tried drinking commercial red wines? They contain lower levels of sulfite than whites, a dry red would generally be the lowest.