K - meta as sanitizer and death trap!!!

[Blacksmith1]

Made a batch up to sanitize some bottles. No overt odor at that time. Just opened the stored container I put the extra in and gave it a sniff (I do 't know what I was thinkning) and OMG!!!! I do not recommend doing this, at all, ever!
Why do none of the sources online that tell you how to use it as a sanitizer, not tell you to beware of the vapors? It.s been at least 15 minutes and my nasal passage still burns a bit.

 

[RPh_Guy]

At least now your nasal passages are free of bacteria

Why are you using sulfite as a sanitizer instead of one of the more usual options (Star San or Iodophor)?

Storing sulfite solution is a little sketchy because it loses effectiveness. Did you add citric acid?

 

[Blacksmith1]

B) "they" say you can store it for up to 2 weeks
)a it's what I had on hand
4) yup clean and sanitary
And lucky for me no dain bramage

 

[bernardsmith]

At least now your nasal passages are free of bacteria

Why are you using sulfite as a sanitizer instead of one of the more usual options (Star San or Iodophor)?

Storing sulfite solution is a little sketchy because it loses effectiveness. Did you add citric acid?

Wine makers tend to prefer K-meta because with this you get a three-fer. 1: k-meta is a powerful bactericide in wine making - kills wild yeast and other microbes competing for the available sugar. 2: K-meta provides free SO2 which binds with O2 and so is very useful at racking to inhibit oxidation and increase shelf life, and 3: K-meta in combination with K-sorbate acts to inhibit refermentation when you are back sweetening. Brewers might prefer Star San but wine makers ...play in a different league.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I understand the benefits of it as an additive.
He's using it as a sanitizer.

To each their own I guess.

 

[bernardsmith]

I understand the benefits of it as an additive.
He's using it as a sanitizer.

To each their own I guess.

But at one strength it acts as a good sanitizer and at another (far less concentrated) it is used effectively to kill indigenous yeast and at a third concentration (depending on the pH of the wine) it is a very useful inhibitor of oxidation. If you only have to buy one product and not two or three then this makes perfectly good sense in my opinion, but as I say wine ain't beer and fruit ain't grain..

 

[RPh_Guy]

It has advantages and disadvantages.

 

[Blacksmith1]

The claim my research into this has found is that after drip drying it ads pretty much nothing to the wine and if left wet ups the k-meta % by a miniscule amount. So from my perspective it's my current best option. I do have some star san somewhere in the pile of stuff I bought from a beer guy but I'm not sure which box it is buried in.
Once I go thru all that stuff I'll try it.

 

[RPh_Guy]

FYI, sulfite is only antimicrobial at pH under ~4, so you generally want to add acid (usually citric) to ensure its actually sanitizing.

 

[Blacksmith1]

FYI, sulfite is only antimicrobial at pH under ~4, so you generally want to add acid (usually citric) to ensure its actually sanitizing.

According to the label it's supposed to work with just the concentrated level.

 

[RPh_Guy]

According to the label it's supposed to work with just the concentrated level.
View attachment 637365

According to science, it may or may not work.

Molecular SO2 is responsible for the anti-microbial activity.

So without adding acid or testing pH you don't really know.
The K-meta is a little acidic, but who knows if it's enough to adequately acidify your solution (based on the alkalinity level of your water).
2oz/gal k-meta is a lot though, so it's certainly possible.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[Blacksmith1]

I do believe I have now learned more science from your posts than all my high school classes. Of course I wasn't paying attention then....

 

[Blacksmith1]

All I can say is it seemed pretty acidic when it was burning out my sinus cavities. I know that's not exactly a scientific measurement but it's gotta count for something.

 

[Yooper]

At the concentration given on the label for sanitizing, it will be very effective without pH measurements. It's a pretty effective sanitizer, and winemakers use it all the time.

I used it exclusively for about 20 years, because a- I have it on hand, always; b- it's dirt cheap; c- it's very effective; and d- multiple users as mentioned (anti-oxidant, sanitizer, anti-infective agent against wild yeast and bacteria).

Commercial wineries use it , home winemakers use it, and it's used in mead as well. It's commonly used, and it's been a great addition to my winemaking. I use star-san often now, because I have it mixed up usually, but I use k-meta often as well when doing large batches of wine. It's definitely cheaper than star-san!

 

[Intheswamp]

It's been seven years since I fermented some mead. I bought some supplies back then but things got sidelined and I have several chemicals, including k-meta. Would the k-meta still be good?

 

[Blacksmith1]

It should be if nothing got in it. Mine doesn't have a use by/best by date.

 

[RPh_Guy]

It's been seven years since I fermented some mead. I bought some supplies back then but things got sidelined and I have several chemicals, including k-meta. Would the k-meta still be good?

It's best to replace it once a year at least.
Oxygen in the air inactivates it.

 

[Blacksmith1]

I did not know that......obviously

 

[Intheswamp]

Aw man. I've been digging through boxes. Found some equipment, air-locks, siphons, racking canes, hydrometer, etc., and a few bags of this and that. THEN I opened up a plastic box and a stench hit me!!!! STANK!!!!!!!!!! STANK!!!!!!!! STANK!!!!!!

There was some yeast nutrient, k-sorbate, Fermaid-O, Pectic enzyme, tannin, campden tabs, yeast energizer, some yeast ,and some yeast hulls in the box. *Then* I remembered the problem with some rubber stoppers...they smelled bad. Looks like I'm gonna dump all these...most are drilled but there's some solids, too. I must of won a big eBay auction 'cause I've got a pound or two of them!!!!!!! I did find some whiter colored ones in a different box...the texture is smoother and they don't seem to have this bad smell. Man, that stank's been waiting all these years to escape that plastic box and it finally got out!!!!!

I was gonna ask about saving the yeast hulls but if there's a chance they've got some of that stank in them...fugidaboutit.

I think I'm simply going to pitch any ingredients and buy new stuff. I need some yeast anyhow (I'm just worried about it shipping in this heat). So all the bungs, some of those orange 5-6gal carboy caps are history.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Swmbo just asked what I was laughing at.

 

[Intheswamp]

We've had a coyote or something coming around lately...drug some stuff out of our open garage the other night. I'll bet I can put the rubber bungs out there and he run in fear if he comes back!!!!!!! Sorry to hijack the thread, but dang...I still smell'em!!!! And, I'm in the auto tire business so I'm kinda immune to the smell of rubber...this was something else, more Chernobyl-grade stank!!!

 

[Seamonkey84]

Yea those rubber bungs sure get funky! I’ve soaked them in oxyclean and they’ve come out ok.

 

[Intheswamp]

Well, I couldn't stand it. I had to dig'em out of the garbage can...at least it was *my* garbage. Anyhow, I threw'em in a plastic bag to do "something" with them. Then I find your message so I may try oxycleaning them! Thanks for the thought!

 

[Intheswamp]

Ok, I know everybody's been holding their breath waiting for an update on those stinking, disgusting bungs I threw out and then retrieved. Here ya go...

I soaked them in OxyClean for something like 3 days (I forgot about'em a couple of days). I then rinsed them off really good and gave them a soak for a couple more days. This morning I again rinsed them off good and put them back in to soak. The smell, though still present, seems to be more "normal"....still smells like rubber but at least it's not a stench that smells like old vomit or something!!!

I'll do another rinse or two and let'em dry and see how they smell.

Ed

 

[Seamonkey84]

I used a tablespoon of oxyclean in roughly a qt of water, only soaked it overnight and seemed barely noticeable after that.

 

[Intheswamp]

I did a rough gallon and probably three or four tablespoons. These really were rough smelling...my wife was happy that I moved them out of the house when I did.