Elderberry wont clear

[Jolly_Roger]

Made some elderberry wine in September and in my zeal to get everything to disolve completely I heated some water to disolve the sugar. I figured evrything else would disolve better in the hot water and added the pectic enzyme and most probably killed it.
After 2 rackings it was dry @ .999 so I stabilized it with K sorbate and K meta,
6 weeks later it still isnt clear.
Question; Should I add powdered pectic enzyme (how much to 5 gal?) to it now or just use a clearing agent, ""the only one I have on hand is sparkaloid" ?

Oh yea I degassed it when I stabilized it....at least I think I did, stirred it with a wire on my drill till it quit fizzing.

 

[winemaker_3352]

It could be protein haze, pectin haze or just sediment.

bentonite for protein haze
pectic enzymes for pectic haze
super kleer for fining.


Knowing that you put the pectic in hot water - i would add pectic in - wait about a month and see what happens.

If the pectic didn't work then try the bentonite and if that doesn't work try super kleer.

Last option - filter it.

 

[Runningwolf]

What is your temperature. In addition to what Jon said ensure your temp is around 75* and then try degassing again.

 

[Julie]

When you warm up water or wine to dissolve sugar do not bring to a boil or get it too hot, warm only, you should be able to stick your finger in without burning it. Also, only add the sugar, all other ingredients so go into the must. I'm guessing you killed the peptic enzyme. Add that to the wine and it should clear within a few weeks.

 

[Jolly_Roger]

Temp must be around 70 f . I knew to not boil, but got to doing something else and forgot, like I forgot that pectic enzymes shouldnt go in for 12 hours after the K meta. I will put in some pectic enzymes and give it a while.
Thanks for all of your replies.

 

[ffemt128]

How long has it been since it has been racked/transferred into the carboy from a primary. I have seen where the wine won't clear but if I gave it a racking and got it off the lees more would drop out. Almost like the density of the wine near the bottom of the carboy would not allow anything finer to fall. Give it a shot. My schedule it seems is as followsl

ferment to dry or almost dry in primary
transfer from primary to carboy, wait 3 weeks
rack to clean carboy leaving heavy lees behind
rack about every 30-45 days until clear.

 

[Jolly_Roger]

Its been about 4 weeks, figure to rack it when I add pectic, really dont know how much dry pectic to use though,

 

[Julie]

Its been about 4 weeks, figure to rack it when I add pectic, really dont know how much dry pectic to use though,

1/2 tsp per gallon

 

[ffemt128]

Its been about 4 weeks, figure to rack it when I add pectic, really dont know how much dry pectic to use though,

I would rack it again if it has been 4 weeks in the carboy and see what else falls out. I think that will do the trick along with the Pectic Enzyme.

 

[Jolly_Roger]

Thank you all so much

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

JR, you are trying to turn elderberries into a 6 week wine? Your best bet might be to put it in behind your other carboys and forget about it until next summer and let it age a little while and give it a chance to clear and age a while on its own. We have used sparkaloid on elderberry before and it worked well. Crackedcork

 

[Jolly_Roger]

JR, you are trying to turn elderberries into a 6 week wine? Your best bet might be to put it in behind your other carboys and forget about it until next summer and let it age a little while and give it a chance to clear and age a while on its own. We have used sparkaloid on elderberry before and it worked well. Crackedcork

Not trying to make it into a 6 week wine, I kicked it off in september, not trying to rush it, just wanting to bottle and free up the carboy. What is the advantages of bulk aging versus bottle aging? it has oak chips in it now, been in there since just before Thanksgiving.
It is bugging me that I messed up the pectic enzymes too.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

JR, you dont really know if its pectin haze or not, you would have to test for it to be sure, it could be something entirely different!!! Free up a carboy?? Thats a fine excuse to get 2 more sir. I built up my collection one at a time, kept filling them up, showed the wife they were full and she agreed we needed more carboys, its really nice to see a bunch of carboys full and having the wife dreaming about what you are making for next year. I like to age in a carboy if I can, havent dont any comparisms but after a year in the carboy most everything is ready to drink then we bottle it, let it set a few weeks and its ready. Elderberries especially benefit from a big of aging sometimes. Crackedcork

 

[Wade E]

I agree and when youve been making wine some time you will figure out that unless you filter your wine before bottling you will end up with sediement in your bottles if you dont bulk age around 4 months minumum.

 

[Redtrk]

I agree and when youve been making wine some time you will figure out that unless you filter your wine before bottling you will end up with sediement in your bottles if you dont bulk age around 4 months minumum.

Wade is this true for juice kits too?

 

[Jolly_Roger]

JR, you dont really know if its pectin haze or not, you would have to test for it to be sure, it could be something entirely different!!! Free up a carboy?? Thats a fine excuse to get 2 more sir.. I like to age in a carboy if I can, havent dont any comparisms but after a year in the carboy most everything is ready to drink then we bottle it, let it set a few weeks and its ready. Elderberries especially benefit from a big of aging sometimes. Crackedcork

I'm new to the winmaking hobby, and dont know if I will continue to make much of it. Depends on some of my end results... so I dont think I'll buy more carboys right now. Will it hurt it to add enzymes if it dont need them? I think I'll rack and add them if it wont hurt it and wait some more lol

 

[Jolly_Roger]

Well, I've been busy and just getting back to my wine, figured patience would help it. It's been over a year now....
It still hasn't cleared, I racked it and there was a very small amount of settlings on bottom of the carboy, "the bottom wasn't nearly covered" maybe 1 tsp.
I put a quart in the freezer per Luc's method and it cleared very nicely after freezing, "dont have freezer room for all of it" . What is the best finings to use to clear it?