campden tabs and racking?

KENfromMI · 12-01-2008, 01:59 PM

I've always tried the minimalist approach and only used sulfites at bottling time and not with my rackings. Just checked in my wine bunker and it looks as though I may be getting a bit of funk starting to grow in a few carboys. I was going to hold off on racking after some of your suggestions on here and I'm not sure what to do. For some reason my Cab dropped plenty more lees but my pinot, merlot, and sangiovese have not. I was wondering if I racked one more time and wanted to add campdens should I use one per gallon? Also the last racking was on October 24th. After talking to you on here I was thinking now is too soon but due to the film on top of the wine should i rack and add campden or just add campden to the carboys as is to avoid more racking and possible oxidation. A quick response would be greatly appreciated as I have today and tommorrow off of work and it will be my only time to take action. Thanks in advance, Ken

**YooperBrew** · 12-01-2008, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KENfromMI

I've always tried the minimalist approach and only used sulfites at bottling time and not with my rackings. Just checked in my wine bunker and it looks as though I may be getting a bit of funk starting to grow in a few carboys. I was going to hold off on racking after some of your suggestions on here and I'm not sure what to do. For some reason my Cab dropped plenty more lees but my pinot, merlot, and sangiovese have not. I was wondering if I racked one more time and wanted to add campdens should I use one per gallon? Also the last racking was on October 24th. After talking to you on here I was thinking now is too soon but due to the film on top of the wine should i rack and add campden or just add campden to the carboys as is to avoid more racking and possible oxidation. A quick response would be greatly appreciated as I have today and tommorrow off of work and it will be my only time to take action. Thanks in advance, Ken

If you've got some funk, you should rack it into a new sanitized carboy. I'd use one campden tablet per gallon (crushed and dissolved in a little boiling water).

If you just want to add some sulfite to a wine that looks ok (no reason to rack), then you can crush and dissolve one campden per gallon and gently pour it in. Make sure to do it slowly, so it doesn't bubble out like a volcano. I only add sulfites at racking, and every other racking.

I wouldn't rack any of them unless there is a pressing reason, like that apparent film. Those are the only ones I'd rack, if they were racked only a month ago.

KENfromMI · 12-01-2008, 07:38 PM

Thanks again yooper, what about the Cabernet that has alot of solids on the bottom? They dont look like the others which are compacted in a thin film on bottom. These are more flake like and well over 1/4 inch again and It has been racked twice. I racked out of primary on Sept 9th, left in secondary until October 24th, racked again due to the amount of solids on bottom and now the Cab is loaded again. The film kinda looked as if I sprinkled a little bit of powder on the surface. Could this have been from the campden tabs I added earlier in Sept when I though i had the start of an infection? I added without racking that time. I lifted out the carboys into better light to see and the powder film immediately sank back into the wine if that helps at all. Ken

giligson · 12-01-2008, 08:09 PM

Sulfite is very important in wine not just as something to kill wild yeast but mostly as an antioxidant. It greatly affects retention of fruity flavours and stability of tannins.

Sulfite is actually not particularly effective on certain yeast and mold varieties as a biocidal or biostatic agent - for instance the cultured yeast that you do your ferment with just shrugs it off.

petes · 12-01-2008, 08:32 PM

If racking tops of a carboy to a less then desirable level (too much headspace) will campden alleviate oxidation likliehood here?
Just curious.

**YooperBrew** · 12-02-2008, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KENfromMI

Thanks again yooper, what about the Cabernet that has alot of solids on the bottom? They dont look like the others which are compacted in a thin film on bottom. These are more flake like and well over 1/4 inch again and It has been racked twice. I racked out of primary on Sept 9th, left in secondary until October 24th, racked again due to the amount of solids on bottom and now the Cab is loaded again. The film kinda looked as if I sprinkled a little bit of powder on the surface. Could this have been from the campden tabs I added earlier in Sept when I though i had the start of an infection? I added without racking that time. I lifted out the carboys into better light to see and the powder film immediately sank back into the wine if that helps at all. Ken

No, the campden tablet should be dissolved. I have no idea what that is- but if it's thick like that, you can go ahead and rack it to get it off of that stuff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by petes

If racking tops of a carboy to a less then desirable level (too much headspace) will campden alleviate oxidation likliehood here?
Just curious.

No, probably not. It binds to the wine to prevent o2 from binding to it, but it disapates rather quickly and is no substitute for topping up.

petes · 12-02-2008, 05:54 AM

Okay, savvy that. Thanks Yooper, cheers.

gratus fermentatio · 12-02-2008, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KENfromMI

I've always tried the minimalist approach and only used sulfites at bottling time and not with my rackings.

Ken: I used to think along the same lines, till I lost a batch of mead to oxidation. All the time, effort, and money I put into it literally went down the drain. So now I use camden tabs & haven't had that problem since. Also, on the subject of the "film" on your cabernet, if it's white, dry & powdery looking, it could be flowers of wine, I had a problem with that once & followed Jack Keller's advice Winemaking: Wine Problems and it cleared right up. Maybe you'll find some useful infor there too. Regards, GF.

KENfromMI · 12-02-2008, 01:46 PM

GF, how did you filter the wine? Is there a poor mans way or do I need the contraption that costs more then the wine I would lose? Ken

gratus fermentatio · 12-02-2008, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KENfromMI

GF, how did you filter the wine? Is there a poor mans way or do I need the contraption that costs more then the wine I would lose? Ken

I filtered with one of these: Vintage Shop Pressure Filter :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies
The price has gone up considerably since I bought mine, I paid abot $70.00 for mine from the same place. For me it was worth it. Regards, GF.

12-01-2008, 01:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
KENfromMI Senior Member Recipes Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 106	campden tabs and racking? I've always tried the minimalist approach and only used sulfites at bottling time and not with my rackings. Just checked in my wine bunker and it looks as though I may be getting a bit of funk starting to grow in a few carboys. I was going to hold off on racking after some of your suggestions on here and I'm not sure what to do. For some reason my Cab dropped plenty more lees but my pinot, merlot, and sangiovese have not. I was wondering if I racked one more time and wanted to add campdens should I use one per gallon? Also the last racking was on October 24th. After talking to you on here I was thinking now is too soon but due to the film on top of the wine should i rack and add campden or just add campden to the carboys as is to avoid more racking and possible oxidation. A quick response would be greatly appreciated as I have today and tommorrow off of work and it will be my only time to take action. Thanks in advance, Ken

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12-01-2008, 07:38 PM	#3 (permalink)
KENfromMI Senior Member Recipes Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 106	Thanks again yooper, what about the Cabernet that has alot of solids on the bottom? They dont look like the others which are compacted in a thin film on bottom. These are more flake like and well over 1/4 inch again and It has been racked twice. I racked out of primary on Sept 9th, left in secondary until October 24th, racked again due to the amount of solids on bottom and now the Cab is loaded again. The film kinda looked as if I sprinkled a little bit of powder on the surface. Could this have been from the campden tabs I added earlier in Sept when I though i had the start of an infection? I added without racking that time. I lifted out the carboys into better light to see and the powder film immediately sank back into the wine if that helps at all. Ken

12-01-2008, 08:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
giligson Senior Member Recipes Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vancouver Area - Canada Posts: 270	Sulfite is very important in wine not just as something to kill wild yeast but mostly as an antioxidant. It greatly affects retention of fruity flavours and stability of tannins. Sulfite is actually not particularly effective on certain yeast and mold varieties as a biocidal or biostatic agent - for instance the cultured yeast that you do your ferment with just shrugs it off.

12-01-2008, 08:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
petes Member Recipes Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Northland, New Zealand Posts: 78	If racking tops of a carboy to a less then desirable level (too much headspace) will campden alleviate oxidation likliehood here? Just curious.

12-02-2008, 05:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
petes Member Recipes Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Northland, New Zealand Posts: 78	Okay, savvy that. Thanks Yooper, cheers.

12-02-2008, 01:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
KENfromMI Senior Member Recipes Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 106	GF, how did you filter the wine? Is there a poor mans way or do I need the contraption that costs more then the wine I would lose? Ken