Campden tab residue

[OilnH2O]

I've read Joe Shultiema's sulfite solution article (it is athttp://www.finevinewines.com/sulfites1.htm ) after my latest venture with campden tabs. I'm curious if I'm doing something wrong.


I crush the campden tabs to as fine a powder as I can, then mix into a solution of warm water (about 1/4 cup) before adding to must (in my latest case, three tabs for 3 gallons of rhubarb/grape racked after 4 months to further bulk age). As before, and even after stirring repeatedly and leaving overnight, the powder never seems to go into solution, settling to the bottom after a few minutes. When stirred, it goes into suspensionbut then settles out again after a few minutes. Although I used it again today when I racked into a 3-gallon carboy, as before, I wonder what is really happening to it when it is in the must? And, within a few minutes of racking to the new carboy, a half a dozen little white particles (about the size of a grain of salt)float to the top of the carboy neck and sit on the surface! Is this just some sort of binder, or does this powder eventually go into solution in the wine (given it is chemically different from water)?


Any comments?


(edit: I should make clear the "stirring" I'm referring toaboveis tothe 1/4 cup of water/campden solution-- I'm not stirring the must after adding the campden solution)Edited by: OilnH2O

 

[masta]

I don't know what the binder is in campden tabs but this issue you describe is one reason among others why I choose not to use them. It is just like pills you take the manufacturers need to add something to bind it all together into a stable pill form.
Powder k-meta never has these issues and dissolves instantly.

 

[Wade E]

Ive heard this several times before and never had this problem as I
used to put mine in a little ziplock bag and smash with a hammer until
completely pulverized but Masta has smashed me into just using the
k-meta.

 

[Waldo]

I use one of those little blenders called the Bullit and it works great on the CAmpden tablets

 

[OilnH2O]

Masta, I think I'm going to go to the k-meta solution as well. As you may remember, I went to campden tabs after mistaking powdered k-meta measurements on my rhubarb and ended up killing the yeast! The sulfites article is a good one and explains the issues well.


I'm still curious, though, how long it takes for those crushed tabs to eventually go into solution, rather than suspension!

 

[Wade E]

Dont feel bad Oil, I blew 2 batches with the powder myself all in 1 shot. 12 gallons down the drain.