Should I Use Campden Tablets in Home Brewing and Winemaking?

What are Campden tablets and what do they do?

Campden tablets are compressed potassium metabisulphite — a sulphite compound that releases sulphur dioxide (SO2) when dissolved in liquid. They serve two main purposes in home brewing and winemaking: sanitising equipment and must/wort, and preventing oxidation in wine during storage. They're one of the most useful and widely used additives in home winemaking.

Should I use Campden tablets for home brewing beer?

Campden tablets are occasionally used in beer brewing to treat tap water (removing chloramine, which can cause medicinal off-flavours in finished beer) and to sanitise equipment. For most kit brewers, a standard powder steriliser like Young's Steriliser is more practical and cost-effective. Campden water treatment is mainly relevant for all-grain brewers who are fine-tuning water chemistry.

Should I use Campden tablets for home wine making?

Yes — Campden tablets are strongly recommended for home winemaking. Use them to: sterilise equipment before wine making (1 tablet dissolved per litre of water), treat fruit juice or must before fermentation to kill wild yeasts and bacteria, and protect bottled wine from oxidation by adding half a tablet per bottle before corking. They're an essential tool for producing clean, stable home made wine.

How many Campden tablets should I use?

• Equipment sterilisation: 1 tablet per litre of water
• Must/juice treatment: 1 tablet per 4.5 litres, crushed and dissolved, 24 hours before adding yeast
• Wine stabilisation (bottling): ½ tablet per bottle (375ml) or 1 tablet per 750ml bottle
• Water treatment (beer): ¼ tablet per 20 litres to remove chloramine

Do Campden tablets affect the taste of wine?

At correct dosage rates, Campden tablets don't produce detectable off-flavours in finished wine. Overdosing can produce a faint sulphur note — another reason to follow the recommended quantities. If you're sensitive to sulphites or are making wine for someone who is, note that sulphites remain in the finished product and should be declared if sharing.

What's the difference between Campden tablets and sodium metabisulphite?

Both release sulphur dioxide, but Campden tablets (potassium metabisulphite) are preferred for winemaking as sodium metabisulphite adds sodium to the wine, which can affect flavour. For most home winemaking purposes, either works, but potassium metabisulphite is the recommended choice.

Browse our full range of home wine making kits and brewing additives at BrewCo UK. For a guide to making wine at home, see our home winemaking guide.