Liquid or powder?

[jsmahoney]

Is there a difference between liquid Pectic Enzyme and the powder Pectic Enzyme besides one being liquid and one powder?

 

[Wade E]

Not sure but I think so. Ive only used the liquid concentrate as it is
very small and you dont need very much of it. I think I use 1 tsp. per
6 gallons.


Edited by: wadewade

 

[Flossie Mae]

The difference is the obvious and also the amounts to use, and the price.

 

[jsmahoney]

My first purchase was the liquid, and then I read the bottle and it said refrigerate after opening. Daaa! It has been sitting along side the rest of my wine supplies. So, I ended up throwing it away, since I had it for quite some time not knowing if it was good or bad, and not wanting to take the chance. The next purchase was the powder! Maybe I should carry both? That way when a recipe calls for liquid or powderI have it on hand. Gee! My cupboards are bare in the kitchen, but not in the wine room. he! he!

 

[Wade E]

I believe the liquid is a concentrate. I would just use the recommended
dosage on the packet though. I know with the liquid it is 1/4 tsp. per
5 gallons.

 

[jsmahoney]

Thanks wadewade! Hey, I love dogs, and not trying to get personal, but is that your dogs name? wade!? Please don't tell me that it is really your name.

I think he looks cool! I will post my house dog when I get more time.

 

[Wade E]

I'll give you a hint, the dogs name is Thor !

 

[jsmahoney]

Well, thor, I think you are a Great looking K-9!

 

[Wade E]

Handsome and dumb as a stump.

 

[NorthernWinos]

I keep my powdered peptic enzyme in the fridge with the yeast...read it had a short shelf life, so...thought refrigeration might help.

 

[Wade E]

Anyone know if your supposed to refrigerate the tiny bottle of pectic
enzyme. It does not say anything about it on the bottle but I dont
think they would be able to fit it either.

 

[jsmahoney]

wadewade, my first purchase was a liquid tiny bottle of pectic enzyme, in which I had left with the rest of my supplies on the shelve. After studying my contents of wine supplies, I notice on my tiny bottle it said to refrigerate after opening. I hadn't, and it had been sitting there for about four months. I got worried and threw it away. That is when I purchased the powder and now I wonder really what the difference is between the both.

 

[Wade E]

I've heard that the powder should be refrigerated but did not know that
the tiny eye dropper bottle had to. Maybe they should print it on all
the bottles huh.

 

[PeterZ]

Enzymes are complex organic molecules. As such, they are subject to oxidation and breakdown. They should be refrigerated, as all chemical reactions are temperature dependant. The warmer it is, the faster the reaction.

That being said, anything that is a powder in concentrate form will have a better shelf life as a powder than as a liquid solution.

 

[jsmahoney]

Thanks PeterZ!

 

[bmorosco]

Enzymes are complex organic molecules. As such, they are subject to oxidation and breakdown. They should be refrigerated, as all chemical reactions are temperature dependant. The warmer it is, the faster the reaction.

That being said, anything that is a powder in concentrate form will have a better shelf life as a powder than as a liquid solution.

Ok so why can't you make your own out of the powder or don't enzymes work like that? That way if it is easier to keep the powder that would be the way to do it...I know I am prob. missing something here....

 

[PeterZ]

Not at all, bmorosco. Making highly concentrated solutions is hard, but using the powder is easy. Just mix it in. You are adding such a small concentration that it will dissolve on its own. Also, the weaker the solution, the faster it breaks down. Just keep it sealed in a glass jar (baby food jars are great - and cheap. Just buy the cheapest baby food on the shelf and throw away the contents.)

This all applies to organic chemicals. For inorganics, there are two classes we need to worry about (nobody worries about salt going bad

). Reducers, like K-meta, are stable as long as they are not exposed to oxidizers - like air. This applies to both powder and strong solutions.

Oxidizers are the fly in the ointment. Commercial grade sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) comes as a 12% active solution in water. In a month in an unopened drum it is down to about 9% and the degradation continues. Grocery bleach is 3% NaOCl, and is good for about 6 months before losing 50% of its potency.

The moral of this story is that your powdered K-meta will last a long time if stored well (no air, no moisture). Powdered B-brite and C-brite hold up well if kept away from moisture. Solutions of B-brite and C-brite should be used in less than a week.

 

[bmorosco]

So by the sound of the discussion the weaker the solution, the faster it breaks down. So when you make your own you want to start with a higher concentration for longer storage. Overall I am getting that a Powder is much easier than the liquid form because of the Oxidizers.

 

[PeterZ]

So by the sound of the discussion the weaker the solution, the faster it breaks down. So when you make your own you want to start with a higher concentration for longer storage. Overall I am getting that a Powder is much easier than the liquid form because of the Oxidizers.

That's true of everything except oxidizers like B-brite and C-brite (and bleach). With oxidizers, the more concentrated, the faster it breaks down. I don't know why.