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Yet another sorbate question

Barrel Char Wood Products

scottlind

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 14, 2004
131
1
0
i made this batch of light cyser and when i reached sg 1.016 i popped it to the fridge for 3 days.

then on 01-01-05 while 38 degrees, i racked to secondary, on top of 5 tsp of sulfate solution and 3 3/4 tsp of sorbate.

now i do understand birth control as i too have been nutered, but

it's still bubbling away at the rate of 2 blurps per minute.

sg is now down to 1.013

what gives? isn't that a bit long for it to still be going?

should i do something else, i don't want anymore baby yeasties!

should i add more sorbate?

5 gals fresh cider
5 1/2 # clover honey
2 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
kiv-1116
sg 1.090

pretty simple but it won't or dosen't seem to be slowing down. i have just a 8th inch of lees on the bottom.

mucho thanko
skunk
 

scottlind

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 14, 2004
131
1
0
another question, does sorbate only work after the yeast has reached it alcohol limit, or will it work when you cold stabilize well below it's kill zone?
 

Norskersword

NewBee
Registered Member
May 19, 2004
683
0
0
How long has it been fermenting. You said the date you racked it, but you didn't say the day you started fermentation.
 

scottlind

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 14, 2004
131
1
0
i pitched the yeast and it took 7 days to go from 1.090 to 1.016

for about 10 - 10 1/2 % alcohol, as thats what i wanted.

so to stop it i put it in the fridge for 3 days at 37.8 degrees.

i then racked it (cold) on to the sorbate and sulfate

it has now been 5 days since that and is at 69 - 70 degrees and is still working at 2 bubbles per minute.

now the sg is at 1.013

so what gives? isn't that a bit long for it to still be going?

should i do something else, should i add re-chill and add more sorbate?
 

Suzy_Q_Brewmistres

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 18, 2004
155
0
0
So your mead is about 2 weeks old... Isn't the shortest length of maturing mead 3 weeks????
In my humble expert (cough-cough... since sept 04) I think you've got several more weeks to go. I'm not counting on my meads being done in less than 3 Months.

:-* Suzy Q
 

scottlind

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 14, 2004
131
1
0
it's not mature, i stopped it at 10% acohol

it took 1 stinking week to get to the content i wanted it, then i stopped it.

10% alcohol brix 3.7

i don't intend on drinking this for 127 years

i just want to stop it at where i like

10% alcohol brix 3.7

pretty simple, but the sorbate did not stop it.

i pitched the yeast and it took 7 days to go from 1.090 to 1.016

for about 10 - 10 1/2 % alcohol, as thats what i wanted.

so to stop it i put it in the fridge for 3 days at 37.8 degrees.

i then racked it (cold) on to the sorbate and sulfate

it has now been 5 days since that and is at 69 - 70 degrees and is still working at 2 bubbles per minute.

now the sg is at 1.013

so what gives? isn't that a bit long for it to still be going?

should i do something else, should i add re-chill and add more sorbate?
 

Talon

NewBee
Registered Member
Jul 8, 2004
431
0
0
49
I didn't see your mention of type of yeast, but I may have missed it... Dyslexia is such a wonderful thing to have... :-[

Because you're having difficulty with stopping it, I'd gather that you used Lalvin EC-1118, correct?

I've no great experience with this beast other than that it's really difficult to stop... You may have to put your carboy in the freezer and really kill off the beasties...

Talon.
 

scottlind

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 14, 2004
131
1
0
i used kiv-1116, i did put it back in the fridge @ 38 degress till i find an answer. i really gon't understand how this cold thing seems to work for oskaar but not for me.

i guess he must drink it before it has a chance to warm back up.
 

Dan McFeeley

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Oct 10, 2003
1,899
7
38
68
Illinois
Idahoskunk said:
i made this batch of light cyser and when i reached sg 1.016 i popped it to the fridge for 3 days. then on 01-01-05 while 38 degrees, i racked to secondary, on top of 5 tsp of sulfate solution and 3 3/4 tsp of sorbate. now i do understand birth control as i too have been nutered, but it's still bubbling away at the rate of 2 blurps per minute. sg is now down to 1.013

what gives? isn't that a bit long for it to still be going?

should i do something else, i don't want anymore baby yeasties!

should i add more sorbate?

5 gals fresh cider
5 1/2 # clover honey
2 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
kiv-1116
sg 1.090

pretty simple but it won't or dosen't seem to be slowing down. i have just a 8th inch of lees on the bottom.

should i do something else, should i add re-chill and add more sorbate?


Hey Skunk --

KIV-1116 is a strong fermenter, alcohol tolerant and able to do well in low nitrogen musts. That's probably the difficulty here -- this yeast will keep going no matter what you do. It might be best to simply let it finish out on its own.

The sorbate doesn't actually kill the yeast. Neither does the sulfate. You have wait until the yeasties are no longer active, than the sorbate and sulfate will be able to do their work, i.e., keep the yeasties from becoming active again.

Here's a few URL's on sorbate:

http://www.fallbright.com/lessonSorbate_ColdStab.htm

http://www.bcawa.ca/winemaking/sorbate.htm

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/finishin.asp

Sorry for coming in late on this -- should have chipped something in earlier . . .
 

scottlind

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 14, 2004
131
1
0
mcfeeley,
very good info!! this is a definant keeper for a newbie and for my "book o facts" thank you very much!

these three articals really put it down in black and white.

right now i'm going to re-read these fact several time and i'm sure i can get it stopped.

thanks again!! awesome!!!
 

David Baldwin

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 29, 2004
860
1
0
Grand Rapids, MI
In my first pyment - chekc the brewlog - I had some trouble stopping the fermentation.
I was also using 1116. I reread the sorbate instructions and had only added half the sorbate I needed to. I'd also added only half the sulphite I was supposed to... Well, it went back into my carboy cooler for another 10 days at 40 degrees F. It did stop fermentation and I then I added the rest of the sorbate that should have been added at the beginning.

That did the trick and it cleared very soon thereafter.
 

ken_schramm

The Compleat Sybarite
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Jan 5, 2005
280
5
0
Troy, MI
Yo Idaho,

I think Dan covered this pretty nicely, but here's my two cents.

Sorbate will only work after the yeast has stopped fermenting. KV-1116 and EC-1118 are bone crushers. They will keep going until they have run out of anything to eat.

I can't speak as a microbiologist, but my understanding of the way sorbates work is that they hold down the "on" switch (in the "off" position) for an enzymatic process needed to move the yeast into the anaerobic fermentation mode. But if that switch is already on, only the yeast itself can turn it off - when it either reaches ETOH tolerance, or runs out of food. That is, save for actually going with the nuclear option (killing the poor beasties).

Refrigeration will slow their little metabolisms down, but it won't flip the switch. The best way to hit target sweetness/alcohol balance is with recipe formulation and yeast selection, or (my second choice) backsweetening.

I hope this helps.

Yours,
Ken
 
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