Does Campden kill yeast or just prevent reproduction?

[mgillard1976]

My cider is sitting around 1.013 so it is still slowly fermenting away, it was 1.016 a few days ago. My question is, if I'm happy to stop the fermentation there can I just throw in the campden and sorbate to stop fermentation?

I ask because I was reading in Yooper's excellent stickied post that it won't stop an active fermentation but it also says that it's used to kill wild yeast before pitching. If it kills wild yeast why doesn't it kill the active yeast currently chugging away.

Thanks for the help!!

 

[govner1]

Use potassium sorbate

 

[Maylar]

Commercial yeasts are bred to be tolerant of sulfites. Once fermentation is under way there are billions of yeast cells in suspension. Trying to stop an active fermentation would take so much sulfite (or sorbate) that you would ruin your cider.

 

[RPh_Guy]

can I just throw in the campden and sorbate to stop fermentation?

In case the above posts were unclear, no, you can't.

Sorbate is what affects Saccharomyces and it only prevents replication, so it will not stop fermentation with lots of yeast present.

Sulfite mainly affects bacteria and various NON-Saccharomyces yeasts. The dosage needed to stop the Sacc strains we use would be too high and cause off flavors.

So what can you do?
Cold crashing may be used with certain strains to stop fermentation early. You may be able to crash, rack, and stabilize.
Alternately, you can bottle pasteurize with heat, if you want natural carbonation.
Some folks just use unfermentable sweeteners, which is definitely easier.

 

[mgillard1976]

So what can you do?
Cold crashing may be used with certain strains to stop fermentation early. You may be able to crash, rack, and stabilize.
Alternately, you can bottle pasteurize with heat, if you want natural carbonation.
Some folks just use unfermentable sweeteners, which is definitely easier.

So cold crashing by itself is not enough to stop the yeast from working? It will slowly ferment in the keg even at 2-3C?

 

[RPh_Guy]

So cold crashing by itself is not enough to stop the yeast from working? It will slowly ferment in the keg even at 2-3C?

That depends on the yeast strain, the temp & duration of crashing, and how well you racked.
For most strains and good racking I'd bet you could easily drink it before it ferments too much.

It would be safest to stabilize it with sulfite + sorbate.

 

[MarkKF]

You could also cold crash and rack & filter.

 

[mgillard1976]

That depends on the yeast strain, the temp & duration of crashing, and how well you racked.
For most strains and good racking I'd bet you could easily drink it before it ferments too much.

It would be safest to stabilize it with sulfite + sorbate.

Ok, so I think my plan will be to rack it, cold crash it for 24 hours to 3C then stabilize for 24 hours with campden and sorbate. I will likely end up sweetening it a bit after sampling in the keg so here's hoping.

Any issues getting that stuff to dissolve at that temperature?

 

[Yooper]

Ok, so I think my plan will be to rack it, cold crash it for 24 hours to 3C then stabilize for 24 hours with campden and sorbate. I will likely end up sweetening it a bit after sampling in the keg so here's hoping.

Any issues getting that stuff to dissolve at that temperature?

No- BUT you have to cold crash and THEN rack it off of the yeast. Racking it when it's full of active yeast will not allow you to stabilize it with good results. You would stress the yeast, but not stop it completely, causing off flavorr.

So, cold crash. Once it's completely clear and the lees are compacted on the bottom, rack off of the lees into your combination of campden and sorbate (you can do that in the keg). Let that sit a few days, and then sweeten to taste.

 

[mgillard1976]

No- BUT you have to cold crash and THEN rack it off of the yeast. Racking it when it's full of active yeast will not allow you to stabilize it with good results. You would stress the yeast, but not stop it completely, causing off flavorr.

So, cold crash. Once it's completely clear and the lees are compacted on the bottom, rack off of the lees into your combination of campden and sorbate (you can do that in the keg). Let that sit a few days, and then sweeten to taste.

Awesome! Makes much more sense. Thanks Yooper.

 

[Maylar]

When you rack to your keg keep a small amount of cider in a clean jar or Pyrex measuring cup and mix your sorbate and sulfite in that. It'll let you see better that it's dissolved. Then pour it in.