I’ve read that you have to add a campden tablet to cider 24 hours before you add the yeast…..I’ve not done this and my cider is now fermenting away. Can I add the correct amount of tablets per gallon once I have strained the sediment off – 2/3 times – 24 hours before I bottle the cider…….am worried that the cider will not be safe to drink!
Name: Fiona
State: Nova Scotia
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Hello Fiona,
You didn’t add Campden tablets to the cider, and that’s okay. Since your fermentation is active, the cider should be fine. The fact that it is active means that the cider yeast has successfully multiplied into a full colony and will be able to protect the cider from the growth of any mold or bacteria that may be in the juice.
The reason Campden tablets are called for in a cider recipe before adding yeast is to destroy any trace amounts of mold spores or bacteria that may be in the juice. Any small amounts can multiply into a full-blown spoilage if the yeast doesn’t happen to grow and take over the juice first.
In your case the yeast did take over, so spoilage did not have any chance to take place — no harm, no foul.
I would like to point out that when you do add Campden tablets to cider before a fermentation, it is important that you wait 24 hours before adding the yeast. And, it is important that the cider not be sealed up during the 24 hours. Just cover it with a thin towel. This is because the gas from the Campden tablets need to escape from the cider before you add the yeast, otherwise the Campden tablets can destroy some of the yeast in the cider, as well.
This is not the only time you add Campden tablets to the cider, either. You should add them again after the fermentation has completed (the should be verified with a hydrometer). And, you should also add Campden tablets to the cider, again, right before bottling.
Also, please realize that if you plan to back sweeten the cider, the Campden tablets will not eliminate a chance of a re-fermentation in the bottle. For this you will need to also add potassium sorbate along with the Campden tablets.
Happy Winemaking,
Ed Kraus
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Ed Kraus is a 3rd generation home brewer/winemaker and has been an owner of E. C. Kraus since 1999. He has been helping individuals make better wine and beer for over 25 years.
I’m using your recipe for Apple wine and I have just racked it for the first time after fermentation was complete. The recipe did not specify Camden tabs at time only again right before I bottle. The wine has been in a 3 gal carboy for 10 days. Two questions: do I need to add the cam tabs now? Of course I will add them before bottling. And, secondly I am hoping for the wine to clear and if it does not do I add a clearing agent and if so what type of clearing agent should I use.? Thanks.
Johnnie, below is a blog post on when to add Campden tablets. This should help to clear things up for you. For your second question, the wine should clear on its own just fine, given enough time. I you are in a hurry, or just impatient, you can use fining agents such as bentonite to help speed things along.
When Do I Add Campden Tablets To My Homemade Wine?
http://blog.eckraus.com/wine-making-tricks-and-tips/add-campden-tablets-to-wine
I went to this page in search for how to detect if my pot metabisulfite is old and non effective but I did not find the required information. Can you send the required information?
Shishir, you can find the info you need at the following link:
How To Tell If Your Potassium Metabisulfite Is Old
http://blog.eckraus.com/wine-making-tricks-and-tips/how-to-tell-if-your-potassium-metabisulfite-is-old
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Hi Ed, thanks for all this great information. Wish I had found this blog before I added the 4 Campden tablets to my 1 gallon carboy and to make matters worse, I sealed it for the 24 hours prior to adding the yeast….clearly contrary to all your instructions
It has been only a day and there is no visible activity with the yeast. Can I salvage this batch by adding more yeast? Thanks for your advice.
Angie, adding 4 campden tablets to a one gallon batch is 3 too many. It would be safe to say that the yeast you added has been damaged by the trapped sulfites. You are going to need to try to get the sulfites to leave before adding more yeast. You can rack the juice in a splashing manner to get the sulfites to release. For more information, please se the article link below.
Saving A Wine With Too Much Sulfites
https://blog.eckraus.com/too-much-sulfite-wine-homemade