How to use campdem tablets (SMS)?

[Winegas]

I have a few questions regarding this, thanks!!! The wine is a Sauvignon Blanc from a juice kit.

1. How many should I add to the batch right before bottling this batch? It’s 23 litres/6 gallons. There are 80 tablets in the 50g package.
2. How long do I need to wait before it is safe to drink? I understand the importance of aging, but I am specifically wondering if the wine will be unsafe to drink after adding the campden tablets for a certain period of time?
3. Can I bottle right after adding them? Or does it need time to off-gas in the carboy first?

 

[Yooper]

I have a few questions regarding this, thanks!!! The wine is a Sauvignon Blanc from a juice kit.

1. How many should I add to the batch right before bottling this batch? It’s 23 litres/6 gallons. There are 80 tablets in the 50g package.
2. How long do I need to wait before it is safe to drink? I understand the importance of aging, but I am specifically wondering if the wine will be unsafe to drink after adding the campden tablets for a certain period of time?
3. Can I bottle right after adding them? Or does it need time to off-gas in the carboy first?

1. Add one crushed and dissolved tablet per gallon.
2. You can drink it right away- but most wines get better with a bit of age. There is less sulfite in that wine than in a pack of raisins. If you can eat raisins, you can drink 6 gallons of a wine with 50 ppm of sulfite.
3. Yes. That's the idea. You bottle right away to protect the wine from oxidation.

 

[Winegas]

Thank you so much! Is there any issue of adding too much if the kit already came with sulfites? It’s a Heritage Estates kit.

 

[Winegas]

Thank you so much! Is there any issue of adding too much if the kit already came with sulfites? It’s a Heritage Estates kit.

Also, on a related note, they are now bottled but I noticed the air gap in the bottle is a bit more than what I have read says it should be (~1/4 to 1/2 inch). Would the presence of about an inch of space between the wine and the cork be too much? With the use of Campden tablets prior to bottling, is this no longer a big deal because of the SO2?

 

[z-bob]

I was about to start a very similar thread, but will piggyback on this one (I hope that's okay) I have 4 gallons of grape wine that is ready to bottle. I did not use sulfites when I fermented it (started with pasteurized juice and used "killer" yeast) I was going to bottle straight from the secondary fermenter, which has a little bit of lees in the bottom. Can I draw about a cup of wine out with a wine thief, add the Campden tablets or K-meta, then pour it back in and wait a day or two to bottle it? I'm assuming it will diffuse and disperse through the whole batch by itself without stirring. (because I don't want to disturb the lees) Or should I rack the whole thing to a bottling carboy or bucket and add the sulfites then?

I think I may have answered my own question with another question: why not rack it one more time?

 

[z-bob]

I dissolved 4 Campden tablets in a half cup of hot water and dumped it into an empty carboy. Transferred the wine from the fermenter to the Campden carboy, let it sit for about 20 minutes*, stirred gently, and started bottling. With beer and cider, I try to minimize rackings to avoid oxygen. I forgot that the sulfites are powerful antioxidants and that's the whole point of using them at this stage. (where's the head-smack emoji?)

*totally unnecessary step, its's just what I did

 

[cottonwoodks]

Is this the recommended procedure? I'm trying to find something on HOW to use the Campden tablets upon bottling. All of my ready-to-be-bottled wines are in gallon jugs, and they all have stuff at the bottom. I certainly don't want to mix any of that up since I'll be racking off of it. Could I put the dissolved Campden tablets in the bottom of the actual bottles, or should I rack into other gallons, and then bottle?

 

[Maylar]

I would rack to a bottling bucket first to get away from the lees. Then add 1 crushed tablet per gallon and stir gently. It's usually best to mix the Campden in a small beaker (I use Pyrex) to be sure it's dissolved before adding it to your gallon. You can also use this opportunity to stabilize with sorbate and back sweeten at this stage if desired.

 

[cottonwoodks]

I would rack to a bottling bucket first to get away from the lees. Then add 1 crushed tablet per gallon and stir gently. It's usually best to mix the Campden in a small beaker (I use Pyrex) to be sure it's dissolved before adding it to your gallon. You can also use this opportunity to stabilize with sorbate and back sweeten at this stage if desired.

Well....don't have a bottling bucket. So, putting the dissolved tablet in another gallon, racking to that, and then bottling from there with a syphon?

 

[Maylar]

Sure. For one gallon batches I used to use a stainless soup stock pot.

 

[Raptor99]

I'm not sure where you live, but Home Depot sells a food grade 5-gallon bucket that is very inexpensive. Get the food grade bucket, not the orange one.