On Tue, 8 Aug 2006, David (in Normandy) wrote:

I presume Sodium metabisulphite is fairly harmless but wouldn't qualify
as organic. What would organic wine-makers use to sterilise their
equipment?

Janet G

Fairly harmless??

Not according to the chemical industry.

SAFETY DATA SHEET
SODIUM METABISULPHITE Page 1

Whoa everyone...
Sodium MetabisulphIte (with an "I") may be nasty but the chemical put in
wine is Sodium MetabisulphAte ("A").
Different chemical.

Sorry, no! It is sodium metabisulphite. I have some here sold by Boots
for wine-making purposes and metabisulphite is what is on the label.
Crazy Horse is right about its effects but that is only when it is
concentrated. Obviously people would have to treat it with care.

As mentioned earlier, wine-makers burn sulphur in casks to sterilise
them. If you breathed in the fumes then you would suffer the same
symptoms that Crazy Horse describes.

I was always taught the use sodium metabisulphite with care by my father
as it is used in a fixing bath for black and white photography.

David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France