Hi all, been browseing for a while, wanted to ask an off the cuff
question.

What is in Campden tablets? I use them instead of sodium or potassium
metabisulfate, 'cause to date I haven't made more than 1-2 gal of wine
at a time. People say they're sodum metabisulfate and a binder, but
what's the binder?

It couldn't be sugar, that would ferment. Could it be starch? Or can
beer yeast use that? Or maybe just silica dust. There's a lot of
binder if each tablet contains only 1/2 gram of pot-meta. So where
does it all go?

A google searh of "campden" leads to some strange results -- and
"Campden tablets" leads to the usual home brew web sites. Does anyone
know who invented Campden tablets -- guessing his last name was
Campden

"Ralconte" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi all, been browseing for a while, wanted to ask an off the cuff
> question.
>
> What is in Campden tablets? I use them instead of sodium or potassium
> metabisulfate, 'cause to date I haven't made more than 1-2 gal of wine
> at a time. People say they're sodum metabisulfate and a binder, but
> what's the binder?
>
> It couldn't be sugar, that would ferment. Could it be starch? Or can
> beer yeast use that? Or maybe just silica dust. There's a lot of
> binder if each tablet contains only 1/2 gram of pot-meta. So where
> does it all go?

On one tub I have here it says:

Sodium Metabisulphite 93%
Potassium Benzoate 5%
Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone

On another brand it says:

Sodium Metabisulphite
Polyethylene Glycol

"Ralconte" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi all, been browseing for a while, wanted to ask an off the cuff
> question.
>
> What is in Campden tablets? I use them instead of sodium or potassium
> metabisulfate, 'cause to date I haven't made more than 1-2 gal of wine
> at a time. People say they're sodum metabisulfate and a binder, but
> what's the binder?
>
> It couldn't be sugar, that would ferment. Could it be starch? Or can
> beer yeast use that? Or maybe just silica dust. There's a lot of
> binder if each tablet contains only 1/2 gram of pot-meta. So where
> does it all go?

On one tub I have here it says:

Sodium Metabisulphite 93%
Potassium Benzoate 5%
Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone

On another brand it says:

Sodium Metabisulphite
Polyethylene Glycol

"Ralconte" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi all, been browseing for a while, wanted to ask an off the cuff
> question.
>
> What is in Campden tablets? I use them instead of sodium or potassium
> metabisulfate, 'cause to date I haven't made more than 1-2 gal of wine
> at a time. People say they're sodum metabisulfate and a binder, but
> what's the binder?
>
Binder is a compound that makes the meta bisulphite compound stick together
in the tablet and must not be reactive in the tablet or when added to the
food.

"Ralconte" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi all, been browseing for a while, wanted to ask an off the cuff
> question.
>
> What is in Campden tablets? I use them instead of sodium or potassium
> metabisulfate, 'cause to date I haven't made more than 1-2 gal of wine
> at a time. People say they're sodum metabisulfate and a binder, but
> what's the binder?
>
Binder is a compound that makes the meta bisulphite compound stick together
in the tablet and must not be reactive in the tablet or when added to the
food.

On another brand it says:
>
> Sodium Metabisulphite
> Polyethylene Glycol

Anti-freeze????

On another brand it says:
>
> Sodium Metabisulphite
> Polyethylene Glycol

Anti-freeze????

"PA-ter" > wrote in message
om...
> On another brand it says:
> >
> > Sodium Metabisulphite
> > Polyethylene Glycol
>
> Anti-freeze????

No I think anti-freeze is Ethylene Glycol.

A quick Google shows Polyethylene Glycol freezes at quite a high
temperature in comparison, at around 19.5C.

Any chemists about who can confirm this?

Me wrote:
> "PA-ter" > wrote in message
> om...
>
>>On another brand it says:
>>
>>>Sodium Metabisulphite
>>>Polyethylene Glycol
>>
>>Anti-freeze????
>
>
> No I think anti-freeze is Ethylene Glycol.
>
> A quick Google shows Polyethylene Glycol freezes at quite a high
> temperature in comparison, at around 19.5C.
>
> Any chemists about who can confirm this?
>

You are correct, "me".

Polyethylene glycol is not antifreeze. Polyethylene glycol is an
approved additive for food products.

Big difference between the toxic ethylene glycol (antifreeze) and
polyethylene glycol.

gene

"Ralconte" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi all, been browseing for a while, wanted to ask an off the cuff
> question.
>
> What is in Campden tablets? I use them instead of sodium or potassium
> metabisulfate, 'cause to date I haven't made more than 1-2 gal of wine
> at a time. People say they're sodum metabisulfate and a binder, but
> what's the binder?

They are a metabisulfite of some kind that fizzes out sulfuous gas? of
some kind. Mine appear to be bound with some sort of incredibly small amount
of wax or something, as they leave a floating residue of white specks.
>
> It couldn't be sugar, that would ferment. Could it be starch? Or can
> beer yeast use that? Or maybe just silica dust. There's a lot of
> binder if each tablet contains only 1/2 gram of pot-meta. So where
> does it all go?
>
> A google searh of "campden" leads to some strange results -- and
> "Campden tablets" leads to the usual home brew web sites. Does anyone
> know who invented Campden tablets -- guessing his last name was
> Campden

"PA-ter" > wrote in message
om...
> On another brand it says:
> >
> > Sodium Metabisulphite
> > Polyethylene Glycol
>
> Anti-freeze????

Ethylene glycol is antifreeze. Close, yet cigarless!

"PA-ter" > wrote in message
om...
> On another brand it says:
> >
> > Sodium Metabisulphite
> > Polyethylene Glycol
>
> Anti-freeze????

Ethylene glycol is antifreeze. Close, yet cigarless!

"PA-ter" > wrote in message
om...
> On another brand it says:
> >
> > Sodium Metabisulphite
> > Polyethylene Glycol
>
> Anti-freeze????

Ethylene glycol is antifreeze. Close, yet cigarless!

"Bob" > wrote in message >...

> They are a metabisulfite of some kind that fizzes out sulfuous gas? of
> some kind. Mine appear to be bound with some sort of incredibly small amount
> of wax or something, as they leave a floating residue of white specks.
> >
Yeah, I see that in my wine as well, that sounds like the polyethylene
glycol mentioned above. The tiny amount of benzoate mentioned worries
me mildly, if I added campden at each racking(I don't), would I build
up enough to inhibit yeast? If I added to little, would bacteria grow
and make the geranium smell?

This is all probably not worth worrying about. 'Tho I think I'll
switch to 5 gal amounts, and get a small gram scale for measuring out
metabisulfate, anyway.

"Ralconte" > wrote in message
m...
> The tiny amount of benzoate mentioned worries
> me mildly, if I added campden at each racking (I don't), would I build
> up enough to inhibit yeast? If I added to little, would bacteria grow
> and make the geranium smell?

The geranium smell comes from having wine go through ML in the presence of
_sorbate_ - not sulfite.

> I think I'll
> switch to 5 gal amounts, and get a small gram scale for measuring out
> metabisulfate, anyway.

Good idea - and BTW it's potassium metabisulf_i_te.

Tom S