Advise on unknown objects in wine

[Oracus]

I might be jumpin the gun alittle on this. Two days ago I noticed these white bits in my wine and remembered the other "Can this wine be saved" thread and the horrific growths inside that wine and hope mines not goin south.
1 gal cranberry juice
start SG 1.10
1 pack Red Star Montrachet yeast

Racked to carboy at .998, 3 days later racked again and added sulfite and sorbate, waited 3 days then added fpac then it sat a week till I noticed the bits. It sits in a dark storage area where temps are steady around 68. I sanitize with a sulfite solution before I use the equipment and the after use.

Thanks
Kyle

 

[Wade E]

Did you use campden tablets? Im betting you used campdens and didnt crush them well and dissolve them in warm water.

 

[Oracus]

You are a smart guy! I did use tablets I figured Id use them 1st then the powder when the tablets are gone.

 

[Wade E]

# 1 problem with campden tablets is that they are held together with fillers and those fillers are much harder to dissolve.

 

[BaccusIsWine]

Crush them and stir/disolve in alittle warm water then add

 

[lloyd]

I crush my camden tabs in a heavy freezer zip lock bag with a rolling pin close to the top of the bag incase it punches a hole in the bag. (It hasn't so far.) then just add some warm water to the bag. shake and pour when dissolved.No pieces of camden flying all over the place.

 

[chachi44089]

I had the same thing happen..I now crush them between two spoons until I get a very fine powder.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I would just use the powder form. No crushing involved - just measure, dissolve, and add to your wine.

 

[Flem]

I would just use the powder form. No crushing involved - just measure, dissolve, and add to your wine.

+1 to what you said, Jon. Unless you couldn't get the powder, I don't understand why anybody would want to go through the hassle of using tablets. IMHO

 

[KeithTheSnake]

Yeah, it's the tablets. They use a binder. I use them, though, because they're really simple to measure how much you need for a batch. I use this lovely marble mortar and pestal to crush the tablets into a fine powder, and it works just fine. Fear not.

 

[Oracus]

+1 to what you said, Jon. Unless you couldn't get the powder, I don't understand why anybody would want to go through the hassle of using tablets. IMHO

Well me being new to this the tablets came with my kit so I figured i dont want to waste them so Id use them up. I also have powder I bought so maybe Ill just use the tablets for sanitizing solution from now on. Thanks for all the help and advice.

Kyle

 

[JordanPond]

I have not used the tables but understand that you add one tablet per gallon. The tables would be easy to use if you were doing one gallon batches. Easy to add one tablet vs trying measure 1/6 of 1/4 tsp.

 

[Wade E]

You have o be careful as to the strength of some of these tablets. They say one per gallon but then if you look at the PPM and add it up its not right on some! You want youyr wine to be around 35ppm and some of those tablets if you used 1 per gallon would be way over that. Most tablets would work out better at about 3.5 per 6 gallon batch. Keithtesnake, they sell 1/4 tsp measuring spoons in Walmart for about $3 and the savings from just buying a bag of powdered K Meta vs 1 package of campden tablets would almost pay for itself right there and no more crushing anymore, just scoop and dissolve! I hope you dont use these tablets to make a sulfite solution as it would take about 86 tablets to make a gallon batch of solution!!!!!!!!

 

[Oracus]

So what would be the best way to make a sulfite solution? The tablets are NA Meta @150ppm. And my sulfite powder is NA Meta local shop was out of K meta.

 

[grapeman]

They are easy to use but the dose they recommend is higher than you can get when measuring or weighing the powder. The powder is a lot easier to dissolve also.

 

[Wade E]

Na Meta is fine also. I dont use it but only because I dont need anymore sodium intake in my life but in reality the amount is so miniscule I shouldnt even be concerned or thinking about it at all. It is used in the same ratio though, 3 tbls sppons per gallon for a sanitizing solution or 1/4 tbsp per gallon for sulfiting wine.

 

[Oracus]

Thanks for the clarification.