Any home-brewers out there?

We have just decided to have a go at making some homemade wine for the
first time. All the recipes we have found include the instructions
'add X campden tablets' and I dimly remember the same from when my
mother made the stuff 20+ years ago. The problem is, where do you
obtain these magical tablets? 'In the olden days' we would buy them
(and other related paraphernalia) from Boots but these days they've
never heard of the things. Can anyone suggest where we might look for
them? We live in SE London.

TIA

Sheila Richards

Hi,
Try this link:
http://www.winemakeri.com/informatio...ctionary_c.htm
It will tell you that all they are is sodium metabisulphate for
sterilising..do not use Milton liquid or similar used for babies bottles.
You should be able to get sod. met. at the chemists.
Tony
"Paul Richards" wrote in message
...
Any home-brewers out there?

We have just decided to have a go at making some homemade wine for the
first time. All the recipes we have found include the instructions
'add X campden tablets' and I dimly remember the same from when my
mother made the stuff 20+ years ago. The problem is, where do you
obtain these magical tablets? 'In the olden days' we would buy them
(and other related paraphernalia) from Boots but these days they've
never heard of the things. Can anyone suggest where we might look for
them? We live in SE London.

TIA

Sheila Richards

In article , Paul Richards
writes
Any home-brewers out there?

We have just decided to have a go at making some homemade wine for the
first time. All the recipes we have found include the instructions
'add X campden tablets' and I dimly remember the same from when my
mother made the stuff 20+ years ago. The problem is, where do you
obtain these magical tablets? 'In the olden days' we would buy them
(and other related paraphernalia) from Boots but these days they've
never heard of the things. Can anyone suggest where we might look for
them? We live in SE London.

You might be able to find them in your local supermarket. I notice ours
(Morrisons) has home winemaking cans and other stuff, but I haven't
looked closely enough to see if they have camden tablets.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Paul Richards
writes
Any home-brewers out there?

We have just decided to have a go at making some homemade wine for the
first time. All the recipes we have found include the instructions
'add X campden tablets' and I dimly remember the same from when my
mother made the stuff 20+ years ago. The problem is, where do you
obtain these magical tablets? 'In the olden days' we would buy them
(and other related paraphernalia) from Boots but these days they've
never heard of the things. Can anyone suggest where we might look for
them? We live in SE London.

You might be able to find them in your local supermarket. I notice ours
(Morrisons) has home winemaking cans and other stuff, but I haven't
looked closely enough to see if they have camden tablets.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

I do wine-making so if you need any help e-mail me. You can get campden
tablets from any home brew shop. There are several who do online ordering eg
www.art-of-brewing.co.uk or just look in your local yellow pages. 100
campden tabs will cost you a couple of quid. The group rec.crafts.winemaking
is a very friendly NG if there is anything you need to know.
Lisa

On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 14:09:41 +0100, "Paul Richards"
wrote:

Any home-brewers out there?

We have just decided to have a go at making some homemade wine for the
first time. All the recipes we have found include the instructions
'add X campden tablets' and I dimly remember the same from when my
mother made the stuff 20+ years ago. The problem is, where do you
obtain these magical tablets? 'In the olden days' we would buy them
(and other related paraphernalia) from Boots but these days they've
never heard of the things. Can anyone suggest where we might look for
them? We live in SE London.

You can use Aquatabs to sterilise. You can buy Aquatabs in Boots(???),
camping shops, chandlers etc.
--
Martin

"Paul Richards" wrote in message
...
Any home-brewers out there?

We have just decided to have a go at making some homemade wine for the
first time. All the recipes we have found include the instructions
'add X campden tablets' and I dimly remember the same from when my
mother made the stuff 20+ years ago. The problem is, where do you
obtain these magical tablets? 'In the olden days' we would buy them
(and other related paraphernalia) from Boots but these days they've
never heard of the things. Can anyone suggest where we might look for
them? We live in SE London.

TIA

Sheila Richards

Join the modern age, order over the internet, I tend to use The Home Brew
Shop but here's a list of useful sites:
http://www.brewathome.com/
http://www.drinkstuff.com/
http://www.yobrew.co.uk/stuff.htm
http://www.howtobrew.com/
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/
http://www.art-of-brewing.co.uk/
http://www.hambletonbard.com/
It's currently Cider brewing Time for us as we. We have 17 apple trees!
We've also used the home "spirit" kits, which 21% ABV (approx 37 % proof!)
Very powerful with no distilling involved. choccy mint is good and the
Whiskey was passable (note the "e").
We will get some of the special yeast required (for the "spirit") and try
It on the country wines we normally make, blackberry, elderberry, pear,
strawberry, damson and sugarbeet.
The Q

"Paul Richards" wrote in message ...

Snipety...
never heard of the things. Can anyone suggest where we might look for
them? We live in SE London.
....snip

I bought some from Morrisons.
Quite a few supermarkets have a (basic) brewing section. They usually
put it over by the hardware and diy stuff.
Good hunting.
AJ.

"Pickle" pushed briefly to the front of the
queue on Thu, 11 Sep 2003 17:39:03 +0100, and nailed this to the shed
door:

^ "Kay Easton" wrote in message
^ ...

^ In article , Paul Richards
^ writes

^ Any home-brewers out there?

(Campden tablets)

^ You might be able to find them in your local supermarket. I notice ours
^ (Morrisons) has home winemaking cans and other stuff, but I haven't
^ looked closely enough to see if they have camden tablets.

^ I do wine-making so if you need any help e-mail me. You can get campden
^ tablets from any home brew shop. There are several who do online ordering eg
^ www.art-of-brewing.co.uk or just look in your local yellow pages. 100
^ campden tabs will cost you a couple of quid. The group rec.crafts.winemaking
^ is a very friendly NG if there is anything you need to know.

From my POV, a timely query indeed, and an interesting response.

First the query. I too do winemaking and have almost never found a use
for Campden tablets. But I don't use recipes. The only time I use them
is if I am making a 5-gallon batch and it is taking several days to
get it together. Then I will add a couple if I am using very ripe
fruit. But it's a double-edged sword - I've more than once had a batch
that I just could not get going, even having waited several days
(presumably because the sulphur dioxide was complexed with the fruit
pulp?). In fact, I am in that situation right now, and would welcome
an opportunity to discuss the matter. But not here. I digress ...

Wilkinson's sell Campden tablets, if you have a Wilkinson's nearby.
There is a great homebrew place in Essex, not to bad for you if you
are in London, and they also do online and phone orders - now I can't
rermember the name, damn ... hold on ... ah, here we are. Spencer's
Homebrew, www.spencershomebrew.com, 020 8868 8405. He is Ray, can't
remember her name. Ultra-friendly and helpful.

Now, to rec.crafts.winemaking. Just a few days ago, I was looking for
the most suitable forum to post a home-made wine question. Best I
could do was alt.homebrewing, and it isn't working out very helpful so
far. I just searched for rcw in my ISP's list and it wasn't there. I
did find rec.crafts.meadmaking in the New Groups list, but that was
it. Aha! Time to refresh the groups list ...and there it was. It
doesn't sound like a group that would have taken until recently to
come into existence, but apparently so. Thanks for the info, I shall
post my query there right now.

Andy

--
sparge at globalnet point co point uk

If you interrogate your data for long enough,
she will tell you almost anything.
Simon Singh

The message
from "Paul Richards" contains these words:

Any home-brewers out there?

We have just decided to have a go at making some homemade wine for the
first time. All the recipes we have found include the instructions
'add X campden tablets' and I dimly remember the same from when my
mother made the stuff 20+ years ago. The problem is, where do you
obtain these magical tablets? 'In the olden days' we would buy them
(and other related paraphernalia) from Boots but these days they've
never heard of the things. Can anyone suggest where we might look for
them? We live in SE London.

My advice is, don't. I only use them for sterilising containers etc.

But sodium hypochlorite is better, as long as you wash everything in
clean water afterwards.

--
Frère Jaques
They knocked the Bell down and erected a charade of pops.

The message
from "Paul Richards" contains these words:

Any home-brewers out there?

We have just decided to have a go at making some homemade wine for the
first time. All the recipes we have found include the instructions
'add X campden tablets' and I dimly remember the same from when my
mother made the stuff 20+ years ago. The problem is, where do you
obtain these magical tablets? 'In the olden days' we would buy them
(and other related paraphernalia) from Boots but these days they've
never heard of the things. Can anyone suggest where we might look for
them? We live in SE London.

My advice is, don't. I only use them for sterilising containers etc.

But sodium hypochlorite is better, as long as you wash everything in
clean water afterwards.

--
Frère Jaques
They knocked the Bell down and erected a charade of pops.

"Jaques d'Altrades" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Paul Richards" contains these words:

Any home-brewers out there?

We have just decided to have a go at making some homemade wine for the
first time. All the recipes we have found include the instructions
'add X campden tablets' and I dimly remember the same from when my
mother made the stuff 20+ years ago. The problem is, where do you
obtain these magical tablets? 'In the olden days' we would buy them
(and other related paraphernalia) from Boots but these days they've
never heard of the things. Can anyone suggest where we might look for
them? We live in SE London.

My advice is, don't. I only use them for sterilising containers etc.

But sodium hypochlorite is better, as long as you wash everything in
clean water afterwards.

Is that the stuff called "Chlorox"?
I used it extensively in my winemaking and brewing days.

Franz

The message
from (Andy Spragg) contains these words:

First the query. I too do winemaking and have almost never found a use
for Campden tablets. But I don't use recipes. The only time I use them
is if I am making a 5-gallon batch and it is taking several days to
get it together. Then I will add a couple if I am using very ripe
fruit. But it's a double-edged sword - I've more than once had a batch
that I just could not get going, even having waited several days
(presumably because the sulphur dioxide was complexed with the fruit
pulp?). In fact, I am in that situation right now, and would welcome
an opportunity to discuss the matter. But not here. I digress ...

I'll digress even more then. Molish a starter bockle using (say) a
teaspoon of sugar, a cup of water, a pinch of yeast nutrient, and the
yeast you intend using.

Get the bockle jbexvat vigorously, then add to the mix.

Lesson no 1. Campden tablets are naff.

--
Frère Jaques
They knocked the Bell down and erected a charade of pops.

"Jaques d'Altrades" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Paul Richards" contains these words:

Any home-brewers out there?

We have just decided to have a go at making some homemade wine for the
first time. All the recipes we have found include the instructions
'add X campden tablets' and I dimly remember the same from when my
mother made the stuff 20+ years ago. The problem is, where do you
obtain these magical tablets? 'In the olden days' we would buy them
(and other related paraphernalia) from Boots but these days they've
never heard of the things. Can anyone suggest where we might look for
them? We live in SE London.

My advice is, don't. I only use them for sterilising containers etc.

But sodium hypochlorite is better, as long as you wash everything in
clean water afterwards.

Is that the stuff called "Chlorox"?
I used it extensively in my winemaking and brewing days.

Franz

The message
from (Andy Spragg) contains these words:

First the query. I too do winemaking and have almost never found a use
for Campden tablets. But I don't use recipes. The only time I use them
is if I am making a 5-gallon batch and it is taking several days to
get it together. Then I will add a couple if I am using very ripe
fruit. But it's a double-edged sword - I've more than once had a batch
that I just could not get going, even having waited several days
(presumably because the sulphur dioxide was complexed with the fruit
pulp?). In fact, I am in that situation right now, and would welcome
an opportunity to discuss the matter. But not here. I digress ...

I'll digress even more then. Molish a starter bockle using (say) a
teaspoon of sugar, a cup of water, a pinch of yeast nutrient, and the
yeast you intend using.

Get the bockle jbexvat vigorously, then add to the mix.

Lesson no 1. Campden tablets are naff.

--
Frère Jaques
They knocked the Bell down and erected a charade of pops.

The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these words:

But sodium hypochlorite is better, as long as you wash everything in
clean water afterwards.

Is that the stuff called "Chlorox"?
I used it extensively in my winemaking and brewing days.

Pass. Never heard of 'Chlorox'. Sodium hypochlorite is a thin fluid
smelling strongly of chlorine. Cheap, get it from Londis, Happy Shopper,
warehouses, supermarkets, etc., sometimes called 'Thin Bleach'.

A lot of branded bleaches contain detergent, and the price is bumped-up
to a silly figure.

--
Frère Jaques
They knocked the Bell down and erected a charade of pops.