campden tablets

[ree]

Hi there,
I racked my plum and pear wine recently for the first time (about 2 mos. from starting the wine.) Should I have put in campden tablets? Do I put that in every time I rack?

They taste really dry. I'd like the consistency to be more leggy, syrupy and sweeter. How do I get that more naturally? (Without adding other liquors?)

The pear is a slightly more effervescent... is that normal?

Thanks for answering the newbie.

 

[jswordy]

I racked my plum and pear wine recently for the first time (about 2 mos. from starting the wine.) Should I have put in campden tablets? Do I put that in every time I rack?

I do not add tablets or k meta the first racking. I add it every other racking. I make sure the last one has it added. I use the k meta powder (it's cheaper and no fillers) but one or two tabs per racking should do it.

They taste really dry. I'd like the consistency to be more leggy, syrupy and sweeter. How do I get that more naturally? (Without adding other liquors?)

You can backsweeten by adding sugar after you have settled and stabilized the wine with k meta (Campden) and potassium sorbate. Add sugar to taste or to a specific hydrometer reading prior to bottling. let the wine sit for ~ 4-5 days prior to bottling to be sure it does not referment. Then bottle. If you search backsweetening or sugar here, you will find lots of posts on this.

The pear is a slightly more effervescent... is that normal?

All wine retains CO2 as part of the fermentation process. You need to degas it by stirring it thoroughly. Search "degas" here for tons of posts on it and the myraid ways it can be done.

 

[cpfan]

I racked my plum and pear wine recently for the first time (about 2 mos. from starting the wine.) Should I have put in campden tablets? Do I put that in every time I rack?

Part of the answer to this question is "what was the specific gravity?". Many wine makers rack their wine from primary to carboy before the wine has finished fermenting. If campden/k-meta was added at that time it might have inhibitted the fermentation. However, the fermenting should have been complete after 2 months.

My next question is "what kind of vessel was the wine in for those 2 months?". Because if it was in a standard primary fermenter, then oxidation would likely be an issue, and you should have added the campden.

Steve

 

[ree]

I started in a plastic bucket for 2-3 weeks, then put it in a glass carboy. The first time I put it in a carboy (roughly 2 mos ago), I put in campden tablets... to answer the question.

Is k-meta better than campden?

 

[tchuklobrau]

I was tought that k-meta and campden tabs were the same thing. the tabs were better for doing small batches, as it is 1 tab per gal. as k-met is 1/4 tsp(i think) per 5-6 gal. Someone please tell me if this info is false, but thats the way it was explained to me.

 

[Deezil]

The only real "pro" that k-meta has over campden tablets, is that the tablets, being tablets, contain a certain amount of "binders" that hold everything in tablet-form.. The K-meta being a powder, is "purer"

 

[winemaker_3352]

Campden tablets are not always make with potassium metabisulphite either.

Most of the time they are made with sodium bisulphite..

 

[MurphyTexas]

Campden tablets are not always make with potassium metabisulphite either.

Most of the time they are made with sodium bisulphite..

The campden tablets offered for sale at both of my local home brew shops are Potassium Metabisulphite (k-meta). I have never seen any sodium bisulphite in a tablet.

I like using the 1 pound bag of powder k-meta because it is inexpensive for a sanitizer. I use the k-meta campden tablets dissolved at racking because I can count to 5 on one hand ( I put in the right amount).

 

[MurphyTexas]

Hi there,
I racked my plum and pear wine recently for the first time (about 2 mos. from starting the wine.) Should I have put in campden tablets? Do I put that in every time I rack?

They taste really dry. I'd like the consistency to be more leggy, syrupy and sweeter. How do I get that more naturally? (Without adding other liquors?)

The pear is a slightly more effervescent... is that normal?

Thanks for answering the newbie.

Hello. You are asking the same kind of questions I was wondering about a year ago. How do I finish my wine? Here is an excellent article that answers your questions:

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/finishin.asp

IF and When the wine is done fermenting on it's own; then add campden and potassium sorbate (at the same time) then wait a few days to make sure it is done. Then back sweeten the wine using sugar or simple syrup (heated cooled sugar water).

A hydrometer and a plastic "wine thief" are inexpensive necessities when sweetening because once you determined how sweet you like it, you can record the reading from the hydrometer (1.010)

Time will take care of the effervescence if this is a concern. It's just co2 suspended in the wine. Some people on this forum like to "degas" or "create a vacuum" or "splash rack" to remove the co2. I toyed with these and just decided to let time make it happen.

Hope this helps.

 

[winemaker_3352]

The campden tablets offered for sale at both of my local home brew shops are Potassium Metabisulphite (k-meta). I have never seen any sodium bisulphite in a tablet.

I like using the 1 pound bag of powder k-meta because it is inexpensive for a sanitizer. I use the k-meta campden tablets dissolved at racking because I can count to 5 on one hand ( I put in the right amount).

They exist: