Campden tablets for wine

[Flan]

I keep reading bits about adding campden tablets to wine before pitching yeast then every time you you rack off then again before bottling, if you rack off after primary fermentation then again when secondary fermentation is finished then again to clear and condition then once more before bottling this could easily amount to 4 or 5 campden tablets per gallon throughout the process from fermenting to bottling. This seems a lot of SO2 to be introducing into the wine. What do people think? Is it really necessary to use this much? As i have no way of measuring the amount of so2 i don’t want to be adding too much. I’m talking about wine made from fruit by the way, not juices or kits.

 

[RichardM]

I might wash the fruit in water with a dissolved Campden tablet and then I might add one at the end of fermentation. Certainly no more. I usually don't bother with any

 

[Graz]

Largely depends what sort of wine you're making.

For kit wines or WOWs I only tend to add campden tablets (or whatever is supplied with the kit) the once. My process is to ferment, when it's done I rack off into a clean fermenter with 1 crushed campden tablet per gallon + half a teaspoon of potassium sorbate per gallon. I then de-gas which helps to mix all that stuff in. Leave it for maybe 24 hours then add finings. Leave for a few days to a week until it is clear, might take a bit longer but a week is generally enough. Then rack into a bottling bucket and bottle immediately. You could argue that in this final stage more campden tablets could be added to prevent any further oxidisation but I don't bother. Just be careful not to splash when siphoning.

If you were adding campden tablets before pitching the yeast, which maybe a necessary step if making wine from grapes or hedgerow ingredients to get rid of any nasties, leave it 24 hours before pitching. Sulphites can stun yeast so could stall fermentation.