Campden Tablets

[wineview]

Having come from a brewing background, I have always used Star-San as my no rinse sanitizer. Do Campden tablets work the same or do you need to rinse the bottles. EJ Kraus is selling packages of 100 on line for $5.85 with free shipping. Seems like a good deal. I would love to hear your thoughts on cleaning and sanitizing agents. Do you like the tablets the powder version or something completely different.
Thanks
WV

 

[sour_grapes]

FWIW, I use StarSan for my no-rinse sanitizer, too. Why do you want to switch?

I think you will find that the powder is both cheaper and more convenient. (No need to crush the tablets.) Campden tablets are good for meting out small quantities (say, for 1-gallon batches), but I don't know of any other advantages over powder.

 

[wineview]

FWIW, I use StarSan for my no-rinse sanitizer, too. Why do you want to switch?

I think you will find that the powder is both cheaper and more convenient. (No need to crush the tablets.) Campden tablets are good for meting out small quantities (say, for 1-gallon batches), but I don't know of any other advantages over powder.

I thought I would give it a try because it seems to be the choice of wine makers. Didn’t know the tablets had to be crushed. I thought they would dissolve. So that’s a negative.
Here has been my process. I usually have a five gallon bucket of C Brite mixed. When I finish a bottle of wine, I rinse it thoroughly and soak in C Brite for several days to clean the bottle. Then rinse and store. Come bottling day I use Star San. So I was thinking of using sodium Metabisulphite in place of the C Brite. Comments?

 

[sour_grapes]

I thought I would give it a try because it seems to be the choice of wine makers. Didn’t know the tablets had to be crushed. I thought they would dissolve. So that’s a negative.
Here has been my process. I usually have a five gallon bucket of C Brite mixed. When I finish a bottle of wine, I rinse it thoroughly and soak in C Brite for several days to clean the bottle. Then rinse and store. Come bottling day I use Star San. So I was thinking of using sodium Metabisulphite in place of the C Brite. Comments?

Are you saying that you use the C-brite to help remove labels? Or just to clean the bottom of a label-less wine bottle? I don't believe that k-meta has any cleaning power to speak.

 

[wineview]

Are you saying that you use the C-brite to help remove labels? Or just to clean the bottom of a label-less wine bottle? I don't believe that k-meta has any cleaning power to speak.

I don’t put labels on to avoid having to remove them. Correct me if I’m wrong but are you saying K meta is the same as sodium metabisulphite?

 

[Rice_Guy]

No, , Potassium has a cleaner flavor than sodium, most don’t want salty tasting wine, so K (potassium) metabisulphite is preferred over sodium metabisulphite. ,,, And while we are at it Campden tablets usually are potassium metabisulphite, but can be sodium if so labeled.

metabisulphite is a preferred wine ingredient since it acts as a reductive agent which increases shelf life. Wine folks think how many years where as brewing thinks months. A guess is that historically sulphur would be burned in barrels therefore sulphur was grandfathered in as a approved wine ingredient.

Yes I also use Star San, and yes meta (metabisulphite) is also no rinse.

 

[sour_grapes]

I don’t put labels on to avoid having to remove them. Correct me if I’m wrong but are you saying K meta is the same as sodium metabisulphite?

I apologize, I did not notice you said Na-meta instead of K-meta. They behave almost identically.

Okay, so why don't you indicate what your soaking in C-brite was meant to accomplish so that we can fulfill your request to comment on whether soaking in Na-meta would accomplish the same ends?

AFAIK, C-brite cleans (i.e., removes/loosens dirt) and sanitizes. Na-meta and K-meta sanitize.

 

[wineview]

I apologize, I did not notice you said Na-meta instead of K-meta. They behave almost identically.

Okay, so why don't you indicate what your soaking in C-brite was meant to accomplish so that we can fulfill your request to comment on whether soaking in Na-meta would accomplish the same ends?

AFAIK, C-brite cleans (i.e., removes/loosens dirt) and sanitizes. Na-meta and K-meta sanitize.

The C Brite is simply to insure I am storing clean bottles. Sanitizing happens on bottling day.

 

[user 36973]

So I was thinking of using sodium Metabisulphite in place of the C Brite

For sanitizing, either sodium or potassium metabisulfite works fine. (For wine additions you want to use the potassium version.)

BUT, it is important to acidify the sulfite sanitizing solution! This is often forgotten by homebrewers. The acid lowers the pH to generate more SO2- ions which do the sanitizing. Citric acid makes a cheap and wine-friendly acid. Don't just take my word for it, see here:

http://www.piwine.com/media/home-wine-making-basics/Cleaning-and-Sanitizing.pdf

 

[sour_grapes]

The C Brite is simply to insure I am storing clean bottles. Sanitizing happens on bottling day.

If I were looking to clean my bottles, then I would use a cleaner, not a sulfite. I like PBW as a cleaner myself.