I'm scared, help please!

[burningalive]

Ok....So I bought bentonite to clear my wine. The directions were no help so I just tried to mix 2 tsp with a half a cup of water to add to the wine. It caked up and would go in the carboy! So I figured I'll just pour in a tsp of bentonite right in......well the made my carboy over flow like a volcano! I lost about a cup of wine! Then I did another mix in a bowl and added it to the 6 gallons and stirred it in.....this seemed to work but the mix looked like cement and I was hesitant to add it to the wine. Did I ruin my batch? I hope not it was really going well!

 

[Rocky_Top]

You are fine!!! Things can get messy. Next time take it slower. Add it a little at a time and stir slow.

 

[Wade E]

The initial dose released C02 thats was suspended in your wine and thats what made your volcano. The bentonite does look like cement every time. The trick is to use very hot or even boiling water and mix in the bentonite very slowly while stirring.How much all together did you use as too much will give your wine an earthy flavor?
Edited by: wade

 

[burningalive]

I used about 2 1/2 tsp total (one strait) and two mixed. but I didn't wait long I just mixed it and put it in. I feel really stupid. Also now I've got a little space at the top of my carboy....do you think it would be bad to just add a little water?

 

[Wade E]

I dont know how much you would need to top off but if its just a little bit I guess water would be OK although i dont like to do that. Do you have the ability to find a like wine to use instead. The total amount of Bentonite used is fine so dont worry about that.

 

[NorthernWinos]

The time or two I used Bentonite I was amazed how it set up like concrete....messy stuff.

The last time I put it in the blender and gave it a whirl with quite a bit of warm water and put the slurry in the primary fermenter.....That wine cleared remarkably well.

I love Super-Kleer KC and Isinglass as well.

 

[burningalive]

I did top it off with water since I didn't have a like wine....it was only about half a cup. One other question I had was after 2 weeks should I rack it then bottle it? Or just bottle it? There's probably 1/4 inch of sediment on the bottom right now and I'm guessing there will be more after the clearing.

 

[Eland]

I would not rush to bottling. You didn't say what type orhow long your wine has been in the secondary, but I would let it continue to clear then rack it again. If it hasn't thrown anymore sediment after three weeks or so, you could probably go ahead and bottle.

 

[dfwwino]

If you have that much sediment on the bottom, it sounds like you need a few more rackings, even before adding the finings. As long as you keep your wine topped off and plugged with a sanitized airlock, you can keep it in the carboy for months. Rack every couple of months, add some more sulfites and wait for gravity to clarify your wine. Even if the bentonite sank as a clump to the bottom of your wine and did not clarify it, don't worry. Just let it settle and rack to a sanitized carboy, leaving the bentonite and sediment behind. Then follow Wade's instructions and give the bentonite another try after you've racked enough to leave the natural sediment behind.

 

[gaudet]

If this is one of your first batches, then you are very excited and anxious about bottling it. Trust me, I rushed to bottle my first two batches and they both dropped sediment. I should have waited another month or even two before bottling. But I am the impatient one.

I found that mixing bentonite is a major pain in the butt. But the easiest way to do it is to use almost boiling water and stir for a minute or two, let it set for a few minutes then stir again, (repeat until you have a nice slurry) Another way, which I haven't tried yet is to get a clean sanitized jar & lid and add your appropriate amount of hot water and half the required bentonite. Put the lid on and shake the heck out of it. Repeat the shaking until you think its mixed and then add the rest of the bentonite. Shake well and mix the rest of the slurry until you feel its done. You can then add the slurry as directed.
Edited by: gaudet

 

[burningalive]

It is a Cab-Franc and it's been about 3 months now. So far it's been from the primary to carboy and then racked from that to another carboy. So I figured it was about time to bottle.

 

[gaudet]

You waited longer than I did my first two batches. My third batch (a fruit juice wine) is still sitting in carboy I will probably bottle it right before Christmas. I started it in Sept cleared it with Superkleer in November.

 

[Rocky_Top]

In my opinion. ....... If you just put bentonite in it I would wait 4-6 weeks then rack To a clean Carboy or bucket to bottle.
I bottled my first wine too soon. I got tons of sediment, the flavor was offand do not regret it. I had to have something to drink while working on my second batch.

( I have a stash now, I can wait!!)Edited by: Rocky Top