Fining and Stabilizing

[stormbringer]

I neverread any recipees that suggest adding bentonite to the primary batch when making wines from scratch. I've wondered if maybe it has to do witha conflict with the ripe fruit but how about when using fresh juice?


Also,after fermentation, when stabilizing, potassium sorbate is used. Do I need to add additionalsorbate when adding a sweetener just before bottling?

 

[Wade E]

Bentonite will help your wine drop the solids easier and it will also help with compacting the lees. As for the sorbate, it is only needed at stabilizing. No additional sorbate is needed after that.

 

[joeswine]

WHEN I made my first kit I followed their process and things went well,kit 2,3,4,and still went well then came fresh juice and I followed the same process as making the kits,bentonite goes into the primary and a product called super kleer goes into the finish,along with the sorbate and k/met this is bacisly the same process as a kit so I felt I couldn't go wrong,but with fresh fruit wines not so,I looking to get all the flavor out of the product racking comes later

no finding agents at all in my process

 

[Guest]

Limited as my experience in this facinating hobby may be, I agree withjoe.
My drive is also for a full fruit flavor result with no additives or mixes. Everything I've read and heard about fining is as an aid to the appearance of the mine.


The primary sensory effects of protein fining are a decrease of perceived astringency due to the fact that polymers (molecules of condensed, phenolic compounds that have a higher molecular weight and are perceived as more astringent) are usually pulled out preferentially by the protein fining agent. So in effect, protein fining agents are used to strip out the phenolics from wine and juices.


A common fining agent is gelatin. It is most commonly used to reduce the level of astringency and bitterness in the press fraction of red wines. Another agent used for this purpose is egg whites. Egg whites contain the protein albumen andcan be directly added to the wine
That, in and of itself, will affect the way the wine tastes.



Besides. I figure if it ain't necessary, it ain't necessary, and my wines have so far, always settled out fine over the 90 days I age in the carboy and multiple racks.

 

[Wade E]

I dont use Bentonite in my country wines either, just in the kits so I can get the 6 gallons out of the batch as it compacts the lees so you can get the most out of it. With fruit wines, I make a bigger batch and by the end I have 6 gallons or over.

 

[joeswine]

handyman454///good to see you on line again even better to hear from you,from trial and error we all learn in different steps ,I take my craft of wine making from fragments of this conversation ,that statement ,read this foot note and above all,I've learned to listen to others with an open mind ,I'am not a numbers man,what I derive from my wine is taste,taste and taste,I listen to people like wade and appleman and others on this site and I know from talking to others who are in this buisness full time, that the above people know what there talking about,but everyone fines their own way to the same end ,and the shareing of ideas is what makes this site and it's people the best I've found

rasberry next

Edited by: joeswine

 

[Guest]

Storm:
There's another thought here that you might want to pursue as well.
Just because it aint in the recipe, don't mean you don't need or use it.


Case in point.


Making Wild Wines and Meads
by, Vargas & Gulling
Is an interesting and informativebook on just that. The trouble is, that nowhere in the book of recipiesdo I find any mention of stabelizing additives and campden is only rarely mentioned and then, denoted with the coment, "Optional".


We all know stabelizing is necessary and campden helps tremendously both before andafter fermentation.
It's up to you to find the right path to what you're trying to make.