sanitizer for wine

I have been out of the wine making for a while now, but slowing moving back into it. What should I use to sanitize my secondary? I thought I used camden tablets in the past but I cant remember. I have camden tablets, potassium metibisulfite..........I can use either and not have to worry about rinsing anything right? Also the brew shop says dont add 1 camden tablet per gallon when trasnfering? Has this changed, they told me to add it prior to bottling?
Thanks

I use one-step for all my sanitizing, but you could use the sulfite you have. Either the campden tablets or the powder. It's cheaper to use and mix up the powder. And it's no rinse.

As far as adding the campden, if you don't have an so2 meter (and I don't), you should add it every other racking at the dosage of 1 crushed campden tablet per gallon. That should keep you in the 50 ppm range. And of course at bottling. So, if you used campden in the primary, I wouldn't add it when racking to secondary- but I would the next time. I write this all down in my notes so I know when to add it. Some day I'll get a meter and then I won't have to do this!

So do you add water to the crushed tablets? or just rack onto the powder? I'm trying to halt oxidation in my mead.

You crush the tablets and then dissolve in hot water. That makes them easier to dissolve. Just a little water works fine, as long as it's completely dissolved. Do NOT put your face over this though- hot sulfur fumes will be coming out of it. After it cools slightly, put it into the receiving carboy and then rack the wine quietly into it.

The potassium sulfite I have says to add 1/2 teaspoon per pint of water.
I was going to clean the carboy really good and then sanitize with the pint of water and swirl it around in the carboy and totally coat the inside and then pour out....Is this enough? Should I let it dry upside down?

potassium metibisulfite is what I use for corks and bottles and rinsing the carboys. I mix up a couple gallons worth and then soak the corks and rinse the bottles then I put it in jugs and cap it. They told me at the hb shop it would last a couple months if I kept it capped.

Yooper chick do you soak your corks in the one-step? I think I will give it a try if I can and will the one-step last if I put it in bottles?

mgayer said:

potassium metibisulfite is what I use for corks and bottles and rinsing the carboys. I mix up a couple gallons worth and then soak the corks and rinse the bottles then I put it in jugs and cap it. They told me at the hb shop it would last a couple months if I kept it capped.

Yooper chick do you soak your corks in the one-step? I think I will give it a try if I can and will the one-step last if I put it in bottles?

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I don't soak my corks in one step. I just have them moistened with the sulfite solution for a while before corking.

The LHBS told me that one-step is good as long as it is making that "bubbling" sound. I usually keep it in a white milk jug under the sink and use it for a couple of weeks. I make fresh after that, so I don't know how long it would last.