Sodium Percarbonate vs Sodium Metabisulfite

This is a bit dumb but does anyone know an easy way tell the difference? Perhaps adding some household stuff as a test?
I found two jars of each that I found in the back of the brew cupboard.
I think the percarb is labeled correctly but the sodium met I'm not so sure about.
I bought some loose stuff ages ago and put it in an empty met jar. I can't remember what it was other than steriliser/sanitiser.
At the time I would have just figured it was doing the same think and not cared about relabeling but I need met to de-chlorinate and I don't want to kill the ferment.
They both smell similar (kinda like chlorine)??

Comments

  • edited August 2015

    Mix both with water, you'll know the metabisulfite when you smell it. Just a waft and sniff, don't put your nose in a cup and rip it.

  • Well I thought at least one jar was Sodium Percarbonate but perhaps not. What does that smell like?? Both tubs smell quite similar. Quite strong, pretty bad.
    Like I said, kinda chlorine'y. Maybe ozone with a dash of coconut is a better description. Really gets up the nose anyway, does Sodium Percarbonate do that too?

  • Should smell of sulfur. If you have a little citric you should be able to add a bit and really get it to stink.

  • Sodium percarbonate is pleasant to use, has no particular smell in use that i have found but i've never actually sniffed it. Sodium met is a choking fume that will catch your breath and make you cough. I hate the shit.

    Sodium met is a steriliser, sodium percabonate is a cleaner that is used with hot water.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • I would recommend disposing of both. If you aren't certain of what it is, why take a chance on getting it wrong just to save a bit of money?

    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

  • Good suggestion.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • That would be the smart thing to do.
    It sounds like I might have two jars of met. I remember burning sulphur as a kid and it smelled a bit like that. They should be OK for cleaning up fermenters but I think I’ll go buy some campden tabs for water treatment just to be sure.

  • Why do you need to sterilise water?

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Open to suggestions but I want dechlorinate my rum water.
    Word on the street is met will do that for me and a good airing afterwards overnight should dissipate any left over sulphur dioxide.
    Then I'll ferment for a day or two and inoculate with the bagasse dunder for the last few days.
    I don't want chlorine killing things off. Maybe an inline filter on the fill line is a better idea?

  • I'm not really set up to do that.
    It would be a good way to sterilise the wash too but is a lot of extra piss farting around.

  • I thought chlorine dissipated overnight, but chloramines needed removal if ou are that way inclined. Just ring the council and ask them which they use and what method. I'd rather have chlorine in my water than sodium met myself. I hate the stuff.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Carbon filter is another option.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • A decent filter might help get the ass taste out the local water too.
    Boiled water smells like paddock run off here.

  • I filter everything that goes into my wash/boiler. We have a water softener and chlorinator to get rid of the sulfur smell in the water and I don't want that crap in my ferment/boiler. I use 2 RV inline hose filters.

  • You can aerate hydrogen sulfide out of your water. It is a dissolved gas that will come out of solution. Treatment plants use a cascade to aerate. Small systems use bubblers. Ozone bubblers work well too.

    Chlorine injection leaves sulfur and chloride compounds in the water.

    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

  • edited August 2015

    Free chorine can be removed with activated carbon. Chloramines can be too, but it requires long contact time between the water and carbon. Catalyzed carbon is what is needed to remove chloramines.

    Catalytic Carbon For Chloramine Removal

    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

  • I was under the impression simply adding vitamin C to the water was a simple way of ridding oneself of chlorine? I could be wrong.

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