Definition of the additives, please?

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Donatelo

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I am a newbie making a Chardonnay with a peach flavor. I started from a kit by RJS Winemaking for Chardonnay. I followed the instructions and added a container of condensed peach (68 oz. ?) In the kit there is several pacs of: 1 Bentonite, 1 Sulphite, 1Potassium Sorbate, 1Kieselsol, 1Chitosan. Can you tell me the purpose of each of these chemicals?
I added the Bentonite on day one per instructions, syphoned into the carboy 0n day 8. Specific Gravity is.994. Starting gravity was 1.110.

Coming up on day 20, but I'm curious as to what these chemicals do.
 
I am a newbie making a Chardonnay with a peach flavor. I started from a kit by RJS Winemaking for Chardonnay. I followed the instructions and added a container of condensed peach (68 oz. ?) In the kit there is several pacs of: 1 Bentonite, 1 Sulphite, 1Potassium Sorbate, 1Kieselsol, 1Chitosan. Can you tell me the purpose of each of these chemicals?
I added the Bentonite on day one per instructions, syphoned into the carboy 0n day 8. Specific Gravity is.994. Starting gravity was 1.110.

Coming up on day 20, but I'm curious as to what these chemicals do.
Love many, trust few, and Always paddle your own canoe.
 
Bentonite aids in final clearing. Sulphite helps preserve and protect the wine from oxygen. Potassium Sorbate keeps any left over yeast from starting up again, especially if the kit has a flavor pack. The last two are fining agents or clearing agents to make the wine clear.
Sounds like you're off to a good start,
Mike
 
Sulphite (probably Potassium in your kit) acts to prevent oxidation and sterilize the wine. Potassium Sorbate acts as birth control for yeast and keeps it from reproducing. The Kieselsol and Chitosan are used in conjunction and are clarifiers. Your instructions should tell you when to add each of these chemicals.

Generally speaking wine kits have you add the Potassium Sulphate and Potassium Sorbate probably pretty soon. Followed later by the Kieselsol and Chitosan.
 
Thanks guys. I found the winemaking dictionary under "wine terms and definition of chemicals", which helps greatly.


love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe !
 
Adding peaches could give you a difficult to remove haze or cloudiness, you may need to pick up some pectic enzyme to get the wine to clear.

I did an RJS Riesling kit that I added 6 or so fresh peaches to and had to use two goes of pectic enzyme before I got the wine to clear. The wine is now fantastic and definitely something I would do again.
 
Adding peaches could give you a difficult to remove haze or cloudiness, you may need to pick up some pectic enzyme to get the wine to clear.

I did an RJS Riesling kit that I added 6 or so fresh peaches to and had to use two goes of pectic enzyme before I got the wine to clear. The wine is now fantastic and definitely something I would do again.

Thanks for that tip. I'm headed to Moore , Ok tomorrow and I'll see if I can get some pectic enzyme and bottles. My kit includes Sulphite, Potassium sorbate, Kieselsol, and chitosan. Are any of these clearing agents?

Semper Fi, At ease troops, smoke 'em if you got 'em.
 
kieselsol and chitosan are clearing agents, but they won't touch a pectin haze.
 
Adding peaches could give you a difficult to remove haze or cloudiness, you may need to pick up some pectic enzyme to get the wine to clear.

I did an RJS Riesling kit that I added 6 or so fresh peaches to and had to use two goes of pectic enzyme before I got the wine to clear. The wine is now fantastic and definitely something I would do again.

HEY - That's a great Idea. I've go a can of Reisling concentrate that I have put off making since I favor fruit wines. I like Reislings and I happen to have a cup or two of peaches frozen. Maybe it's time to start that Reisling with those peaches. Putting them in at the start, along with the Pectic Enzyme should make things clear a little faster.

Great Idea. The can says it will make about 2.5 gallons of a full bodied wine. Think I need to cut that back to 2 and add the peaches.
 
Full bodied suggests a wine that has enough solids to water and so no need for any reduction in the amount of water. if yu intend to add a few peaches I would not really reduce the water by 1/5.
 

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