How long for a campden tablet to take effect?

Quite regularly, and this "rather obvious" attitude is why I didn't figure out until now what people actually meant about campden tablets. Based on the reactions of others here I'm not the only one.
 
Fair enough. It makes perfect sense to stir it and crush the tablet but it directly contradicts the drop it in and it's instantaneous that everyone says.
 
yeah if you just drop it in the bottom of a cooler, it's not going to work like it would for me
 
Cheers all, did the 'crush, drop and stir' method yesterday during my first big batch brew. I imagine that chlorine/ chloramine won't bother my brew. So, now water chemistry/treatment is not my issue...but, that is the will be the subject of another thread...
 
Hawkbox said:
Fair enough. It makes perfect sense to stir it and crush the tablet but it directly contradicts the drop it in and it's instantaneous that everyone says.
Click to expand...

You're right. It just never occurred to me that one wouldn't stir it. I don't mention to stir the gypsum either, because I just do it routinely, but of course someone else wouldn't know that. I think I've just said "add gypsum, calcium chloride, etc" and never once mentioned how exactly to add it. You've really brought up a good point.
 
I found that one relatively clear because when I put it in the mash tun it's visibly just setting on top of the mash. I'm still not entirely sure when I should add it though, as I see contradicting statements. Do I stir everything in before I add the grain? Do I stir it in while I mash in? Do I stir it in once I've gotten rid of the dough balls? Does it matter?
 
I add my campden tablet to the water and my salts to the mash but remember I recirculate both so it's the same as you would stir for a half an hour lol
 
I've always added the tablet to the water, usually 1/2 tablet per 5 gallon pail as I haul them. Now I'm stirring it.

I add the salts to the mash once it's stirred in as that's usually when I think of it.
 
So put in water, add salts, add grain, stir? Or water, add grain, add salts, stir? Or am I getting to far down the rabbit hole?
 
I typically stir while adding grain to try and prevent dough balls. So I lack hands to add salts at the same time.
 
if you do a bib it doesn't matter as long as you stir everything eventually
 
I add my campden to as I am adding the water, so I guess it gets stirred.
I add my salts to my grist before I mash in.....

eBIAB - so everything gets recirculated
 
You can add them to the water before mashing in, then you know they're stirred in uniformly.
 
Sometimes I forget the campden and stir but it doesn't matter because there is no campden and sometimes I forget the campden and forget to stir but it still doesn't matter because there is no campden and sometimes I add the campden and forget to stir then it doesn't matter because the water is hot and molecules are bouncing around and mix it up for me and sometimes I add the campden and stir but I dont know why...

It's a tiny tiny half tab of campden and from my observation it fizzles and disappears immediately which is a good thing.

The OP abandoned this post long ago lol.

I have a ro/DI unit with big carbon blocks but I still use campden because I bought a lifetime supply and I don't like to see anything go to waste.
 
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