Bentonite

[Wild Duk]

Im about to start an EP Aust. Sirah. I have been bulk aging all my kits for about 1 to 1.5 years... I have always used but understand I don't need to use clearing agents as they should clear on their own. Is bentonite a additive for the clearing process??? Can I leave it out. If I do then decide I do need clearing agents down the line, will they still work without it

Thx

 

[Rocky]

WD, if you plan to bulk age that long, the wine will likely clear very nicely by itself. You could leave the bentonite out and watch the wine. You could always go with other fining agents if it does not clear. You can also add bentonite later in the process.

 

[mmadmikes1]

bentonite help in breaking down proteins. If Proteins are left in tack some wines will never clear no matter what. Bentonite is just clay and settles out completely, so why chance it. It can only help and does not hurt.

 

[UBB]

bentonite help in breaking down proteins. If Proteins are left in tack some wines will never clear no matter what. Bentonite is just clay and settles out completely, so why chance it. It can only help and does not hurt.

Some people say Betonite can impart a taste to your wine, thus, some folks don't like to use it.

 

[mmadmikes1]

I had not noticed. I do use it at beginning, not end. I do make some outstanding wines and Meads. Do as you deem fit. I was only relating my experience and hope not to cause and conflict. This place has hundreds of personal ways. As long as you like what you make its all cool

 

[cpfan]

Bentonite is not what I call a 'standard' clearing agent. It is used by kit makers pre-fermentation. It helps to remove protein haze, and by providing nucleation sites for the yeast (ie it helps the yeast to complete the fermentation).

Personally I would not leave it out. It's not your question, but especially not with a white.

Steve

 

[Flem]

I not only use it for every kit, but I put it in my juice buckets right at the beginning. That, in addition to SuperKleer at stabilization time, works wonders for me.

 

[PeterH]

Thanks. I never clearly understood why we used this. Just love this forum. I always learn something.

 

[JohnT]

I have tried bentonite in the past. I think that the results were good, but felt there was one draw back. I found that bentonite will kick back into the wine with even the slightest jarring of the wine vessel. Has anybody else experienced this?

I find that cold stabization and a good tight filtering clears up my wine very well. I never really had a problem with chill haze.

 

[Flem]

Never noticed that. But, since I bulk age for several months with a few rackings and finish with a whole house filter, I haven't had any problems.

 

[mmadmikes1]

I do not use bentonite as a fining agent at end. Never tried it. But I find it in tack at bottom of primary when I rack out of primary into secondary

 

[shoebiedoo]

I have read that Bentonite also helps keep foaming down when used during primary fermentation.

 

[shanek17]

I have read that Bentonite also helps keep foaming down when used during primary fermentation.

your so rite. its a stabilizer! i love bentonite its more than just a protein remover... iv been reading much about it and finding out interssting stuff. our ancestors used it for internal cleansing and nutrition and as you may know some bentonites are able to gather up or attract crud and swell up to large large sizes and hold it there. anyways. i noticed the greatness of it stabilizing power with my last wine batch and then tried it in my beer and experienced the same results!

 

[bob1]

you used it for primary fermentation? I know bentonite is for more than clearing and have thought of using it in my beer fermenters.

 

[robie]

you used it for primary fermentation? I know bentonite is for more than clearing and have thought of using it in my beer fermenters.

All wine kits, which I know about anyway, have you add bentonite to the primary fermentation. It helps remove some proteins ahead of time. During primary, because of so much CO2 being present, bentonite also gets brought up from the bottom and circulated more than one might imagine. This process helps keep the yeast up off the bottom and in suspension. This is a nice safeguard since many kit wine makers don't stir their wine during primary fermentation.

 

[bob1]

I also think that helps drive off CO2 a bit more also. But still curios about using it with beer.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Bob I use it in beer and have had good results

 

[bob1]

you just stir it in when aerating ?

 

[keena]

I also think that helps drive off CO2 a bit more also. But still curios about using it with beer.

definitely pushed a mass of co2 out after adding it for me today. i even degassed with a vacuum setup and the wine held a strong 20 on my vacuum guage before adding bentonite. then after adding the bentonite i barely stirred it and poof, co2 came rushing out. so i set up the vacuum setup again and then was vacuuming for a good 10 min just pulling more and more out... idk if the bentonite forced it out or if the bentonite does something to the wine to make it bubble more. i did do the same exact procedure to 4 other wines right after and none of the other 4 had that extra co2 after bentonite was added. maybe it was the type of wine that reacted with the bentonite or maybe i degassed the others better... im just not sure. lol

 

[bob1]

No any thing you add to wine that does not itself dissolve will help with CO2.