Metabisulphite in priming solution?

[phug]

Basic googling didn't turn up an answer.

I use campden tablets when I'm brewing. But the other day it occured to me that I'm also using boiled tap water for my priming solution on bottling day. Obviously, using a campden tablet wouldn't be practical here. But is anyone using sodium metabisulphite, or potassium metabilsulphite in their priming solution? just enough to get out the chlorine and chloramines?

Is the small amount of priming solution relative to the batch size going to mean that the relative amount of chlorine/chloramine is not goign to impact beer flavour? is it mostly only an issue if they're present during active fermentation? Should I only be using bottled water for my priming solution?

Should I just use the Metabisulphite and consider it to be an extra layer of protection against oxidation in the bottles? or does the lack of time to off-gas any sulphur mean that would be a bad idea?

I have not have bandaid phenols picked up in any of the beer I have submitted to competitions, but who knows if I could be doing this better.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

I would not suggest using either during bottling because you will be inhibiting the yeast from doing exactly what you are trying to get them do in the first place (reproduce and eat sugar in the bottle).

Since you need only a small amount of water for priming solution and since you don't seem to like your tap water, I would use bottled water (boiled with the sugar in it) and avoid the aforementioned additives, which as I'm sure you know, are preservatives designed to prevent fermentation.

 

[phug]

In theory though, if you only use enough metabsisulphite to counteract the calculate amount of chlorine and chloramine, you should be able to have no, or very little remaining metabisulphite to inhibit the yeast.

so I guess my question is, what is everyone else using for their priming solution water source, and is anyone treating it.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

I don't bottle condition much anymore, but when I do, I use my tap water. But then again, my tap water is very good and not chlorinated.
I have used bottled water when I lived places with water that did not taste good (actually I've bought 5 gallon returnable jugs at Lowes for the entirety of my brew water when I lived places with not-so-good water).

You might be right about calculating the addition down to the gnat's ass, but why bother? You only need like a cup or maybe a pint of water anyway, right? I'd just use clean-tasting bottled water or not even worry about it at all, since it's such a small amount compared to the 5 gallons of beer you are adding it to.

 

[2trout]

If you simply get a good boil for 5-10 min I think that you are driving off any chlorine/chloramines?

 

[20grit]

You could just buy some distilled water if you're feeling paranoid.