# camden tablets



## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

The lady at the local brew store is telling me I need to use camden tablets on my mead. I have a batch I started about 8 weeks ago I told her about. It is still barely off gassing. she said i need to go ahead and add the tablets or the quality of the taste would slowly go down. she thought it may be contminated. 
I wass careful with makeing sure everything was sterlized that came into contact with the mead. There is no signs of bacteria or mold growing on top. The last racking I did a week ago the mead still had a good flavor. I dont really want to add anything that was not used in days gone by. I used hot water I warmed to just below the boiling point to mix the honey. I am looking for an opinion from the board of experts


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

> I am looking for an opinion from the board of experts

I'll jump in anyway until they weigh in. 

>I dont really want to add anything that was not used in days gone by.

Well sulfite use dates back to the Roman Empire, but I know what you're saying. Sulfites have 2 uses: sanitization (of must and/or equipment) and protection from oxidation. It works very well for them, but both concerns can be easily addressed in other ways as well. Presumably her assertion that the flavor will go down would be due to oxidation, which is not necessarily a risk unless you're racking splashily, not storing the mead in glass, or the like. The CO2 that's pushing out of the mead has effectively purged the headspace of air and left an inert blanket of CO2 over the mead. As long as there's not a large amount of headspace in the carboy, keeping the airlock watered will keep the mead plenty safe. If there's a large headspace the carboy will act like a barometer over time, equalizing through the airlock with changes in atmospheric pressure. That means that after air burps out when there's low pressure, when the sun comes out the higher pressure in the atmosphere will burp back INTO the carboy to equalize, introducing air and its oxygen portion to the carboy.

So while she's playing it safe according to one school of thought and traditional practice (and selling you some product ), rote sulfiting is not a requirement at all. An analogy might be telling a beek that if he doesn't feed Terramycin every spring he'll get Foulbrood.

Why did she think it may be contaminated?


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

I mentioned it was still burping very little in the carboy after 8 weeks she didnt think this should be happening. Thought it might be the yeast feeding on bacteria


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

It could be wild yeast or bacteria, sure. But occasional blurps are normal, due either to the equalization (above) or a ferment just lingering along for the final few points. I wouldn't worry yet.


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## beebuzz (Mar 26, 2006)

Won't yeasts feed on dead yeasts on the bottom if not racked off of the lees??
No expert,I'm a newbee asking a question.


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## MichaelW (Jun 1, 2005)

Did you use any fruit?

For two of my 3 meads,

For a pyment I made I sulfited the grapes but didn't sulfite the honey. It turned out great and the hint of wild yeast flavor really makes the mead.

For an apple mead, I didn't sulfite the apples or the honey and is it ever awful.


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

no fruit just honey yeast and water


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

I think that a small amount of oxidation is critically important for the successful aging of really "big" meads that are sherry like in many respects. Meads with a low initial O.G. may benefit from a small amount of sulfite if you plan on storing them incorrectly or for lengths over 6 months.


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Yeast only eat sugars. There is something called autolysis, yeast cells breaking down over time. Sulfiting does nothing to that. Some strains actually have desirable flavors from aging on the lees. It's rarely even noticeable IMO, and I've never had it taste like a flaw but opinions vary.


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