Potassium Sorbate not working!

p2thefunk · Mar 28, 2008

Hey there, I've been brewing a three-gallon batch of cinnamon mead and have decided it's ready to bottle. The packet of Sorbistat K says to add 1/4 teaspoon per gallon, but after several days now, that doesn't seem to have worked. I read here on the Got Mead website to add 3/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per gallon--should I go ahead with this?

Thanks,
Evan

Oskaar · Mar 28, 2008

Before you add anything else to this mead please provide us with your exact recipe, process and all ingredients, followed by what you have added after racking and aging.

This will help us find out what is going on with your mead.

Cheers,

Oskaar

wayneb · Mar 28, 2008

Also Evan, what exactly do you mean by "doesn't seem to have worked?" Potassium sorbate inhibits the ability of yeast cells to reproduce, but it doesn't kill them off. So they will continue to ferment merrily away as long as they are in a nutrient rich medium. You need sulfites in combo with sorbate to completely stop an active fermentation. Even then, sometimes the yeast are hardy enough to continue despite the chemical additions, as long as they aren't near their ethanol tolerance.

Please do what Oskaar asks and provide your recipe & process. But also let us know exactly what you're trying to do with the sorbate addition.

Wayne

p2thefunk · Mar 30, 2008

Here's my recipe:

9 lbs Sourwood honey
4 3-inch cinnamon sticks
2 tsp diammonium phosphate
2 tsp "High Alcohol Yeast Nutrient"
Lalvin D-47 yeast

When the bubbling slowed to 2/minute I racked into a three gallon glass carboy and added 1 1/2 cups of Sourwood honeywater. That was 3 1/2 weeks ago, the bubbling in the airlock has since slowed to less than once every couple of minutes and yeast bubbles are clearly visible on top of the mead.

Need any more details?

Medsen Fey · Mar 30, 2008

Hello p2thefunk,

I think if you look at some of the brewlog post you can get an idea for the information needed. For example, what yeast are you using? What was the initial size of you batch? What was the starting gravity (if you measured it)? What was the gravity at the time you added the extra honey? Where is it now?

Were you trying to get it to stop during active fermentation? Is it still fermenting now?

I think the answers to these kinds of questions may allow the hoary masters to give you help.

Medsen

beachfrontmeadman · Apr 3, 2008

are you sure it's actively fermenting?
i had a batch of show mead that bubbled away for over a year, i thought i had some kind of super yeast on my hands when in fact it was merely degassing, or releasing CO2 that was desolved in solution, but the yeast was completely dead by this point, no ifs ands or buts about it (at least in retrospect)

Oskaar · Apr 3, 2008

Well without gravity readings it's tough to tell.

The "High Alcohol" yeast nutrient was probably not a nutrient you needed for this batch. Who is the manifacturer on this nutrient by the way?

What is your current brix/gravity? Sounds like this might be done fermenting and needs to be racked and aged.

Cheers,

Oskaar

Search

Potassium Sorbate not working!

p2thefunk

NewBee

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner

wayneb

Lifetime Patron

p2thefunk

NewBee

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007

beachfrontmeadman

NewBee

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner