I'm getting back into partial boils, and I'm concerned about the campden that goes into the top-off water. Cutting and crushing the campden tablet involves a knife and spoons. Sanitizing these with Star San leaves them wet. I can either leave them out to air dry overnight or just give them a few minutes and then dry with a paper towel. Sitting out overnight, even covered, doesn't appeal to me since air currents might contaminate them. The paper towel method is far from perfect since the paper towel isn't sanitized. My feeling is that since campden is a sanitizer in higher concentrations, it should self sanitize when dumped into the water. If I don't stir for a minute, the higher initial concentration should be self sanitizing? So currently I'm using the paper towel method. Does anybody know for sure if this is a valid approach?
Sanitizing campden for top-off water
- Thread starter ncbrewer
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk:
Are you using campden to get rid of chloramines in the top-up water?
You could just boil your top-up water after adding the campden, that would do it.
You could just boil your top-up water after adding the campden, that would do it.
You could sanitize your tools with an open flame. I use my gas stove to sanitize my aluminum foil that I cap off my yeast starter. You could torch your utilizes a few seconds and then let them cool for a couple minutes and you should be good to go eh!
TheMadKing and ontum: Both seem like good solutions, although I like the campden method if sanitation isn't a problem. If I can't find out, I think I'll switch to one of these methods. Thanks.
In case there are others with the same question, I will describe the method I settled on. To get 1/4 tablet in the boil kettle water and 1/4 tablet in the top-off water bucket, I start by getting the required amount of tap water in the boil kettle and a top-off water bucket. Get 4 cups of tap water in a large sanitized measuring cup. Sanitize two spoons, and shake a tablet from the campden container onto a spoon - the spoons and my hands are still wet with Star San, but it doesn't matter. Crush the tablet between the spoons. Dissolve the campden in the large measuring cup and stir. Then dip out one cup with a 1 cup measuring cup and pour it into the top-off water bucket. Dip out one cup and pour it into the boil kettle. Stir each of these to mix the campden in.
My only concern is that the campden products dissipate pretty fast, but I feel that this process is fast enough that it is not a problem.
My only concern is that the campden products dissipate pretty fast, but I feel that this process is fast enough that it is not a problem.
Wth is topoff water?
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
RufusBrewer
Well-Known Member
I do not think boiling is a reliable way to get rid of chloramine. I could be wrong on this.
I know campden tablets are very effective on chlorine and chloramine. I have done dynamic testing.
You want to cut a campden tablet but you are not comfortable that your cutting tool is sanitary enough. You want to use a liquid sanitizer but wet a wet knife is messy. Heat is a dry sanitation method.
Myself, I have used a hunk of paper towel or toilet paper from a part of the roll that has not been exposed to air. I expect anything that dry and wrapped up is going to be more germ free than the air in my garage. I think any tap water is going to have more germs than a dry fresh hunk of paper towel.
Somebody is going to disagree with me. Maybe that is you.
How about this. Dissolve a whole campden tablet in a known volume of water, like a 1 liter flask. When you wish to add 1/2 a campden tablet, pour out a 0.500 liter to your water. 0.250 liter for 1/4 tablet.
My testing shows this method works very well.
I know campden tablets are very effective on chlorine and chloramine. I have done dynamic testing.
You want to cut a campden tablet but you are not comfortable that your cutting tool is sanitary enough. You want to use a liquid sanitizer but wet a wet knife is messy. Heat is a dry sanitation method.
Myself, I have used a hunk of paper towel or toilet paper from a part of the roll that has not been exposed to air. I expect anything that dry and wrapped up is going to be more germ free than the air in my garage. I think any tap water is going to have more germs than a dry fresh hunk of paper towel.
Somebody is going to disagree with me. Maybe that is you.
How about this. Dissolve a whole campden tablet in a known volume of water, like a 1 liter flask. When you wish to add 1/2 a campden tablet, pour out a 0.500 liter to your water. 0.250 liter for 1/4 tablet.
My testing shows this method works very well.
RufusBrewer: I agree - boiling is not practical for driving off chloramine. My water has chlorine, so boiling would work. And dissolving campden in a known volume of water is what I have settled on (see post #5).
NewJersey: top-off water is for a partial boil. It is added to the fermenter after the boil to make up the required volume.
NewJersey: top-off water is for a partial boil. It is added to the fermenter after the boil to make up the required volume.
RufusBrewer
Well-Known Member
As I recall, the campden tablet dissolves and it bonds with a chlorine or chloramine molecule and it changes the chlorine or chloromine to an unbad molecule. If there is campden tablet in unbonded in the water, it will hang around until it finds a chlorine or chloramine molecule to bond to.
The campden tablet will stay around, looking to bond for longer than your brew day. You can get chlorine chloramine test strips from tropical fish supply sources. Give your self some peace of mind.
The campden tablet will stay around, looking to bond for longer than your brew day. You can get chlorine chloramine test strips from tropical fish supply sources. Give your self some peace of mind.
Yes, it really should stay around through the brew day, but may be loosing some potency. This thread has lots of good info from AJ DeLange: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=361073
Similar threads
