Camden tablet question

[HomeBrewMasterRace]

Question regarding campden tablets, I recently purchased a 100 pack to use for my brewing water since my city cleans with the chlorine and chloramine.

I was wondering, how soon after using the tablet can I start using the water to make the wort and then then pitch the yeast thereafter. I've read conflicting reports, some say a few minutes others say 24 hrs.

I'm thinking I'd use one in my sparging water as well as my mash water.

Thanks!

 

[enkamania]

You can use it immediately. Just stir it in well

 

[ABI Brewery]

I crush them up and stir well, go to go right away

 

[HomeBrewMasterRace]

You can use it immediately. Just stir it in well

So it won't kill the yeast. Should I add it when I'm heating the water up?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Add the crushed campden after you measure your water, and then it's ok to start heating and use immediately.

 

[Jayjay1976]

If you crush it to a powder first it will quickly dissolve and neutralize the chlorine instantly. The one time I forgot to add campden until the water was already heated to strike temp, I immediately could smell a burst of chlorine off gassing. But of course, it also could have just been my imagination.

 

[Kent88]

Doesn't it take just a tiny amount to clear out chloramine compared to what is used to kill yeast and other bugs when used to pre-sanitize wine must and then to stabilize the finished wine? Something like one tablet removes chloramine from 20 gallons of water? If so, that is pretty dilute.

Are the compounds that inhibit/kill yeast driven off faster at mash/boil temps than at room temp? I assume some react with the chloramine in such a way that it is driven off almost immediately.

I would then factor in that I typically mash for 60-90 minutes, boil for another 60-90 minutes, and the time I spend sparging and chilling is significant as well.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Doesn't it take just a tiny amount to clear out chloramine compared to what is used to kill yeast and other bugs when used to pre-sanitize wine must and then to stabilize the finished wine?

It's actually molecular SO2 that is anti-microbial. Molecular SO2 won't be present in significant quantities at normal wort pH. It requires a more acidic environment (~3.7 or less).

The amount in the wort would need to be much higher to be able to inhibit Saccharomyces, even at lower pH like 3.3. Saccharomyces can generally tolerate sulfite at the levels used for wild microbe inhibition and oxidation protection.

Sulfite is volatile and therefore removed during heating, boiling, aerating, etc.

For these reasons, it's impossible to inhibit the yeast by adding sulfite to the brewing water.