B S Peach Prob

[Tony49]

3 gallon carboy of peach with one banana and a pound of strawberries.
Been bulk ageing since last September.
I remember that my last straight peach cleared earlier.
Is it time to consider a clearing agent or should I wait a bit more.
Any advice is appreciated.
Tony...

 

[tonyandkory]

My last peach didn't clear real well with out super klear either.
but then I am impatient and I would have done it by November lol.
Tony...

 

[Tony49]

Well...I have a bit of patience left, but would like to bottle it before the new peach season is upon us.
My first batch cleared a month after it was bottled.

 

[gordini]

I've had good success with a gelatine based fining liquid (50%) at a rate of 1ml/litre. Then add 2ml/litre silica sol ( don't know your local equivalent). However, sometimes peaches are difficult and special enzyme is needed. Can't recall it's name, but I can look it up if needed.

 

[FTC Wines]

Tony49, I just finished my last racking & back sweetening of my BS Peach, that was started June 2011. Will bottle in 3 weeks to make room for this years peach. All 3- 5 gal. carboys cleared on their own this year. Some times they are just stubborn & need help. Roy

 

[Turock]

You could use bentonite. It does a very nice job on clearing and is a more gentle clearing agent. It also attacks protein haze that's common in peach.

 

[Tony49]

Thanks Roy-
Opened a bottle of my first straight peach ( little early) and it was pretty good.
I'll give the bs peach another month or two.
Thanks Turock.
I'll save the bentonite as an option.
Cheers!

 

[Turock]

Tony---Next time you make peach, consider using bentonite in the primary so you can avoid the clearing problems. And you can also use a pectinase called Lallzyme C Max which is designed to aide clearing in white wines.

 

[Wade E]

Peach gave me a problem a few years back that even Superkleer didnt gix. The Superklrrr helped but it was still hazy even after using Bentonite. It was the first time I ever filtered a dirty wine and I got lucky as that did the trick without causing much clogged filter problems.

 

[Tony49]

Thank you gentlemen.
I did use pectinase when I started the wine. Possibly could have used a bit more.
I'd like to avoid using too many additives if I can. So, I'll give it one more month to clear before trying to force it.
Appreciate your suggestions.
Tony...

 

[Turock]

Actually it's a good idea to use double the amount of pectic enzyme for those wines that are hard to clear. But sometimes that helps a lot and other times you'll still have problems. Bentonite in the primary of white wines does the trick better than trying to clear it up before bottling. If you mix up and dose your peach now with bentonite, you'll see vast improvement--and usually, it clears it up completely and makes the wine sparkle. We've been doing some clearing of pear and Niagara with bentonite and it's done a good job. This year, all the Niagara and pear is getting bentonite at the primary. I'm getting tired of dealing with cloudy white wines.

If the peach is hazy after the bentonite, you can often get it go totally clear by cold stabilization in the frig for a few weeks.

 

[Tony49]

Thanks for your input Turock.
Have a nearby wine store where I can pick up a smll amoubt of bentonite.
Cheers!

 

[Tony49]

Checked on the peach today- its looking a little better but not where it should be to bottle. So, I guess its time to use the Bentonite.
Got a 4 ounce container at the wine making store.
Instructions say: For 5 gallons mix 2.5 tspn in 2.5 cups of hot water. Wait 24 hours and add.
This sound about right to you gentlemen?
Any guidence is appreciated.
Tony...

 

[southlake333]

I don't wait, I just mix, dump, stir and come back in 24 hours. Has worked out well so far.

 

[Turock]

We do it according to the directions.

After adding the bentonite, just be patient. It takes 4 to 6 weeks, approximately, for it to work. Rack off the bentonite when the wine is clear and the bentonite is all settled in the bottom. If you start approaching the 6 week mark and you still have some haze, get it into the refigerator. Cold stabilization seems to help finish it off, at that point.

 

[Tony49]

Well, 2.5 tsp per 5 gal = .5 per gal or 1.5 tsp for a 3 gal carboy.
I really don't want to add hot water to my wine.
Maybe try to wait till it cools and then mix?

 

[FTC Wines]

Hey Tony49, Sorry I missed the posts on your [our] BS Peach Wine. [been house hunting in Fl.] I had 1 of my 3- 5 gal. carboys give me a fit on self clearing. Did use Bentonite & it cleared in 2 weeks, left it for a mo. before racking. Also a few yrs. ago I had a petic haze I had to get rid of. Almost out of my 2010 BS Peach, will bottle 2011's when I get home. Roy PS It's WORTH all the work! just saw your last post, I let mine cool before I added it.

 

[gordini]

Sorry guys, but I work in grams per litre. I've found that .5g/litre is about right for most clarification. I mix it up in approximately 10 times its volume of warm, not hot, water and let it sit overnight before stirring and then adding to the wine. Results should be within 4 hours, but absolute clarification will take a few weeks. I've never tried cold stabilizing to finish off difficult hazes - as suggested by "Turrock". I'll try that one day.

 

[Tony49]

Thank you for all your input gentlemen.
The BS Peach is sitting on some bentonite as we speak.
Roy- Good luck with your house hunting. I will be doing the same in South Carolina in October. Will be checking out small acerage with my daughter.
If I can be of small service pm me. Has to be small as I am a full time care giver for my 98 year old mom.
Cheers!
Tony...

 

[Turock]

Tony, next time you make peach wine, you can save yourself a lot of trouble if you bentonite the peach in the primary. All white-style wines come out better and even other wines like cherry and raspberry will be clear and polished off by bentonite in the primary.