Hazy Apple Wine

[loumik]

I have an Apple wine that I started on 12-28-2012. And proceeded as noted below.:

12-28-12 Bentonite, boiling water.
apples, raisins, bananas in strainer bag.
dissolved campden(5), acid blend, tannin, and ascorbic acid in
warm cider. poured over strainer bag in primary.
Added cider to bring up to 6gal. mark on bucket. Stirred.
Covered for 24 hrs.

12-29-12 Added Pectic enzyme. Stirred and recovered for 24 hrs.

12-30-12 Brought SG to 1.090, pH:3.55, TA:6.4
Added yeast nutrient to must, rehydrated 71B-1122 and added
to must. Stirred well and recovered. Stirred twice daily till SG
reached 1.029 then squeeze strained bag into wine
and disposed of. Recover until SG is 1.020 - 1.010.

01-03-13 SG 1.006. Rack to secondary. Attach bung and airlock. Leave
until fermentation is finished.

01-19-13 SG 0.998.

01-21-13 SG still 0.998. Racked, added k-meta and sorbate. Degassed.

01-28-13 Added 2 cans Apple Juice Concentrate. Stirred. SG 1.004.

01-31-13 Added Sparkolloid .

02-18-13 Racked, topped up. Still hazy if light is shined through Carboy
Started Bulk Ageing. Added 2 cinnamon sticks.

10-14-13 Still hazy. Added 1/4tsp liquid Pectic Enzyme.

10-28-13 Still hazy. Added Bentonite slurry.

11-04-13 Still hazy. Added Super-Kleer KC.

Today Still hazy. Thinking I'll just give it up and bottle as is. Nothing is
settling out over past couple of weeks.

Any ideas? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Larry

 

[cmason1957]

You might have a pectin haze. It won't hurt to try to get rid of it. Jack Kellors site has a long article on how to get rid of it. As I recall, you pull out some wine add pectin to it. Stir it every so often then add back to the wine. I did this to a pear twice before it cleared.

 

[loumik]

You might have a pectin haze. It won't hurt to try to get rid of it. Jack Kellors site has a long article on how to get rid of it. As I recall, you pull out some wine add pectin to it. Stir it every so often then add back to the wine. I did this to a pear twice before it cleared.

Thanks for the info cmason, I'll give it a try.

Larry

 

[CBell]

It's kind of a shot in the dark, but how many bananas did you use? Did you squeeze them at all during ferment? Is it possible you have an amylase haze? I might try amylase enzyme at this point, it kind of seems like you have tried everything else.

I'd also think about your temperature. I've heard both heating it up and cooling it down working for clearing. For me, my biggest clearing issues have been solved by natural temp fluctuations making my wine room 20 degrees cooler. Worth a thought.

Cheers and good luck!
CBell

 

[jamesngalveston]

boiling water is your culprit n this batch of wine...
you should do two test, one for starch haze, the other for pectin haze.
if you have added super kleer, sparkoloid,benzanite...it will never clear except with about 12 mos of aging..
good luck.
boiled fruit need twice the pectin up front.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

There are a special pectinase for apples and pears sold by cidersupply.com that might help out, you can test for pectinase or starch hazes, you seem to have run thru all the fining agents, you dont have many suspects left! WVMJ

 

[jamesngalveston]

no suspects left, I like that....i have never figured why people boil the fruit to death, and most of the time they either burn it, are scorch it...

 

[Turock]

The probable reason for the haze is that you put the bentonite in the primary too early. You can't add bentonite until the 3rd day of the ferment because it inactivates the pectic enzyme. Once the pectic enzyme is inactivated, you no longer have it to help the ferment break the fruit down, so you end up with lots of sediment.

I agree with using a more rapid de-pectinizer for very pulpy fruits. Lallzyme C-Max is one of them. We've used it since it came out a few years ago and it seems to work better. Also, it helps in clarification.

 

[loumik]

no suspects left, I like that....i have never figured why people boil the fruit to death, and most of the time they either burn it, are scorch it...

First of all James I don't recall saying anything about boiling any fruit. I used boiling water to dissolve the bentonite. Bentonite, water in blender to make a slurry, then added to must. You should read more carefully before making suggestions and off the wall comments.

 

[loumik]

There are a special pectinase for apples and pears sold by cidersupply.com that might help out, you can test for pectinase or starch hazes, you seem to have run thru all the fining agents, you dont have many suspects left! WVMJ

Thanks for the info WMVJ, I appreciate it.

Larry

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

James is ok, he is one of our "special" posters We have a blender reserved for bentonite and its great for getting tannins dissolved also. WVMJ

First of all James I don't recall saying anything about boiling any fruit. I used boiling water to dissolve the bentonite. Bentonite, water in blender to make a slurry, then added to must. You should read more carefully before making suggestions and off the wall comments.

 

[jamesngalveston]

I stand corrected...I did read it wrong, excuse my old eyes.
That said it may be as other said a pectin haze, and It could be a starch haze, may be it was the warm cider poured over the strainer bag...

You never said what temp the must was at different stages of ferment.