metabisulphate

OK, i'm about 3 hours away from my first wine attempt and while reading the directions(yeah, I know, I'm a procrastinator) I found that I'm supposed to use metabisulphate as a sanitizer. Do you guys know if anything else is satisfactory? I would think I was OK, but the directions emphasis that you have to treat every piece of equipment with it.

Second question, What is it? I have one step and iodophor.

Thanks!

For sanitizing one step would be your best choice. The main advantage of potassium metabisulfite (K2S2O5) is you can add it to the juice to kill wild yeast and to the wine to stop the fermentation. Campden Tablets is one common form of Potassium Metabisulfite. Sodium Metabisulphite is an alternative.

People refer to these as sulfate (SO4), but they're sulfites. Also, some people are sensitive to them in foods and many people THINK they are sensitive.

Thats what I needed to know. Thanks!

Campden tablets.... don't sniff the things.

The other day I opened the tub of them and had a little whiff... the fumes almost floored me. Curiosity really does kill the cat

Hi,
Think I ought to put a few things straight.
Sulphite does not kill yeast whether wild or propogated, it maslow it down but only "Potassium Sorbate" as supplied in wine kits will kill it and then you must use sulphite with it or you will get an off smell and flavour known as "geranium", called such because the wine smells and tastes of the flower Geranium.
Rather thanuse camden tablets which contain talc to bind them, it is far better to make a 10% solution of sulphite by desolving 2 ozs sulphite into 1 pint of boiled water then use this solution at the rate of 1 X 5ml teaspoon = 1 camden tablet.
Hope this helps,
TC