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Date: 27 Sep 1993 09:49:42 -0500
From: "Daniel F McConnell" <Daniel_F_McConnell@mailgw.surg.med.umich.edu>
Subject: re- potassium sorbate/snowb

Subject: re: potassium sorbate/snowberry
Hi all:
My experience with potassium sorbate has been good, in contrast
to a previous post in MLD #215. I have used it to maintain residual
sweetness in wine. Here in Michigan grapes struggle to ripen and consequently
have high acid levels. One of the best ways to deal with
this problem is to reserve (freeze) some extra juice at pressing and add
it back after fermentation to raise the residual sugar level to 1 or 2
percent which balances the acidity. Treatment with sorbate prevents
renewed fermentation. It has worked well for me and I use 25-50% lower
than the recomended amounts. The wine is clear and sediment free
(usually 9-12 months old) when I add the frozen juice and the sorbate so
most of the yeast has been left behind at racking.

Perhaps this low yeast count can account for the differences in our
results.

And regarding snowberry honey meads. I have a 6 month old batch which
is not yet bottled, but sampled. Snowberry does seem to have a particular
oddness about it which should make a very interesting and pleasant drink
in a few years. Kind of herbal/piney/floral/bayberry flavors. Is
snowberry an evergreen?

DanMcC



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