Campden tabs if I'm boiling?

[Two_Sheds]

Why would I need to add a campden tablet (to sterilise) if I have boiled my fruit/veg?

The recipe says to, but I can't see why: the boiling will sterilise and kill any wild yeasts, surely?

It's parsnip wine (I'm adding some pressed apple juice to make it less parsnipy)

[Capsid]

It's also to kill off any bacteria that you might introduce but boiling ought to kill those off too. I thought you should add the tablets once fermentation has finished to stop bacterial contamination and to stabilise the wine.

The wikipedia entry which I just read for clarification says it also dechlorinates the tap water.

Campden tablets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Nicos]

Is there anything else you can use instead??...Camden tablets make me wheeze

[Don Vincenzo]

Is there anything else you can use instead??...Camden tablets make me wheeze

I only use boiling water and occasionally ordinary bleach to sterilize any equipment involved in wine making. I never used camden tablets and expecially I would never add any chemicals in the finished produce. Sometime i would wish that some of the wine would turn to vinegar but so far mostly of the wine has been ok in various degrees. Today I opened a bottle of blackberry wine made last year and it is very pleasant. Tomorrow I shall have the pleasure to press my own grapes and with a bit of luck I should made four gallons of my own vintage Chateau. Saying that, there is nothing wrong in using Camden tablets in sterilizing equipment but also milton and even steradent tablets can be used. Now I go back to my blackberry wine.......
Don Vincenzo

[Brewer-again]

Probably not necessary and it could stop your yeast from working. Not many recipes require boiling, so perhaps the recipe was just being careful..

[Nicos]

milton and even steradent tablets can be used. Now I go back to my blackberry wine.......
Don Vincenzo

Oh goodie- I'm OK with Milton...so just won't use anything in the wine then.
Vinegar is always useful anyway eh????

Enjoy your wine DV...good to hear from you!

[Pies]

Campden tablets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

hth

[Nicos]

Quote ..."Campden tablets are also useful in decontamination and neutralization after exposure to tear gas."

That'll come in handy!!!!

[Two_Sheds]

Probably not necessary and it could stop your yeast from working. Not many recipes require boiling, so perhaps the recipe was just being careful..

The Campden tablets are suggested for sterilising the fruit/veg 24 hrs before you add the wine yeast.
Which is to kill any wild yeasts and bacteria on the fruit.

However, the fruit (parsnips actually) were boiled, so I see no reason to also add a sterilising tablet (until I want to stop fermentation and bottle)

I think you're right, the writer was just being careful (or not being careful enough when typing up, and included 2 methods of sterilising by mistake)

[Two_Sheds]

So, the wine is coming along nicely. It seems the boiling was sufficient after all.

[ohbeary]

Campden tablets will not stabilise a wine or anything else, they are good for protection against spoilage organisms, wild yeasts and bacteria, to make sure your wine is fully stopped dose with 1 tsp Potassium Sorbate + 1 campden tablet per gallon, ensure wine is thoroughly degassed and cleared, add the above, do not forget the campden tab!! or your wine will smell like geraniums.
I would advise against using household bleach!!!, a proprietary brewers cleaner such as VWP or SDP is chlorine based and easily rinsed away, 3 rinses, sodium hypochlorite! on the other hand is not so easy to get rid of!, as for the boiling of parsnips!, good, but you will need to add fungal amylase to prevent starch hazes! a little pectolase is almost de rigueur ! for all wines, preachy enough for ya?.............. appologies it's just OCD! what the heck, look around! there are sites that are really good for wine makers, WAH, nuff said its up to you

[Two_Sheds]

you will need to add fungal amylase to prevent starch hazes!

Yes, pectolice went in

there are sites that are really good for wine makers, WAH, nuff said its up to you

Yes, I've found some, but I always gravitate back to the grapevine, because they are wise grapes and I trust their judgement

[Hilary B]

I don't think I have EVER used campden tablets except for sterilising equipment (and that only when first making wine). The few dodgy results I've had have never seemed likely to have been due to this omission. I've had wine spoil because I didn't keep the airlock full, and I've had some dubious recipes, but the rest has all been perfectly satisfactory. Ordinary hygiene, with a final rinse in very hot water seems to work OK.

[Brewer-again]

home made wine info.

Thanks Two sheds.
There is plently of knowledge on this site and the important point is that it all comes from people who have tried and succeded, but I dare say failed some times. Having failed some folk give up but the people on this site learn and improve.
There is a wealth of experience to be tapped into.
Personally I would use cheap bleach to wash out equipment, very cheap and very effective as long as you rinse it well. I would also avoid hypochlorates, sorbates and any other added chemicals.
Enzimes such as pectilaze clear pectin hazes which come from some food stuffs, I think. So they are necessary or you could wait for the wine to clear eventually.
Brew on.

[ohbeary]

What can I say, please do not use household bleach for wine-making equipment, potassium sorbate will inhibit any residual yeast in a finished wine, but without the sodium/potassium sulphite an unpleasant geranium smell may occur.
Pectin and starch hazes will not clear on their own, Pectolase will not only destroy the pectin but help with colour and flavour extraction, Fungal Amylase breaks down starch into a fermentable format that the yeast can cope with.
Campden Tablets or Sodium Metabisulphite are ideal for keeping brewing equipment fresh and sterile when not in use, no amount of rinsing can ever completely remove traces of the last brew which will turn rancid with time, Proprietary cleaners available to home brewers deodorize and sanitise equipment and are easily washed away with 3 rinses of cold tap-water.