Hi, I’m learning about chemical pasteurization for an upcoming batch of wine. I’ve been searching the net for a while but the documentation about it is pretty scant. Please experience from those of you who have successfully done this method. Thank!
not to speak for everyone and to dismiss the spread of knowledge for knowledge and experimentation’s sake, but in practical terms - why?
you mean sulfites to inhibit bacteria? afaik you add K metabisulfite or Na M~~ and that quickly stops further fermentation. well known online and someone IRL recently told me this is done in winekit stores.
Is that the answer?
I am also assuming that this is what the OP is referring to - Campden (or some other form of metabisulfate) +/- sorbate. I think a winemaking forum may be a better place to ask rather than a beer forum for specifics on this, since homebrewers rarely use this technique.
Sterilization? Do you mean sanitization?
Pasteurization is a process that uses heat to kill yeast and microorganisms in food and drinks. The process requires specific heat and time combinations. There are tables on the internet. Higher temperatures require shorter durations at that temperature. I am no expert and I am not quite sure if the times and temperatures are meant to kill yeast and bacteria or just bacteria.
That said, I pasteurize cider with heat. I raise the temp to 155-160F and hold it there for 10 minutes. I don’t taste any negative effects but a lot of people recommend using Potassium Metabisulfite (sulfites) and then Potassium Sorbate to inhibit fermentation. As I understand it, those chemicals don’t actually kill the yeast. They just stop additional fermentation and therefore these chemicals do not achieve “chemical pasteurization.”