a note about campden tablets and ppm
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    Just a note to always check the ppm levels of your campden tablets.
    ppm = parts per million
    when i began making wine, it seemed like all campden tablets were 50 ppm, which was nice because most of the charts that show how many campden tablets to use depending on the pH of your must were based on 50 ppm.

    this fall when making some wine with fresh juice, after sulfiting, waiting a day and then pitching my yeast, it took 1.5-2 weeks for ferm to start in all 8 batches.
    this bothered me for months, then a week ago i looked at my bottle of campden that i just bought and it said 150 ppm!!!!
    i had added three times the campden tablets. that's a clean must! the problem comes in right around now when i am battling hydrogen sulfide issues from the stressed out yeast and too much sulfur. not to mention the obvious issues of what would have happened to anybody that may have pulled a sample of that ferment and tasted it. that is way way above the acceptable level.

    i would advise everyone to avoid these high dose campden tablets because it would be much harder to adjust based on pH. you would need to cut tablets in half, and that is never advised because of the inherent margin of error. being a curmedgeon, i wrote an email to the very popular internet site that i ordered them from asking them to please making it easier to find out ppm levels if they plan on selling multiple strengths.
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,069
    What if the Campden I bought just says 550mg tablets? How would I know the strength? The website is NOT helpful.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    I don't have any clue. Sorry.
    Probably play it safe and just act like they are 150ppm. Very unlikely they are stronger than that.
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,691
    C_B said:

    What if the Campden I bought just says 550mg tablets? How would I know the strength? The website is NOT helpful.


    Used the internet better.
    image
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    1mg of sodium bisulphate in 1,000,000 mg of wort/must = 1ppm
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    Lakewood said:

    1mg of sodium bisulphate in 1,000,000 mg of wort/must = 1ppm



    Then calculate the acidity into it, because effects the efficacy of campden.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    frydogbrews said:

    Lakewood said:

    1mg of sodium bisulphate in 1,000,000 mg of wort/must = 1ppm



    Then calculate the acidity into it, because effects the efficacy of campden.


    The above equation will get you pretty close.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,069
    Lakewood said:

    1mg of sodium bisulphate in 1,000,000 mg of wort/must = 1ppm



    Assuming the must is 8.5 lbs per gallon, 1 550mg tablet would give me 142ppm.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,069
    So how many ppm should I target?
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,708
    C_B said:

    Lakewood said:

    1mg of sodium bisulphate in 1,000,000 mg of wort/must = 1ppm



    Assuming the must is 8.5 lbs per gallon, 1 550mg tablet would give me 142ppm.


    that basically equates to the 150ppm overdose tablet that fry was talking bout in the first post. cut it in half and you have a good dose ~75ppm
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,069
    From what I have been reading 50ppms seem to be the desired addition to stabalize.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    C_B said:

    From what I have been reading 50ppms seem to be the desired addition to stabalize.



    if the tabs were 150ppm, then you would need 6 of them to stabilize 8.5 gallons (and that's on the low side).
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    and crush them up into a fine powder.
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 89,069
    frydogbrews said:

    C_B said:

    From what I have been reading 50ppms seem to be the desired addition to stabalize.



    if the tabs were 150ppm, then you would need 6 of them to stabilize 8.5 gallons (and that's on the low side).


    Screw the concentration. The tag says 550mg. So, (6)550mg tablets in 8.5 gallons of 8.5lb/gal must would give me an initial concentration of 100ppm.

    I'm going to do (3) tablets in 5 gallons to give me an 87ppm dose.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,691
    frydogbrews said:

    and crush them up into a fine powder.



    But don't snort them!
    image
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