I used to add a teaspoon of glycerine to a DJ of juice wine but one racking i never had any so decided to try it without, both of us couldn't tell the difference, its definitely worth trying one with and one without and see how you find it.
Glycerine
AKA: Glycerol
Uses: Contributes 'fullness' or 'smoothness' when added to a wine. Glycerine also gives the wine 'legs', the viscous drips that run down the side of a glass in which wine is swirled. Stir in 3 to 15 ml per litre of wine immediately before bottling. Use a syringe to measure accurately. Caution: Excessive amounts of glycerine cannot be removed from wine and will give a metallic taste. When in doubt, use a smaller amount and add more later, or only add glycerine to a portion of the wine and blend in the rest later.
Contraindications: Overuse gives wine an alcoholic or metallic flavour. Expectation that it will 'improve' a very harsh or bad-tasting wine is incorrect.
Glycerine - This gives wine a desirable degree of viscosity (thickness)
Natureâââ‰â¢s Answer's alcohol-free extract formulas replace alcohol with natural vegetable glycerin because glycerin helps to bind certain plant constituents and is easily absorbed by the cells. Glycerin occurs naturally throughout the body. It also makes up a portion of the cellular membranes. This gives glycerin an affinity for the body, making it an excellent carrier for herbs. (Natureâââ‰â¢s Answer only uses âââ¬ï¿½"vegetable glycerinâââ¬Ã in their products.) Another advantage of using glycerin over alcohol is that glycerin serves to protect and preserve the potency of the herbal extract in the bottle over the life of the product longer than alcohol would. Since alcohol easily evaporates, it can lose its effectiveness as a preservative for the herbal constituents as the amount of the alcohol in the bottle decreases. Glycerin, due to its viscosity (thickness) aids in maintaining the freshness and potency of the herb for the life of the product. Finally, glycerin has the added advantage of acting as a sugar-free natural sweetener, thus making the taste of some bitter herbs more palatable.
Glycerine
Glycerine is called for in a number of liqueur recipes as a thickening agent. Chemically, it is glycerol, a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting substance with a thick, syrupy consistency. It is also useful in preventing sugar crystallization in candy. In liqueurs, it provides a certain texture to the liqueur, making it feel less thin and watery, in an effort to mimic the texture of some commercial liqueurs produced by distillation (glycerine can be produced as a by-product of fermentation). Glycerine is available in standard, vegetable and Kosher forms, ans should be readily available in wine-making supply stores. Many drug stores have glycerine on the shelf, but there is an ominous "not for internal consumption" warning on the boxes. I have been unable (through next-to-no research) to determine just why that would be, but I strongly recommend a chat with the pharmacist before picking it up. My best guess is that large quantities of pure glycerine might be harmful. But do confirm that it hasn't been denatured or otherwise rendered harmful. Normally, glycerine is a perfectly acceptable food additive.
So anywhere you see glycerine in any of the recipes, remember that it's optional, and won't materially impact the flavor of the liqueur. While glycerine is sweet-tasting, the quantities used are minuscule compared with the granulated sugar you'll be using. So use it or not at your own discretion, but don't worry that it'll ruin the liqueur if you don't.
Just some reviews from the net for anyone interested. The name reminds me of glycol and that puts a red flag up.
The consensus is to use sparingly. As the last sentence says " so use it or not at your own discretion, but don't worry that it'll ruin the liquor if you don't. I have some but very limited use. Cheers DAW
Posted by StockeyDAW
http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?1249-Proper-use-of-glycerine
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