Sulfite and yeast in cider

[Pelson]

Hi,

I've created a bit of a problem for myself.

I got some apples from a colleague who likes a good brandy so I told him I'd try and make him som Calvados.

However, during a hasty pressing evening I realized I didn't have Campden tablets so I just added normal sulfite to kill natural yeasts before adding my own yeast.
Now I'm afraid I added too much cause when I added my cider yeast it didn't do a thing..

I was wondering if there's a way to reverse my mistake without compromising taste? I'm afraid to add bicarbonate in case that releases sulfur taste into the cider.. any tips?

Worst case we'll just gonna have to drink unfermented apple juice...

Thanks for the help.

(Ps: am I mistaken that wine sulfite is the same compound thats in Campden? Potassium sulfite that is)

[IAmPistolPete]

There's not a lot of data here to make a suggestion...
- how long since you pitched the yeast?
- what yeast are you using?
- did you rehydrate the yeast before pitching to make sure the yeast is viable?
- what temperature are you fermenting at?

yes Campden tablets are potassium[or sodium] metabisulfite, same as used in wine treatments.
I think you will probably be alright. You may need to repitch more yeast if you truly over-treated with k-meta

[contrahead]

If you did add too much sulfite, then you're screwed.

I ruined a batch of apricots that way once. The wild yeast was overpoweringly active; wanted to jump out of the bucket. So I added Campden tablets and the yeast stopped. Forever.

I left the batch in a carboy for almost a year – adding domestic yeast from time to time, thinking it might come back. Finally poured it out.

Next time you might try just letting wild yeast do its thing. Boiling is the way that most commercial juice makers get rid if wild yeast.

[jonnys_spirit]

Lots of folks prefer to allow the natural wild yeast to do it's thing - it often peters out early so then add commercial yeast to finish it off... KMETA shouldn't kill yeast in any case but it will stun it.

KMETA also lingers in the ferment and is carried over into the distillation.. Typically in a not so good way.. Best course is to not use it if you're fermenting for distillation.

How much KMETA did you use in how much juice? Was any of the juice store bought or was it all pressed fresh? Store bough often has sorbate which prevent yeast from doing their business..

Cheers,
jonny

[NZChris]

Sulfites should to be relegated to your wine making kit as they are difficult to remove when distilling.

I've known this from doing my research at the start of my distilling journey, so I've never accepted the challenge. Apparently, there are methods to remove the stink and at least one has been posted on this forum, but I've never had to try it.

[Pelson]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

I used Mangrove Jack's M02 yeast and half a teaspoon of the metabisulfite for 7L of juice (all fresh) which, in hindsight, sounds like an awfull lot.

I usually think things through a bit more thoroughly but I was in a bit of a rush and well, that's never a good thing.

I've made a bunch of hard cider before but only distilled it once (a long time ago) and didn't remember my procedure exactly. I didn't keep as good of a log back then.

It makes sense to let the wild yeast do its thing when the plan is to distill.

Anyway. Imma try pitch it again and if nothing works then I'm happy it's only 7L and not more. Many lessons learned for the next attempt.

Thanks again for your insights.