campden tablets?

If you are using juice when do you add the campden tablets?

According to all of my recipes that I have used, add the camden tablets when you have transfered into the fermenting vessel. You should also add camden tablets every time you rack your wine to a sencondary fermenter.

Personally, I add them after my boiled mix and cold water have been added to the primary fermenter. When I rack to the secondary, add camden tablets. The second racking, I add nothing. Third racking, (if done) add camden tablets.

I usually add fewer camden tablets than what is called for. If I remember correctly, it is 2 per gallon so I normally add 1-1.5 per gallon. I don't like chemicals but I don't want to lose my wine either!

Get a paper plate and a heavy coffee cup. Place the tablets on the plate and mash into powder with the side of the coffee cup like a rolling pin. After it is powdered, fold the plate into a funnel and pour powder into the container. Toss dirty plate to trash. Done!

jakith said:

If you are using juice when do you add the campden tablets?

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I'm no wine expert so feel free to ignore but in my opinion campden tables are need for whole fruit wine due to natural yeast and bacteria on the fruit. If you are using fruit juice then it shouldn't have any. Infact alot of fruit juices are pasteurised so will not have any.

I don't think I'd use the campden tablets. I definitely wouldn't use after pitching the yeast or just before. I'm sure it would kill the good yeast.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong please.

For pasteurized juice, I don't add Campden until the first racking. For fresh/frozen fruit, I add Campden when I mix up the must, let it sit for 24 hours and then add yeast. Thereafter, I try to add campden (1 tablet per gallon, certainly no more!) at EVERY OTHER racking. I don't have an so2 meter, but your goal is to keep the sulfite at 50 ppm. Also, campden should be added at bottling. Most wines are racked at least several times
I like the directions treemuncher gave about crushing them- they are tough little buggers!
Campden does not inhibit or kill wine yeasts, so it's no problem using them. Still, most recipes tell you to wait 24 hours before pitching your yeast when you use Campden.

Lorena

The only thing I'd add to Lorenae's advise is buy a small inexpensive ceramic/stainless steel pestle and mortar to crush campden tablets - saves buying paper plates as treemuncher does!

I'm going to do cider out of pasteurised apple cider sold in a 1 gal glass bottle. Cider says NO reservations at all. Only pasteurised. Should I add Camden in this case? Do I need to add Camden for secondary? What about oxidation and risk of infection during racking?