Answer
Jun 30, 2023 - 12:42 PM
Campden tablets are a sulphur-based tablet which can be either potassium or sodium metabisulfite, these tablets have a variety of uses in homebrewing. For wine making they can serve a dual purpose. Firstly, Campden tablets are used for treating the fruit. Campden tablets are used to sterilize and sanitize the fruit before adding yeast, fruit is often contaminated with bacteria and wild yeast which can negatively impact homebrewing, adding Campden tablets will stop the spontaneous fermentation. Secondly, Campden tablets can be used to prevent oxidisation after racking. Racking raises the risk of introducing oxygen to the wine, which can ruin the flavour and colour of the wine. Using a campden tablet will eliminate the oxygen and stops this from becoming an issue. The majority of tap-water contains chlorine which is not ideal for brewing beer or mead as the chlorine in the water binds with the malted barley ruining the flavour, Campden tablets are the ideal solution, removing the Chlorine and Chloramine from the water saving the taste.
