I've found a lot of info on the net about these two additives, but I have a few questions: Can these two be used together prior to bottling? If so, is the recommended amount of each different? I plan on adding the ascorbic acid into the bottling bucket, and letting it stir in with the natural swirl of the racking mead. But from what I've read, you should add potassium metabisulphite a few days prior to bottling? I can't seem to find a definitive answer to how these are added just prior to bottling, if used together.
Well I don't honestly know ?
I'm a little puzzled as to why you want to use both ? Potassium (or Sodium) metabisulphite is regularly used every other racking. I understand it's primarily for the prevention of fungal infection, but also when it's used as part of the stabilisation process.
Now as I understand it, ascorbic acid is used mainly as an anti-oxidant, but that's to prevent browning with materials like freshly pressed apple juice - and of course, also, as it's more commonly known, Vitamin C, when it's used in food products so they can boast that something has "added vitamins".
I understand that it breaks down quite quickly, and even quicker when the product it's in naturally is heated (the controversy a couple of years back, when some school kids in New Zealand, decided to do a science project and work out how much was actually in Ribena black currant cordial. It ended up with the big pharmaceutical company who own the brand, getting prosecuted by one of the NZ trading standards authorities, as the kids found that despite the advertising, they couldn't find any......)
I digress.
Now I can understand adding one of the weak "fruit" acids, both to add acidity but also to boost the flavour a little, and the one used (malic, tartaric or citric) would depend on the other ingredients - the strongest tasting one being citric (as I understand it).
So whats the thinking behind wanting to add it to, presumably, a finished ferment ? As I believe that it doesn't actually give any kind of flavour enhancement, similar to when you use one of the others mentioned above.
It could be that I'm just being really thick, and that there's a well understood reason, just that I'm not aware of it.
could you elaborate a bit please ?