• PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.

Does the taste of Campden Tablets go away?

Barrel Char Wood Products

Wrathwitch

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 22, 2013
15
0
0
Good Morning all!

As mentioned in the title.

I made what I believe will be a lovely peach mead 1 Gallon (reduced from 1.5Gal) upon first racking off of fruit etc.

I somehow got it into my head that a (1)Campden tablet would help with the clearing/bulk aging process and so I crushed it up, and put er in.

Took forever for the tiny bits to dissolve (likely should have dissolved it thoroughly in water but i AM a newbee) so its been about 2 Months or so and when I check for taste, I still taste the damn campden. Is there any way to dillute this or will it go away in time?

Much thanks!

If necessary I can post the recipe. It's my own creation. I didn't put the campden tablet in until my second racking.
 

skunkboy

NewBee
Registered Member
May 30, 2005
2,003
8
0
Between Jackson and Detroit
By Campden taste do you mean something sulfury? I think it should slowly age out, but stirring might help speed that up, but I would wait see if anyone else agrees with that idea...
 

Mirakk

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 4, 2013
48
0
0
Waukesha, WI
Campden Tablets...

I used one once, and made the mistake of taste testing afterward. YIKES. Don't do that. Just sayin.

I can't detect the taste of one after the initial 24-48 hours. Just stir gently and let the sulfur out. You should be fine. In the future, get a small sterilized container and put some water in it. Crush the pill in there and stir until completely dissolved before adding. Gently mix in without splashing. You get a better result that way.
 

jkane

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 3, 2010
232
5
0
SE Wisconsin
www.kane1.com
The sulfur taste won't go away on it's own. Sorry. :( It needs air blended in to get it to dissipate. Once you do that, you risk oxidation also. I had 30 gallons like that. Many years later I put it in a big kettle and put a airstone from an aquarium in it. It took 3 days to dissipate the sulfur. It tasted good for about 3 months after that, and then got a bit of a rotten cabbage flavor. Once you get rid of the flavor, drink it fast.
 

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007
Premium Patron
Typically one Campden tablet per gallon leaves you with less than 75ppm total SO2 and even less free SO2. This is usually well below the taste threshold for most people (once it is mixed in). Either you have an exceptional sensitivity to SO2, or you are detecting something else.

Is it smelling/tasting like a struck match or something else?

If you do happen to over do it with sulfites, aging will usually take care of it as the levels will continue to drop slowly even after bottling. If you get a really large overdose, it can be cured with peroxide.

Sent from my THINGAMAJIG with WHATCHAMACALLIT
 

mannye

Administrator
Administrator
Moderator
Oct 10, 2012
4,167
25
38
57
Miami Beach, FL
I used sodium metabisulphite as a sterilizer in the past... smelled awful but was an effective sterilizing agent.

Is that the same as Camden tablets or are they Potassium Metabisulphite? I never remember that.

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't use Na2S2O5 in anything although it was very effective at removing residual smells of ANYTHING in any glass receptacle and I never had an infection when I used it.
 

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
8,443
53
48
Ottawa, ON
I've slugged back a mouthful of sanitizing solution when siphoning to clean my racking hose so I know the taste well, but I've never been able to taste it at 1 campden tablet per gallon... and I don't so much notice the smell of my sanitizing solution as feel it shutting down my lungs...

Campden tablets are either sodium or potassium metabisulphite, they both work the same, it's the metabisulphite part that does the work. And we generally prefer to add potassium to our brews over sodium because we're more likely to be able to detect the taste of sodium than potassium. As I understand it, anyway.
 
Last edited:

GntlKnigt1

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Mar 17, 2004
2,484
8
38
Chicago area formerly Netherlands
I've slugged back a mouthful of sanitizing solution when siphoning to clean my racking hose so I know the taste well, but I've never been able to taste it at 1 campden tablet per gallon... and I don't so much notice the smell of my sanitizing solution as feel it shutting down my lungs...

Campden tablets are either sodium or potassium metabisulphite, they both work the same, it's the metabisulphite part that does the work. And we generally prefer to add potassium to our brews over sodium because we're more likely to be able to detect the taste of sodium than potassium. As I understand it, anyway.

There was a thread somewhere, including posts by Ken Schramm, about the residual potassium from Campden tablets also being good for the yeast when you pitch. That would also explain why sorbate is necessary when you finish.
 

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
8,443
53
48
Ottawa, ON
Yeah, the sulphite part dissippates over time, the potassium (or sodium) will remain in solution. The sulphites won't kill all the yeast anyway, the sorbate makes the survivors' little pizzles fall off so they can't make more yeast...
 

Wrathwitch

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 22, 2013
15
0
0
Typically one Campden tablet per gallon leaves you with less than 75ppm total SO2 and even less free SO2. This is usually well below the taste threshold for most people (once it is mixed in). Either you have an exceptional sensitivity to SO2, or you are detecting something else.

Is it smelling/tasting like a struck match or something else?

If you do happen to over do it with sulfites, aging will usually take care of it as the levels will continue to drop slowly even after bottling. If you get a really large overdose, it can be cured with peroxide.

Sent from my THINGAMAJIG with WHATCHAMACALLIT

Basically it smells and tastes (what I assume the taste would be with sodium metabisulfite (the stuff you use to sterilize bottles etc). I have tried stirring it gently to perhaps release some of the (insert profanity here) from it. I will try to rack it one more time too.
 

Wrathwitch

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 22, 2013
15
0
0
I've slugged back a mouthful of sanitizing solution when siphoning to clean my racking hose so I know the taste well, but I've never been able to taste it at 1 campden tablet per gallon... and I don't so much notice the smell of my sanitizing solution as feel it shutting down my lungs...

Campden tablets are either sodium or potassium metabisulphite, they both work the same, it's the metabisulphite part that does the work. And we generally prefer to add potassium to our brews over sodium because we're more likely to be able to detect the taste of sodium than potassium. As I understand it, anyway.

I am agreeing with you, I will try to avoid the sodium part of it and see what the potassium does for me. In the future.
 

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007
Premium Patron
Basically it smells and tastes (what I assume the taste would be with sodium metabisulfite (the stuff you use to sterilize bottles etc). I have tried stirring it gently to perhaps release some of the (insert profanity here) from it. I will try to rack it one more time too.

I'm suspicious that this isn't SO2 you are picking up. Have you tried treating a glass of it with a piece of shiny copper (like a pre-1982 penny). This will clear Mercaptans. If that doesn't eliminate it, try using a tiny pinch of vitamin C then repeat the copper penny after a few hours. This will eliminate disulfides. I think these are more likely to be your problem.
 

Wrathwitch

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 22, 2013
15
0
0
Just as a follow up to this, despite not having crushed the campden tablets finely enough to have them dissolve, when I racked using a fine cheese cloth to remove any extra bits for the raspberry mead, and also now for my peach mead. I am pleased to say that after 6+ months of waiting, we tried the raspberry mead (which also had the sulphite smell and taste initially) that it now tastes like a pleasant raspberry blush. So there is hope.

Also, lightly stirring the peach mead to allow the sulphites to disperse has helped.
 
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns