I just wanted peoples thoughts on this. I’ve only done 3 AG brews so far and haven’t used campden tablet to treat the water at all and have yet to experience any off flavours (medicinal) in my finished beer.my brother in law who has been brewing now for around 3 years also has never used any water treatment and hasn’t suffered any medicinal flavours either.
We both live in the northwest of England, Lancashire- I know water varies quite a bit from region to region so I don’t know maybe we have water up here that doesn’t really require the use of campden? Who knows…
Anyway I would probably start using campden as they are cheap enough but my concern would be the advice that allot of people are saying to leave the campden treated water for at least 24hrs before using as it will inhibit the yeast- if that’s the case it would totally mess up the way I brew as I do an initial 20l mash water then fill the HLT up after that with another 20l so couldn’t wait 24 hr for the sparge water to be ready if you get me.
What do other people do?
Do you use campden tablets?
Re: Do you use campden tablets?
I could never taste the difference when I forgot the tablet so I stopped. If you're worried you could vent for 24 hours, or boil for ten minutes ... then again you could heat your water as normal for the mash and the Chlorine would probably be mostly gone when you reach strike temp.
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Jocky
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Re: Do you use campden tablets?
The UK has a pretty low level of chloramine in water that might cause off flavours, so most people won't need it. In hundreds of club beers I've tasted there's never been a case of a beer being chlorophenolic due to water - it's always due to infection.
Having said all of that, I can smell chloramine in my tap water so do use sodium metabisulphite in powder form (campden tablets are just sodium met in tablet form). I just drop in a small pinch before heating water.
Having said all of that, I can smell chloramine in my tap water so do use sodium metabisulphite in powder form (campden tablets are just sodium met in tablet form). I just drop in a small pinch before heating water.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.
Re: Do you use campden tablets?
My understanding is the reaction does not take very long either so no need to wait after treating it.
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Eric
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Re: Do you use campden tablets?
I don't. First read of a need here many years since, so used them until I forgot. No difference here.
Without patience, life becomes difficult and the sooner it's finished, the better.
Re: Do you use campden tablets?
I've never used Campden tablets.
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QED
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!
Re: Do you use campden tablets?
What he said. Never.
Further I only use potassium metabisulphate in wine after fermentation.
Further I only use potassium metabisulphate in wine after fermentation.
Re: Do you use campden tablets?
Well I guess that answers it then haha I won’t bother, cheers 
