Cellar Craft Instructions-vs-Enzyme packet-vs-SG

[Sipper]

Hi again everyone,
The Barbera I am about to re-rack was different than any other kit I've gotten from George because it was the first time Ireceived an Enzyme packet.
The Question:
The instructions say to ferment in primary at 10 days, 10 days for the secondary, but to add the enzyme packet when you rack to the secondary.

I'm thinking you want to add the enzyme packet while you still have active yeast, which means to me, if the primary ferments to dry, you don't have active yeast during thesecondary fermentation. Since I wasn't clear on the purpose of the enzyme packet, I naturally assumed the part about needing active yeast, and decided to not go the full ten days on the primary, but went by the SG instead.I did this becauseI still had "bubbling" going on,,,, although it was slowing down to a great degree.

If I had NOT had the enzyme packet, I wouldn't have worried about the primary going to dry and would have let it set for the full ten days before racking to the secondary.
I figured if fermentation was still happening in the primary,and the SG was 1.00 or below, I would still have active yeast in the secondarywhen I added the enzymeas Iracked it. Was my thinking logical or did I mess up my Barbera?
Sipper

 

[ibglowin]

You didn't mess up the wine. The enzyme packet breaks down a white protein ring that forms on some of the cellar craft red wines. The only real rule on the addition of the packet (and it should have a small instruction sheet in the kit that says this) is that you don't add the packet until you have racked off the gross lees. Bentonite (which is the clay stuff) will deactivate the enzyme. The enzyme does not need yeast for anything.

If you added the enzyme while the gross lees was still there then it will probably not work. But not all of the kits have the problem. Cellar cradft just adds it now to all the kits as an insurance policy like the included packet of sorbate. If a white ring forms you will have to see about getting another packet from either George (if you purchased from him) or from cellar craft directly.

 

[Sipper]

Thanks Mike,
That clears things up. I checked and there were no other instructions in the kit, but none the less,,,, I added the enzyme in the secondary so it should be Okay since it's off of the gross lees and Bentonite. Appreciate the help.
Sipper

 

[Sipper]

I meant there were no special instructions about the enzyme packet. Just the normal instruction sheet which told me when to add it.
Thanks again Mike.
Sipper

 

[cpfan]

What kit is this? RJ Spagnols or Cellar Craft?


Steve

 

[ibglowin]

Pretty sure it's the Cellar Craft Italian Barbera- with "Crushed grape pack".

 

[Sipper]

Hi CPfan,
It's the Cellar Craft Italian Barberaw/GPack. Ibglowin let me know about the enzyme packet and explained that it's not about the yeast at all, but instead, it's to keep a certain "white ring" from forming on the must.

 

[ibglowin]

Here is the instructions from an old post when they first started adding in the enzyme pack.

 

[cpfan]

Hi CPfan,


It's the Cellar Craft Italian Barberaw/GPack. Ibglowin let me know about the enzyme packet and explained that it's not about the yeast at all, but instead, it's to keep a certain "white ring" from forming on the must.

Thanks Sipper. I thought that enzyme packets only came in Cellar Craft kits. But this thread is in the RJ Spagnols forum. Thus the reason for my question.


BTW, you generally get better answers if you tell us the exact kit you are making from the beginning.


Steve

 

[ibglowin]

Moved thread over to Cellar Craft.