# sodium metabisulphite being removed from shelves



## rusty (Sep 5, 2013)

Sodium metabisulphite is going to get difficult to purchase as it is being removed from the wine arts store shelves. At least this is the word I have for Canada.


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## jeneje (Sep 5, 2013)

Why :?: 
Ken


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## rusty (Sep 5, 2013)

jeneje said:


> Why :?:
> Ken



To many wine makers coming up with breathing problems.


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## jeneje (Sep 5, 2013)

Makes sense. SO2 gas can have that effect on you. 
Ken


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## rusty (Sep 5, 2013)

jeneje said:


> Makes sense. SO2 gas can have that effect on you.
> Ken



Wondering if some of our members are experiencing gold which will not drop because their mistakenly using a product simply labeled as Metabisulphite thinking they purchased the real deal - Sodium Metabisulphite.


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## jeneje (Sep 5, 2013)

I don't use SMB a lot, I prefer ferrous sulfate. It just seems to work better on e-scrap for me. I suppose a lot of the members use it. When I do my second refinement for purity I will drop with SMB rusty, but at that point most of the contaminates are gone, so drag down is far less. Also my SMB is CP I think that makes for a better drop too.

Ken


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## Harold_V (Sep 6, 2013)

rusty said:


> jeneje said:
> 
> 
> > Why :?:
> ...


I was raised in a smelter town (Midvale, Utah), one that discharged SO2 gas 'round the clock. Some days it was difficult to breath. The whole town gave forth with a great sigh of relief when they closed down the smelter in the late 50's. The gasses were discharged via a 500' stack, but they still settled to the ground when it was calm.

Harold


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## yar (Sep 6, 2013)

I am able to purchase at my local Ace hardware store. Lowes does not seem to carry it anymore nor do they sell HCL either.












Edited for spelling


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## rickbb (Sep 6, 2013)

yar said:


> I am able to purchase at my local Ace hardware store. Lowes does not seem to carry it anymore nor do they sell HCL either.
> 
> Odd, just picked up a gallon of HCL at my local Lowes, they had plenty, but have moved it to the cleaners aisle and no longer have any in the masonry section.
> 
> ...


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## yar (Sep 6, 2013)

Rick where are you located ? The cutomer service person I spoke to said they had stopped carrying HCL here about a year ago. Maybe its a regional or store by store thing ?


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## rusty (Sep 6, 2013)

Is there any particular reason we should not use sodium metabisulfite to dechlorinate our acid/bleach leaches.

http://www.vita-d-chlor.com/specs/AWWARFDechlorGuides.htm 

INTRODUCTION

Chlorine is widely used as a disinfectant by water utilities. Chlorinated waters from potable water systems are released to the environment through activities such as water main flushing, disinfection of new mains, distribution system maintenance, water main breaks, filter backwash and other utility operations. Although chlorine protects humans from pathogens in water, it is highly toxic to aquatic species in the receiving streams. In particular, chlorine may be toxic to many species protected under the Endangered Species Act, even at very low concentrations.

Dechlorination is practiced by some water utilities during releases of chlorinated water. Several chemical and non-chemical methods are used for chlorine neutralization during such releases. However, dechlorination is still an evolving practice in the water industry. Impacts of dechlorination chemicals on the water quality of receiving streams are not well documented. For example, over-application of chemicals such as sodium metabisulfite and sulfur dioxide, which are commonly used for dechlorination, may deplete the dissolved oxygen concentration or alter the pH of receiving streams. Currently, there is no industry guidance or AWWA standards for dechlorination of potable water releases. Recent changes in regulatory approach, that includes a more ecological and watershed perspective, have caused an increased level of scrutiny concerning current dechlorination practices. The regulatory review can become more significant as some of the secondary impacts of the dechlorinated discharges are more completely understood.


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## rickbb (Sep 6, 2013)

yar said:


> Rick where are you located ? The cutomer service person I spoke to said they had stopped carrying HCL here about a year ago. Maybe its a regional or store by store thing ?




I'm in centeral NC, I've been getting it at Lowes in 2 different locations here. The Home Depot carries it too.


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## joem (Sep 7, 2013)

This weekend I'm going to check out around here for SMB, If it is going to disappear I'm going to stock up because I need yet


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## rusty (Sep 7, 2013)

joem said:


> This weekend I'm going to check out around here for SMB, If it is going to disappear I'm going to stock up because I need yet



I just ordered a 22.7 kg sack of SMG for $67.00.

Could be that it's only being removed from the wine arts type of stores.


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## jeneje (Sep 7, 2013)

Be aware that SMB has a shelf life,
Ken


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## chlaurite (Sep 7, 2013)

jeneje said:


> Be aware that SMB has a shelf life


This. Store it in a dark, dry, cold environment to maximize that life (a rarely-opened chest-freezer in the basement makes a great choice), but good luck using even a fraction of that that much before it becomes useless.

That said, if you store it well and as long as Canada hasn't actually *banned* it, you might have a wise, wise investment there - Something you can divide out into 4oz packets and sell to others in need a year from now for far more than you paid. 8)


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## chlaurite (Sep 7, 2013)

rickbb said:


> I'm in centeral NC, I've been getting it at Lowes in 2 different locations here. The Home Depot carries it too.


I too can get it at Lowes or Home Depot, though unfortunately only the "green" low-fuming stuff.

Fortunately, an indie hardware store near me carries *all* the good stuff - Pure and additive-free HCl, non-green awesome solvents like MEK, toluene, and xylene... No lye, though (food-grade, drain-cleaner, or otherwise)... That seems virtually impossible to get except online nowadays.


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## solar_plasma (Sep 7, 2013)

some common sulfates can easily be decomposed to SO2, so I would not panic


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## joem (Oct 1, 2013)

I just found some right around the corner from my house. It's a wine maker supply store and they get it in monthly and 500 grams for 5 bucks. This is good because I was getting ready to drop gold and was considering ordering online again.


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