Potassium Metabisulphite - to prevent oxidation?

[ChristinaS1]

 

From the results of this experiment it seems like PMS does not alter the flavour of the beer, but from previous experiments, SMB does. At the same weight SMB contains a slightly more sulfite than PMB, but that can be adjusted for if you aren't using Campden tablets.

In the wine world PMB is preferred, because it is more flavour neutral. Many winemakers limit their use of SMB to sanitizing .

When I tried using metabisulfite in beer that one time I used the sodium version. The beer did not taste salty to me, but I certainly noticed a sulfur smell, which I did not enjoy....But I am known in my family as having a sensitive nose; I always notice smells long before other people. 

One of the people who commented on the above experiment said:

"I can’t point to any peer-reviewed literature here, but unless one has been extremely sloppy in packaging, oxygen damage takes at least ~4 weeks to make itself known. I arrived at this based on 20+ years of homebrewing and brewing commercially for a while. 4 weeks is about when things become noticeable. Tasting a one-month old can of hazy IPA against the same beer in the bright tank is illuminating.

But if your procs are tight and, critically, everything stays cold, it could be many months before any damage becomes noticeable....Many homebrewers will have drained the keg prior to 4 weeks, and so they may never notice oxidized homebrew."

This may explain why keggers don't seem to complain of hop fade, whereas bottlers do.

Cheers,

Christina.