Sparkolloid vs Super Klear

[jamesngalveston]

dave you are correct at about 2 cents a bottle for a 6 gallon, and about 4 per bottle on a 3 gallon, which is nothing.
elmer you all ways hate the soft lees...thats what you get with sparkoloid, and you may get little whispy sediments after bottling with it...sparkoloid you should wait a month before bottleing.

 

[BernardSmith]

dave you are correct at about 2 cents a bottle for a 6 gallon, and about 4 per bottle on a 3 gallon, which is nothing.
elmer you all ways hate the soft lees...thats what you get with sparkoloid, and you may get little whispy sediments after bottling with it...sparkoloid you should wait a month before bottleing.

Chitosan is made from shell fish so vegetarians may want to forgo that product. Is Sparkolloid animal free?

 

[keahunter]

I know that this has been brought up in other threads but, I want to use the SK because of the compact lees and no "whispy ghosts" but my wife has a shellfish allergy. I've read that the SK doesn't contain the proteins of the shellfish so there's no concern but I'm wondering if anyone here with shellfish allergy has actually used the SK? I would rather, but I don't want to kill my wife in the process

 

[dangerdave]

I have heard this concern many times, Bernard. You're not actually drinking chitosan when you have wine cleared by it, any more than you are drinking Sparkolloid if you have used it. The wine clears when the product falls out to be discarded after racking. If used properly, it is not even a concern for people who are allergic to shellfish.

FYI: "Sparkolloid is a fining agent developed by Scott Laboratories for clarification. It is a blend of polysaccharides in a diatomaceous earth carrier and has a strong positive charge. For some, it is the product of choice for clarifying white and blush wines. Sparkolloid is one of the more benign fining materials, and when used in reasonable quantities, it seldom strips wine flavors or aromas. It neutralizes the repelling charge of particulate matter allowing aggregation and formation of compact lees. It does not remove desirable color constituents. It is not a cold stabilizing, heat stabilizing or odor removing agent. 1 tsp. per gallon clarifies naturally by removing protein haze."

 

[jamesngalveston]

your right about no protiens in SK. and as dave pointed out, after it clears there is no trace of SK left...
Is your wife allergic to sulphites.
I know this for fact: 5 out of 10 people who are allergic to shellfish are not.
They are allergic to sulphites...No shell fish in The United States is sold without bisodium phosphate, are bi sodium sulphate...Period.

 

[jamesngalveston]

Sparkolloid Fining Agent

Sparkolloid is a fining agent developed by Scott Laboratories for clarification. It is a blend of polysaccharides in a diatomaceous earth carrier and has a strong positive charge. For some, it is the product of choice for clarifying white and blush wines. Sparkolloid is one of the more benign fining materials, and when used in reasonable quantities, it seldom strips wine flavors or aromas. It neutralizes the repelling charge of particulate matter allowing aggregation and formation of compact lees. It does not remove desirable color constituents. It is not a cold stabilizing, heat stabilizing or odor removing agent. 1 tsp. per gallon clarifies naturally by removing protein haze.

To prepare for adding, it is recommended to use distilled water distilled water. Bring 2 cups to boiling and stir in 1 tsp. per gallon of Sparkolloid. Stir frequently, maintain the mixture at about 180*F. Sparkolloid contains some filter aids that will not dissolve. These particles will be adequately distributed by constant stirring as it is being heated. Agitating the mixture constantly is important. When all the globulues of clarifier have gone into suspension and the mixture is smooth and creamy (about 15 minutes), Slowly stir the Hot Sparkolloid into the wine to be clarified. Sparkolloid produces very fine lees, and the lees settle out of the wine slowly. Consequently, this material should not be used less than 30 days before bottling time, or small amounts may precipitate later in the bottles. Many winemakers allow for an eight-week settling time just to be on the safe side.

 

[jamesngalveston]

a little research:
foods containing shellfish gelatin,protein, etc.

hot dogs

Compost or fertilizers
Fish food
Lip balm, lip gloss
Pet food

Deli meats, hot dogs (from gelatin)
Dips, spreads
Fried foods (from contaminated frying oil)

Ethnic foods, for example, fried rice, paella and spring rolls
Garnishes, for example, antipasto, caponata (Sicilian relish)
Gelatin, marshmallows
Pizza toppings
Salad dressings
Sauces, for example, marinara, Nuoc Mâm, steak and Worcestershire
Seafood soups and broths
Spreads, for example, taramasalata
Sushi (California rolls)
and the fish that eat shellfish, which ends up in there flesh
Anchovy, basa, bass, bluefish, bream, carp, catfish (channel cat, mudcat), char, chub, cisco, cod, eel, flounder, grouper, haddock, hake, halibut, herring, mackerel, mahi-mahi, marlin, monkfish (angler fish, lotte), orange roughy, perch, pickerel (dore, walleye), pike, plaice, pollock, pompano, porgy, rockfish, salmon, sardine, shark, smelt, snapper, sole, sturgeon, swordfish, tilapia (St. Peter's fish), trout, tuna (albacore, bonito), turbot, white fish, whiting.

 

[LoveTheWine]

I added to Chitosan to my WE kit last night.
There was Bentonite already there, and I had the same visual as your.
There were little globs floating about, even more so when I degassed it with the pump.
This is my 1st go round with Chitosan, but I also used Sparkalloid on another batch last night.

I dont have results yet, but for me it is easier to stop at my LHBS for Sparkalloid at $2 for 2OZ, than drive 45 minutes for 1 package if SK for $2

Wow can't believe it's that hard to get. I live in a small town and can find it at: The grocery store, hardware store or LHBS.

 

[BernardSmith]

a little research:
foods containing shellfish gelatin,protein, etc.

hot dogs

Compost or fertilizers
Fish food
Lip balm, lip gloss
Pet food

Deli meats, hot dogs (from gelatin)
Dips, spreads
Fried foods (from contaminated frying oil)

Ethnic foods, for example, fried rice, paella and spring rolls
Garnishes, for example, antipasto, caponata (Sicilian relish)
Gelatin, marshmallows
Pizza toppings
Salad dressings
Sauces, for example, marinara, Nuoc Mâm, steak and Worcestershire
Seafood soups and broths
Spreads, for example, taramasalata
Sushi (California rolls)
and the fish that eat shellfish, which ends up in there flesh
Anchovy, basa, bass, bluefish, bream, carp, catfish (channel cat, mudcat), char, chub, cisco, cod, eel, flounder, grouper, haddock, hake, halibut, herring, mackerel, mahi-mahi, marlin, monkfish (angler fish, lotte), orange roughy, perch, pickerel (dore, walleye), pike, plaice, pollock, pompano, porgy, rockfish, salmon, sardine, shark, smelt, snapper, sole, sturgeon, swordfish, tilapia (St. Peter's fish), trout, tuna (albacore, bonito), turbot, white fish, whiting.

so true and so I choose not to eat any foods made with any animal products... and i choose not to use any dead animals (including shell fish) in my wine making whether the shell fish fall out or not. It's simply a choice my wife and I make and I and she is am happy to live with.

 

[cmason1957]

so true and so I choose not to eat any foods made with any animal products... and i choose not to use any dead animals (including shell fish) in my wine making whether the shell fish fall out or not. It's simply a choice my wife and I make and I and she is am happy to live with.

I can understand why you feel that way. I think if someone close to me was (or felt they were) allergic to shellfish, I would let time do its thing and clear my wine. There is no reason to use super kleer or anything, except for expediency. They all clear given enough time.

 

[jamesngalveston]

I agree with cmason, time will clear any wine.....and if your a vegetarian thats the way i would do it, are allergic to shellfish....
i was amazed at what had hidden animal products in it...
who in the world would think that cheese has animal by products in it.

 

[GreginND]

I rarely use clearing agents other than time and have not used super kleer. But I do have a very stubborn plum wine that has been aging over 1 year now that simply refuses to clear. It has been filtered twice, pectic enzyme, bentonite and lots of time to no avail. I suspect it may be the dreaded waxy stuff from the skins that is keeping it cloudy. Anyone know if super kleer will help in this case?

 

[loumik]

I rarely use clearing agents other than time and have not used super kleer. But I do have a very stubborn plum wine that has been aging over 1 year now that simply refuses to clear. It has been filtered twice, pectic enzyme, bentonite and lots of time to no avail. I suspect it may be the dreaded waxy stuff from the skins that is keeping it cloudy. Anyone know if super kleer will help in this case?

Hello Greg,

I made a plum wine a little over a year ago and bottled it a month ago. I used sparkolloid when it didn't clear in a reasonable time. It's clear as crystal now.
If you don't have sparkolloid, I would think super kleer would probably work just as well.

Good luck,
Larry

 

[yakhunter]

I have some recent empirical evidence to share.

I made my first batch of DB and let it sit and clear for MONTHS because frankly, I was busy. I followed all instructions so used sparkalloid.

It was crystal clear to the eye. I bottled it and let it sit for a couple of weeks and when I took a bottle out to open, it had that wispy smoky sediment.

People on this forum suggested I try SuperKlear. I poured the remaining bottles back into a carboy and added the superklear. The NEXT MORNING there was a 3/8" or so layer of sediment in the bottom! Superklear took a lot of crud out of suspension that Sparkaloid had either left or created.

One vote for Superklear.
Also because I like shellfish because I grew up on Cape Cod. Plus Kielosol and Chitosan sound like Samurai brothers or super heroes or something.

 

[vernsgal]

I know that this has been brought up in other threads but, I want to use the SK because of the compact lees and no "whispy ghosts" but my wife has a shellfish allergy. I've read that the SK doesn't contain the proteins of the shellfish so there's no concern but I'm wondering if anyone here with shellfish allergy has actually used the SK? I would rather, but I don't want to kill my wife in the process

I think with a shellfish allergy I wouldn't take the risk. IMO

 

[BernardSmith]

I agree with cmason, time will clear any wine.....and if your a vegetarian thats the way i would do it, are allergic to shellfish....
i was amazed at what had hidden animal products in it...
who in the world would think that cheese has animal by products in it.

Oh, I think most vegetarians and people who have religious eating taboos are quite familiar with the "hidden" ingredients in processed foods. For instance red food dye can come from a crushed insect - cochneal. What may be hidden from omnivores is quite visible to people who need for one reason or another to be very conscious of ingredients... By the way, milk is an animal product ( a problem for vegans) and rennet can be made from the enzymes found in the stomach of calves ( or made from a vegetable source)....

 

[jamesngalveston]

Been reading becuase its interesting to see what really has animal by products...the ones that really get me is....film,cd,dvd,printer ink,flatscreen tvs...the list goes on and on...weird.

I have picked are had a fresh bananna...the other day i picked one from my tree and it was really good..
Beautiful yellow gold color, so i picked like 2 dozen and put them on my kitchen table, and went shopping ..came home about 2 hours later, and they were black.....2 days after that, the were not edible any longer.

 

[dangerdave]

I've got no allergies, and I'm certainly not a vegetarian. Animals are delicious! That being said, everyone has to make the choice that's best for them.

Here they are: Thirteen days after starting primary fermentation, four days after adding the clearing agents. The Sparkolloid is catching up, but it's still a bit hazy. It usually takes a week for the Sparkoilloid to finish clearing. Like I said, if they taste the same, it's Super Kleer for me from now on!

 

[BernardSmith]

Is it my imagination or does the carboy with Sparkolloid not seem to have more lees on the bottom than the carboy on the left? Or is this simply a reflection from the towel under both containers?

 

[jamesngalveston]

actually it should..its a powder consisting of diatomaceous earth which will fall by its self as lees...and its real fluffy