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New home winemakers often get confused between potassium metabisulfite and sodium metabisulfite. Some winemaking guides only refer to sulfite and it’s up to the reader to try to understand which form of sulfite the author was referring to. What’s the difference? And does it really matter?

Both potassium and sodium metabisulfite are used as sanitizing agents and as additives to wine to protect it from oxidation and to inhibit bacteria growth. When used in a solution with water, both can sanitize winemaking equipment and the workspace where wine is being made. When added directly to wine in small amounts, it releases sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas which is what protects wine from oxidation and micro-organisms.

Potassium metabisulfite, which is sometimes abbreviated as KMS, K sulfite, and K-meta, comes in a powder form. The sodium version is available in powder as well as tablets which are usually referred to as “Campden Tablets.” Some suggest that KMS and sodium metabisulfite are exactly the same, however this is not completely true.

Although they can be used interchangeably for the same purposes of sanitizing and preservation, those on a restricted sodium diet should try to use only potassium metabisulfite in their wine. Another difference is that the sodium version can contain a slightly smaller amount of sulfur dioxide.

When purchasing a wine kit, the type of sulfite that is included which is to be added to the homemade wine after it has completed fermentation is potassium sulfite. It is best to follow the directions exactly and add this to your wine in order to protect it during the degassing stage, prior to clarifying and bottling. If you are planning on aging your wine for a couple of years or more, you may want to consider adding an additional amount of KMS prior to bottling or while it is bulk aging in the carboy.

You are invited to learn more about how to make wine at Ian’s website. Why not also follow along with Ian’s daily home winemaking activities?

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Every single wine kit that I’ve ever purchased comes with a package of potassium sorbate. The instructions that come with the wine kits tell us to add sorbate at the same time that we are to add potassium metabisulfite. However, many winemakers balk at adding sorbate to their wine and don’t always follow instructions.

Why the balking? Many believe that potassium sorbate adds a bubblegum flavor to wine, or as some call it, “kit wine taste.” So why do so many advise to add this stuff to our wines after the fermentation has been completed?

Well, let’s bust one common myth right at the outset. Potassium sorbate does not kill yeast. Many believe that the purpose of this additive is to kill yeast. What sorbate does, at the correct quantity, is slow down and stop the reproduction of yeast. It will not stop yeast from continuing to ferment a wine, nor will it prevent a fermentation when it’s added to juice before the juice has been inoculated with yeast.

Primarily, it is used to prevent a re-fermentation of the wine if there is enough residual sugar left in the wine after it has been bottled or if a wine has been sweetened after it has fermented. You may have heard stories – or perhaps it’s happened to you, where a home winemaker has bottled their wine, only to start hearing corks popping out of the bottles six months later. This is because there was enough sugar in the wine for some yeast cells to feed on and begin reproducing. As they feed on the remaining sugar, the produce more alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide build up in the bottles creates enough pressure that the corks are forced out of the bottles and the wine inside blasts out.

Dry wines that have fermented to very little or zero residual sugar and that will be bottled without a sugar based sweetener added do not need any additions of potassium sorbate. If there is no sugar for any remaining yeast cells, there will be no re-fermentation by yeast.

If the winemaker is making an off-dry or sweet wine, potassium sorbate should be added to the wine to stabilize it. Generally, the rate of 1/2 teaspoon per gallon is the rule of thumb.

If you’re new to home winemaking, I’d recommend that you use the potassium sorbate additive in your wine until you are very comfortable using a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity and understand the relationship of sugar and yeast. Wine kit makers don’t want to take any chances that you may not have fermented your dry wine completely, and therefore instruct that you add sorbate at the same time as sulfite. Potassium sorbate is more effective when used in conjunction with potassium sorbate.

You are invited to learn more about how to make wine at The Home Winery.

Why not also follow along with Ian’s daily blog of home winemaking activities.

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There are many wines considered to be ‘fruit wines’. These wines are received the name as they have ingredients of different types of fruits contained in them, rather than by the use of grapes. They usually will have a name referring to the type of fruit used to make the wine. Apple wine and plum wine are good examples.

However, fruit wines will not be called ‘wine’ as the term wine is designated specifically as a drink made with grapes. The name of the fruit must be in front of the word wine. This is to eliminate confusion. This also includes country wine which is the Great Britain version of fruit wine and a good indication that the wine is not made from grapes.

Many people make their own fruit wine. It can be made from any type of food that is sufficiently sweet. You might have to add a little table sugar or honey for the proper amount of sucrose.

Fruit wine is not always made from fruits. It can be produced from different plant sources that are not considered to be fruits. These types of fruit wines are often made from things like rice, dandelion, flowers, and more.

Apple wine is a German fruit wine which is made from apples. This wine is called Apfelwein in Germany. This is a form of cider that has an alcoholic content of 5.5% to 7%. Some say the taste of this wine is tart and sour. Some North Americans consume a drink in the winter months called apple cider. This most often is the very same thing but does not contain the alcoholic content. Apfelwein is often sold by the jug rather than in bottles like other wines around the world.

Wine can be produced with most fruits and berries around the world in cooler climates. It depends on the types and the amount of fermentable sugars contained inside of the fruits. Some fruits that have excessive levels of citric and malic acid can be fermented also.

Fruit wines usually need to be consumed at least a year after they are produced. These are not wines that get better as they age because of the fermentation issues. Because fruits most often need added sugars to make fruit wines these are not the natural sugars grapes have. They do not ferment the same and often need things like phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium added, which only allow the flavor to last for approximately one year.

There are many different fruits used to make fruit wines. The fruits that make the best fruit wines are elderberries, plums, peaches, blackberries, huckleberries, blackcurrants, and pomegranates. These fruit wines resemble grape wines and taste very similar.

Fruit wines are made from other fruits such as apricot, bananas, cherries, pineapple guava, and blueberries. Wines can also be made from flowers such as hibiscus, elderberry, and dandelions. Vegetables such as potatoes, rhubarb, and parsnip are also used to make fruit wines.

Scott Wells writes for http://MakeChristmasCrafts.com where you can learn to Make Christmas Crafts just in time for the holiday season.

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