Acetic acid curiousity question

Other Fermentables
1

I did some searching around on the webs and didn’t find anything (at least to my non-chemisty minded eyes) that answered my thought.

I’ve been messing around with potassium metabilsulfite and potassium sulfate for mead stabilization and a question popped up in my head and I have a thought on what the answer may be, but was curious if any of you chemistry nuts out there know a more defined answer.

If either of these chemicals are added to a wine/beer/mead/whatever that has an acetobacter infestation, do they stop the conversion of alcohol to acetic acid?

This isn’t an issue for me, just a curious thought.

2

I know sulfites will kill the acetobacter with sulfur dioxide (SO2). The sulfur dioxide enters the cells of bacteria and wild yeast and disrupts enzymes. The kinds of yeast winemakers use are more tolerant of SO2 than wild yeasts, but I don’t know why. How effective metabisulfite is depends on the pH. Lower pH will result in more molecular SO2 (the kind that can enter the cells).

3

potassium sulfate or potassium sorbate?