campden tablet

Campden tablets are a versatile winemaking chemical for the home vintner. Not only can crushed tablets help kill all the naturally occurring wild yeasts and undesirable bacteria in must, but they can also be used to make a sanitizing solution.

Ingredient

Season: available year-round

How to select: Brewer's and winemaker's supply houses carry them.

How to prepare: Use one Campden tablet per gallon of must. Crush tablets well, then mix in with the must. Be sure to add it to must 24 hours before pitching your wine yeast; if you are impatient and pitch the yeast too soon, the campden will kill it too! Campden can also be used to make a sanitizing solution for winemaking equipment; see our winemaking sanitation page for details. Each tablet contains 0.50 - 0.55 grams of potassium metabisulfite; chemically speaking, each tablet contains 57% sulphur content; therefore, 1 tablet per gallon = 75 ppm SO2.