LissyVapes
Member
Ok, so I won't be able to purchase any camden for a few weeks. I do however have some Potassium Sorbate on hand though. Can I use JUST the PS or is the Camden vital?
No Camden, can I use just my Potassium sorbate?
- Thread starter LissyVapes
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DoctorCAD
Well-Known Member
Since they do not even share the same functionality, NO...you cannot substitute sorbate for campden.
newbiewinemaker
Well-Known Member
I agree. I would not skip the campden either. You will risk the chance of renewed fermentation.
No, not really. Campden is used primarily as an antioxidiant once fermentation has started. It doesn't stop or inhibit fermentation.
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LissyVapes
Member
So, I dont NEED campden to stop fermentation?
DoctorCAD
Well-Known Member
YOU CANNOT STOP FERMENTATION!!!!!
The best you can hope for is to keep the remaining active yeast cells from reproducing with the sorbate. Eventually, the alive cells will start to dye off and fall out od suspension, but they will continue to ferment until that happens regardless of whether you added sorbate or not.
Campden is really used as an anti-oxydent at this stage in the process and you should not bottle without it or your wine will not last very long before it starts tasting bad.
The best you can hope for is to keep the remaining active yeast cells from reproducing with the sorbate. Eventually, the alive cells will start to dye off and fall out od suspension, but they will continue to ferment until that happens regardless of whether you added sorbate or not.
Campden is really used as an anti-oxydent at this stage in the process and you should not bottle without it or your wine will not last very long before it starts tasting bad.
Besides being an antioxidant and preservative, campden has another function that is used to help stabilize the wine, AFTER fermentation.
Winemakers who use campden tend to use it at every other racking, trying to keep the amount of suflites in the wine at 50 ppm or so. That's much less than in many commercial wines. The reason for that is that it is an antioxidant and preservative.
When it's added at bottling, it has the same effect. The thing is, if someone is using sorbate (I almost ever use it as I don't like the taste), when making a wine that is to be sweetened after fermentation, sorbate works better at inhibiting yeast reproduction when added with sulfites. That's the main reason campden is used with sorbate- simply because the sorbate works better in the presence of sulfites.
Campden doesn't stop fermentation, kill yeast, etc- that's why winemakers use it. I use it in the amount of 50 ppm in my wines. I wouldn't do that if it killed yeast or stopped fermentation!
There seems to be a pervasive belief parroted on the internet that sulfites (campden) does kill yeast or stop fermentation. It does not. Wine yeast is amazingly tolerant of sulfites, and that's why it's fine to use campden in fermenting wine as an antioxidant. It will not stop, inhibit, finish, kill, or otherwise impact fermentation.
You have not answered any of our questions yet and a lot of people are trying to help you out. What are you making? How did you make it? What stage are you at? What yeast did you use? You need to help us to help you and so far its been pretty much a bunch of guesses on our part about what is happening. WVMJ
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LissyVapes
Member
Sorry for that, my internet was down for a few days
I'm making a Niagara grape and pineapple wine. I racked it into my carboy after a week of primary to get it off the sediment and the fruit pulp that had settled. I used my juicer for the pineapple so there was a tiny bit of fruit in the primary.
It's been in the carboy for a week now and the bubbles in my airlock have pretty much stopped. I used EC-1118 yeast.
Initially I was worried about a sulfurus smell, but was helped by Yooper. I follwed the advice, the smell went away and I racked it. So thank you Yooper for that!
I know that soon it will be time to bottle and let it sit to age. That's why I was asking about the capden. I don't have any, so I just wondered if it was an essential ingredient, or if I could skip it.
Sorry for that, my internet was down for a few days
I'm making a Niagara grape and pineapple wine. I racked it into my carboy after a week of primary to get it off the sediment and the fruit pulp that had settled. I used my juicer for the pineapple so there was a tiny bit of fruit in the primary.
It's been in the carboy for a week now and the bubbles in my airlock have pretty much stopped. I used EC-1118 yeast.
Initially I was worried about a sulfurus smell, but was helped by Yooper. I follwed the advice, the smell went away and I racked it. So thank you Yooper for that!
I know that soon it will be time to bottle and let it sit to age. That's why I was asking about the capden. I don't have any, so I just wondered if it was an essential ingredient, or if I could skip it.
It's not going to be time to bottle it "soon", so you have plenty of time to get the campden in the meantime.
Many winemakers don't use campden at all. I do, as it really does work well as an antioxidant and preservative so that the wine is protected throughout fermentation and at bottling. I use it in the amount of 1 crushed tablet per gallon at every other racking and at bottling.
Since your wine is so very young, for now just make sure it's kept out of the light and topped up to the bung so oxygen doesn't damage it (you want almost no headspace in secondary), and wait for it to clear. In 60 days, if there are lees present in the bottom, then rack it and top it up and wait again. Once there are no lees at all after at least 60 days and the wine is so clear you can read a newspaper through it, then it's ready to bottle.
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LissyVapes
Member
Thanks again Yooper for all of the great tips! I guess I'll just let it sit until I get the campden and then rack her again. After that I should wait 60 days to bottle? I think I can manage that, although I'm impatient and want to drink it now! lol
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LissyVapes
Member
I ordered some campden (powder not tablets) on ebay. I only got 2oz but It looks like it will "treat" a fair amount of batches considering I only have 2 one gallon glass jugs as carboys for now. Once I get a few batches under my belt I'll try to get bigger ones. Thank you guys for all of the information, I have learned a lot! Cheers!
Measuring powder for small batches will be tough.
You generally use 1/4 teaspoon for 6 gallons, so you'd need 1/8 teaspoon for 3 gallons, and 1/16 teaspoon for 1.5 gallons. I think it'd be easiest to have a tiny gram scale and weigh the powder, but I have heard of people mixing up 1/4 teaspoon in some water (forget the amount, but I'm sure you can find it on google), and then using 1 teaspoon of the water.
