[zxert]

I'm extremely confused about how much pot-met to mix with water to make one gallon of sanitizing solution!onfused:

I've seen anywhere from 1/4 teaspoon to five tablespoons!

Can anyone clear this up for me?

Thanks!!

[Sacalait]

Three table spoons per gallon.

[zxert]

Thanks!

Wonder why the large disparity . . .

[oldwino]

Many wine makers use potassium metabisulphate for cleaning. I use one step because I get lazy. Using one step I don't have to rinse afterwards. However, after I clean a carboy and get ready for it to be stored for later use I throw in a few whole campden tablets, pour in a couple cups of water and cork the carboy. Swirl it around a little and put under the counter for storage. I clean with one step when I am ready to use it again.

All tools, corks, airlocks, wine thiefs etc. get soaked in one step before they go into my wine.

However these are only personal preferences. There is a whole lot of ways to clean everything. I have well water and all of the water in the wine room is bottled water. I use less water with one step, no rinse.

[Wine4Me]

Just wondering here what does this do??
[I throw in a few whole campden tablets, pour in a couple cups of water and cork the carboy. Swirl it around a little and put under the counter for storage. I clean with one step when I am ready to use it again. ]

[Luc]

Originally Posted by oldwino

Many wine makers use potassium metabisulphate for cleaning.

Oldwino I think you are mistaking.

Pot-meta is not a cleaning solution.
The strong solution is used for sanitsing your materials, bottles, hoses, racking canes etc.
It will not make things completely sterile but will kill enough bacteria to not contaminate the wine.

The smaller amount (like a campden tablet) is used for keeping the wine healthy and prevent it from oxidising.

For cleaning use something like soda ash or any cleaner and rinse will afterwards.

Luc

[Wade E]

1/4 tsp is for killing off wild yeast and micro organisms in a new 5-6 gallon batch of wine that has not had yeast added yet. 3 tbls is the desired ratio per gallon for making a sanitizing solution.

[seminarian]

here's a question. Should one take some of the meta solution for sanitizing and put in a spray bottle, so if you open your primary fermenter, or carboy should you spray it down with the meta to protect your wine? I saw this done recently and am wondering if this is standard procedure?

[Wade E]

I always have a spray bottle full of the sanitizing solution but dont recommend spraying any in a fermenting vessel with a wine in there fermenting. Just sanitize anything that you plan on sticking in there or for sanitizing a primary bucket before adding your must to it. Everything must be sanitized before it touches your wine but you dont want to be sanitizing a fermenting wine.

[zxert]

Thanks for the input everyone, that cleared it up.