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
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