Blackberry w/o pectin enzyme

[lawrstin]

How much of a haze will I experience?

 

[saramc]

Without pectic enzyme I would expect the wine will forever be cloudy, it will not be crystal clear. Imagine looking out your windshield and it is hazy but after you wipe off the inside of your glass it is so much clearer..well your wine may end up like the view from your hazy windshield. Is there a reason you do not plan to use it? It can be added even if ferment is in progress.

 

[lawrstin]

I thought alcohol inhibits pectin breakdown?

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Isnt that why people add pectinase before they ferment? It will work later, just not as effecient. WVMJ

 

[jamesngalveston]

Pectic enzyme plays two very distinct and important roles in the wine making process. First and foremost, pectic enzymes helps to break down the fruit's fiber or pulp. This allows more flavor and color to be extracted from whatever fruit is being used during the fermentation. Secondly, it helps to make sure the wine has a clearer, more translucent, appearance after the fermentation has completed and the wine has had ample time to clear up.

Pectic enzyme accomplishes both of these tasks by breaking down the pectin cells in the fruit. Pectin is the gelatinous material that, for example, holds together the strands of fiber found within a strawberry or grape. It is also the "stuff" that makes apple sauce thick.

By breaking down these pectin cells, the fruit's pulp becomes less thick. This allows more of the fruit's character to be released during fermentation or even when running the pulp through the grape presses. Because pectin is somewhat opaque, if it isn't sufficiently broken down during the fermentation, the resulting wine will have a pectin haze. This type of defect is not correctable once the fermentation is complete.
- See more at: http://blog.eckraus.com/blog/wine-m...s-call-for-pectic-enzyme#sthash.lQoHPEkd.dpuf

 

[lawrstin]

I like that I am getting some varied reports. Looks like I am putting the traditional view of pectic enzyme to the test. Thanks everyone for the comments.

 

[Turock]

You should use it on the first day along with your meta, before you pitch the yeast on the second day. This 24 hours of fruit breakdown releases some of the juice for proper testing of PH and brix. If you don't break down some of this fruit first, you can end up adding too much sugar and getting the alcohol too high because you aren't breaking the fruit down enough to get the sugars from the fruit involved in your hydrometer test of the brix. And your PH will be way off too. Believe me---always use pectic enzyme on fruit.

 

[lawrstin]

Can I just use Bentonite after fermenting to clear the haze?

I read an interesting article. Which I came to the summation.

In realizing that the addition of enzyme, since the experiments in the 50's proves it, can greatly help the breakdown of pectin increasing aroma, clarification and juice output. Although the results were not 100 percent true, the benefits seemed undeniable conclusively positive or no change at all in wine improvement.

http://ajevonline.org/content/2/1/59.abstract

 

[saramc]

The haze from pectin is different than the haze that bentonite is used to prevent. Read up on heat stabilization. Actually adding bentonite on Day 3 is a better idea than waiting to add it post-ferment. When added on Day 3 the yeast are typically rocking/rolling so they circulate the bentonite around whereas if you add it postferment you have to stir often for a few days because the clay just sinks. Plus bentonite on the front end helps prevent a volcanic ferment, things are calmer, yeast are happier...and odds are, given enough time, you will not need any additional fining agent as long as you used pectinase too.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Not really, most winemakers understand add pectinase to the fruit to break it up by digesting the pectin in the cell walls releasing more juice and clearing the wine of pectin which can cause a haze. Everyone trying to say the same thing but just differently. Some wines will clear out without pectinase, but by the time you find out you should have used it to help your wine clear its much harder to get it to work. No fining agent or filters take out pectin haze. WVMJ

I like that I am getting some varied reports. Looks like I am putting the traditional view of pectic enzyme to the test. Thanks everyone for the comments.

 

[Deezil]

You should use it on the first day along with your meta, before you pitch the yeast on the second day. This 24 hours of fruit breakdown releases some of the juice for proper testing of PH and brix. If you don't break down some of this fruit first, you can end up adding too much sugar and getting the alcohol too high because you aren't breaking the fruit down enough to get the sugars from the fruit involved in your hydrometer test of the brix. And your PH will be way off too. Believe me---always use pectic enzyme on fruit.

The haze from pectin is different than the haze that bentonite is used to prevent. Read up on heat stabilization. Actually adding bentonite on Day 3 is a better idea than waiting to add it post-ferment. When added on Day 3 the yeast are typically rocking/rolling so they circulate the bentonite around whereas if you add it postferment you have to stir often for a few days because the clay just sinks. Plus bentonite on the front end helps prevent a volcanic ferment, things are calmer, yeast are happier...and odds are, given enough time, you will not need any additional fining agent as long as you used pectinase too.

These two; solid information!

 

[lawrstin]

Well I appreciate all the help. Hopefully, I get lucky otherwise I have to admit I Effed this one up.

 

[Turock]

Well, lawrstin, it's all part of learning. It's a big help to go do some reading on things like pectic enzyme, nutrient, bentonite, etc. Then you understand what they do so you know what you're doing when using them. There's lots of white paper on these subjects. I always believe in doing "homework!"