Sparkolloid

[Rocky]

Disclaimer: I have no vested interest in this product or the company that makes it.

I just wanted to pass along some information on a product that really works well for me when I have a wine that is not clearing as readily as I would expect. The product is Sparkolloid and it is used by mixing 1 tablespoon with 1 cup of boiling water, low boil for 5 minutes and add to 6 gallons of wine. It is good for red and white, but I have only used it thus far on whites.

I have two wine currently in secondary fermenters, a Traminer-Riesling and a Sauvignon Blanc, that were not coming around to clear as fast as I would have hoped so I added Sparkolloid to both, but did the SB the day before the TR. Here are some pictures of the SB two days after addition and the TR one day after the addition. The TR is on the left in the second picture.

EDIT: the one gallon jug in the picture is TR and the 1500 ml bottle is SB

 

[Arne]

Only thing I mite add to that is don't use one of your wifes good pots to boil the spark. in. It is really hard to get it all out. I just use a cheap pot I bought for winemaking. Keeps me out of trouble. LOL, Arne.

 

[Rodnboro]

I like it and it works great, but I have a problem with it making fluffy lees thus making it difficult to rack afterward. Maybe you can share a secret to help with this other than multiple rackings.

 

[hdsae60]

I have the same problem

I like it and it works great, but I have a problem with it making fluffy lees thus making it difficult to rack afterward. Maybe you can share a secret to help with this other than multiple rackings.

Fluffy lees, what can we do about this?

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

We nuke ours in a big coffee much bringing it to a boil 3 times and stirring it each time and adding it hot to the wine, works great. Filtering helps reduce the fluff that might float up while racking. WVMJ

 

[wineforfun]

I like it and it works great, but I have a problem with it making fluffy lees thus making it difficult to rack afterward. Maybe you can share a secret to help with this other than multiple rackings.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

Product works great for clearing but after a month or two in the bottle, I get these "whispy" lees trails.
Have since switched to SuperKleer and not had that problem.

@Rocky I too, would like to know if you have any secrets we are missing that would eliminate multiple rackings to fix the "whispy" problem.

 

[Rocky]

Not really, DJ. I just do multiple rackings very carefully and have not had too much of a problem. I agree that the sediment is very fine and fluffy and it is a pain.

I believe you are saying that you get the "lees trails" in your bottles after bottling. I have not had this problem. I have not tried filtering because the finest filter I have is a 1 micron. One thing that may help me is that when I rack I use an auto siphon and I start the siphon about halfway into the carboy where there is not sediment and then s-l-o-w-l-y lower it to the bottom with minimal disturbance of the lees. Also, I used to be manic about getting every last drop of wine out of the batch but no longer. If I leave a half bottle behind, so be it. I would rather not risk a number of bottles than have a couple glasses go down the drain.

SuperKleer is just Kieselsol and Chitosan, I believe. I agree they are effective fining agents but my experience is I don't get the brilliant clarity from them that I do from Sparkolloid. They do produce a more solid sediment that tends to stay in place and from which it is easier to rack.

 

[cintipam]

Hi all

I waited hoping someone would know about this and post it, but not so far. I have read mentions of a technique that uses a dose of bentonite after the sparkolloid in order to compact the lees better. Since I have a carboy of some yummy to the taste but cloudy to the eye blush wine I guess I'll give it a try and report back if it works. I plan to use sparkolloid, wait a week or so then add the bentonite. I always use both in boiling water then stir in well. The blush has already had several strong doses of pectic enzyme since it is strawberry based, but the wine has not yet cleared. One interesting point is that when this wine hit one year old I racked it out of Better bottles and into a glass carboy for the first time. That day the outside temps did warm up quite a bit, and this one year old wine started burping about 2 burps a minute. This lasted several hours. The wine did clear up a little, but not nearly enough to consider bottling. Anyway hubby and I decided that the temp change combined with being in stable glass for the first time caused the late onset gas release.

It will be a while before I have a final result, but I'll let you all know if it works.

Pam in cinti