Topic: Campden tablets......

[Jokerman]

I am very new to winemaking and totally confused by the little white pills.....

Some say to add them after racking the wine, others say to add as you prepare the must and others say to just add after the final racking......

Where and when should they be used? Surely if they are used at the beginning or after the first racking they will kill the yeast and stop my wine fermenting? Or am I totally wrong.....

Made some plum wine about 2 months ago, and it hasn't finished fermenting yet. Am gonna rack it tomorrow as there is a lot of thick sediment at the bottom.... should I add a tablet or not?

sorry for being dull.... but there are so many contradictions when I google it.  :(


Lee

[BarriedaleNick]

I only tend to make kit wines now but..

You can add a tablet to the must to prevent the growth of wild yeast and give the wine yeast a clean slate BUT you must give it time for the sulphur dioxide to dissapate before addin the wine yeast. You dont want to add a tablet if the wine is still in active fermantation as it will stop the yeast growing (some say it will kill the yeasts but it seems to be a bone of contention).

Once a wine has stopped fermenting you add a tablet to stop any wild yeasts getting in and fermenting and to kill off bacteria that may get in - thus helping the wine to clear and prevent it spoiling.  Whether or not to add at every susequent racking will depend on how long between racks but to much sulphur dioxide is not a good thing.

I would taste a little and if there are no problems - leave it alone and keep your eye on it.
I am no expert in wine making so i am sure there are others with more experience than me... 

[Jokerman]

Thanks for that    ;D

A lot clearer now. been wanting to make wine for ages but it always seemed too confusing.

Owe you a pint!

[adrianhumph]

Hello Jokerman,
                          Good advice from Barried, but here is my two penny`s worth. I have not used campden tablets for over 15 years, I use neat powdered sodium metabisulphite. This is available from your home brew shop (if you have one) Campden tablets contain a fair proportion of binder to hold the tablet together, so you cannot be sure how much sulphite you are actually adding. I do not add any initially, only at the end of fermentation. The surest way to add the sulphite is by adding what is called "stock solution" This basically is 2 oz of sulphite added to 1 pint of cold water. When dissolved , add 1 teaspoon of this solution to one gallon of wine, at the end of fermentation & each racking afterwards. BEWARE, THIS IS VERY PUNGENT DO NOT BREATHE IT IN! I usually make up half this amount & keep it in a stoppered bottle, it will keep for many Months. If this does not appeal, just add 1/8th of a teaspoon of neat powder at racking time, this is the equivalent of a camden tablet, but is not as accurate as using the above method.
 Hope that helps, 
                           Adrian.