Clearing/fining around

[Phador]

after looking around on the forums about clearing up a wine I have seen several approaches....just wondering how well does adding nothing, literally nothing at all work? I somehow feel like the chemicals available almost seem unnatural and would spoil wine, but I know many use chemicals with great success...so thoughts anyone?

The egg approach looks interesting....does that work with any type of wine?

 

[novalou]

after looking around on the forums about clearing up a wine I have seen several approaches....just wondering how well does adding nothing, literally nothing at all work? I somehow feel like the chemicals available almost seem unnatural and would spoil wine, but I know many use chemicals with great success...so thoughts anyone?

The egg approach looks interesting....does that work with any type of wine?

Letting time clear wins does work, though a few of my whites were a bit hazy. Cold stabilizing in the garage during the cold days in January did the trick.

Clearing agents do work, I've used them and have been happy with the results. They do not affect the flavor as far as I can tell.

 

[1tonmama]

The wine will clear its on its own eventually if you're ready to be patient. You won't be able to get away from having to add some chemicals (ie. preservative such as k-meta) or the wine will eventually spoil on it own too. Also some extra steps and "tricks" may be necessary to clear the wine as novalou mentioned above.

I use basic chemicals always and don't find them to deteriorate the flavour. I'm not familiar with using eggs to clear the wine but I have no desire to try it myself either. I've never seen sorbate or chitosan spoil but I've seen many eggs go rotten...

 

[Dragonmouse]

I've used wine clarifier...it's bascially bentonite clay and had good results with it.

 

[Abrnth3]

I have used Bentonite, ussually in the primary due to it being part of the recipe. I do not ussually use anything at the end unless it is a white and/or time has failed to deliver.

 

[jamesngalveston]

i have used egg whites in my blackberry three times on three batches, and it works very well...tried egg whites on strawberry and it did not.
also tried egg whites on small batch of db..it did not work.
I have tried sparkoloid and did not work to well for me.
I have used super kleer several times, and i love it..works in less then 24 hours..some say it reduces color...I do not see it.
I also just got my filter set up with my vacuum pump, filtered a 5 gallon batch of blackberry after clearing....I will filter every wine I make...It makes it , dont know...like shiny are something.

 

[vernsgal]

I will filter every wine I make...It makes it , dont know...like shiny are something.

I've always filtered my wine. I especially like the way whites look afterwards.

 

[saramc]

I look at it this way...I allow just about every wine I make to bulk age for a year and if your must is treated accordingly with pectic enzyme and bentonite your wine should almost always clear without the use of other fining agents. But I know IF I need them, they are available & SuperKleer would be my product of choice since it encompasses the +/- charges. But to be honest, the only time I added anything other than enzyme + bentonite is when I was making a kit, but I do not even add the final fining packet provided in kits now, because I allow them to age and clear naturally. Filtration can help polish a wine but it will not heat stabilize, which is what bentonite helps with (among other reasons), and I will filter wines that are being specifically for gifting.