Sparkalloid vs Super KC

[dsiddall]

I am new to the whole wine thing and have only tried kits. I just received a kit that uses the K-C packet at the end for clearing. I am allergic to shellfish which is a component of the "C" in K-C. Any recommendations for a good substitute? Thanks!
De

 

[Wade E]

There is absolutely nothing to worry about. The proteins from the
shellfish are 100% removed and free from all allergens! This subject
has been covered before and Masta (the forum administrator) can fill
you in on the specifics on this. He frequents all posts very often and
Im sure will chime in very shortly! Welcome to the freindliest forum.
What kits have you done and have you been happy with them?

 

[dsiddall]

Thanks for the info!

I did an island mist strawberry white merlot. Haven't tasted it yet. I will in 3 weeks.
I did a honey mead, and didn't top it off when i racked it, so i will probably have to re-rack in 2 months, add the KC to get it clear, and top off...I think.

the biggest confusion with the mead kit was that it didn't mention anything about topping off...oh well.

Am in the process of starting a Chilean Savignon Blanc, it's in the primary now and I have an airlock on it...didn't with the others, live and learn, and will remember to top off this time when racking to the carboy, I may be old but can still learn...

so I am looking forward to this one turning out closer to "right" than my other 2 attempts, but only time and drinking it will tell.

I don't have enough of the whole process in my brain yet to deviate from a kit, so any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I also found that this site is cheaper than the one I was using and the forum is awesome! I look forward to learning from everyone and having fun. the only bummer is how long it takes to figure out I screwed it up!

De

 

[Wade E]

Just remember the only dumb question is the one not asked! I recomend
getting a 5 gallon carboy and some smaller jugs like a 4 liter and a 3
liter jug. With the red and white kits you could top off with similiar
wine but I think that the money spent would be better invested on
various size carboys as you can use them over and over.I even use 1.5
ml and regular (.750 ml) bottles to rack down to. You will need an
assortment of bungs for these though. These various size carboys come
in handy when making smaller batches or when there is no commercial
wine to top up with.

 

[rshosted]

I tried to find where I read about legislation being proposed in california that would require wine makers to list that thier wines may have shellfish in them. Instead I found this. It would seem to indicate chitosan may not only clarify, but also help preserve and prevent wine from going bad:

Chitosan, derived from chitin found in the exoskeleton of shellfish, is
used for many purposes, including a dietary supplement and food
preservative. Scientists at Southbank University in London found that
microbial growth in a chitosan-glutamate-coated shrimp mayonnaise salad
was inhibited by a 4 log reduction after four weeks at standard
refrigerated temperatures.

 

[masta]

Welcome dsiddall and we are glad to have you aboard and here are some details pulled from previous posts about the K-C fining agent which is also known and soldas Super-Kleer. Wine kit maker RJ Spagnols uses this exclusively in it's kits now.



Super-Kleer is a great fining agent to use since it is two different compounds and they attract both positive and negative particles and you need to degas well before using or it will not be effective.


Super-Kleer contains Kieselsol and Chitosan


Kieselsol is a proprietary name for a fining agent belonging to the class of silica dioxides and has an action very similar to that of bentonite. Silica dioxides electrostatically bind with positively charged proteins in wine and initiate flocculation and settling.



Chitosan is a non-proteinaceous fining agent, a polysaccharide of the Sucrose Polymer family. It is derived from chitin extracted from ocean shellfish, the same organic material that makes up fingernails and human hair. It works by a process of molecular adsorption, where the Chitosan has an electrical charge, which attracts oppositely charged particles clouding the wine, binding them and pulling them out of suspension.
It s also used as a food additive and dietary supplement. Although it is derived from shellfish, there is absolutely no danger of any allergic reactions to the product, as there are no allergens left after the Chitosan is processed.


You don't not have to worry about using chitosin if you have a shellfish allergy and Tim V. discussed this in great detail last year at Winestock. Here is a quote from him summing up the facts:


"Lawyers make us put the shellfish warning on. Chitosan can't hurt you. Allergies are predicated on the presence of a foreign protein, and chitosan is protein free.
Essentially they take lobster and shrimp shells and boil them in sodium hydroxide (lye), filter and neutralize them, and then boil them in S-H again. Fractionated and powdered after that, it's actually a very complex form of sugar, so can't provoke allergies.
Our production manager, Larry can't come with us into seafood restaurants because the steam coming off a pot of boiling crabs sends him into anaphylactic shock.
He can drink chitosan."