How to clear wine?

[TimBass]

Hi guys,

I'm brewing a winebuddy Chardonnay 30 bottles kit. The fermentation has stopped. I have added all finings. Instruction says that it should take 24h for clearing. Today is a third day and it still cloudy. From my research I guess this happening because of CO2 amount in wine. I have tried to degas it but I think I failed. Questions are:

Can I opened the bucket and try to degas it again? Or better not to do it?

I got a brew fridge, will a cold crash help? Or better just to leave it and wait?

PS. go easy on me, this is my first wine kit :)

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Can I opened the bucket and try to degas it again? Or better not to do it?

Yes but make sure you sanitize anything you touch the wine with.

If you are going to make wine regularly buy or make one of these - How to degas wine with a home made degassing wand

I got a brew fridge, will a cold crash help? Or better just to leave it and wait?

Cold does help but after 3 days i bet its the original degassing that caused it to stay cloudy.

 

[TimBass]

Yes but make sure you sanitize anything you touch the wine with.

If you are going to make wine regularly buy or make one of these - How to degas wine with a home made degassing wand



Cold does help but after 3 days i bet its the original degassing that caused it to stay cloudy.

I have this one dagasing tool. But I think my mistake was too quick spinning...

 

[lupinehorror]

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I have this one dagasing tool. But I think my mistake was too quick spinning...

I don't think you can overdo it once the CO2 has gone its gone, i wonder if its a pectin haze, you could try adding more fining if you can get hold of some or let it clear naturally.

 

[TimBass]

I don't think you can overdo it once the CO2 has gone its gone, i wonder if its a pectin haze, you could try adding more fining if you can get hold of some or let it clear naturally.

How long will it take to clear naturally? Approximately

 

[Chippy_Tea]

How long will it take to clear naturally? Approximately

I have always used fining so couldn't tell you but i would imagine its several weeks rather than 48 hours with a decent fining.

 

[latchy]

I have a similar problem with a Beaverdale 30 bottle Pinot, instructions say it should be clear in 3 - 7 days, it's 5 days now and no clearer than 2 days ago, does it matter how long it takes? Or could I siphon into a bucket and use finings to clear again?
It is my first 30 bottle kit I don't want to knacker it by bottling while still a little cloudy.
Started the whole process over 3 weeks ago now Sunday 13th December in 23 litre bucket.
Everything seemed to be going to plan until now.
Transferred at 1010 into a Youngs Fermenter(with the black screw top) on 19th, by xmas day was down to 990, with bubbles less than 1 every couple of minutes so added stabiliser.
Started degassing with drill degasser on 27th, 1st finings added on 30th, 2nd on 31st and turned the heat pad off, I'd kept it at 20.3 C until then with temp controller and heat pad.
Since then its been fluctuating between 13 and 15C (too warm maybe to clear?).
Todays hydrometer reading a little higher than a couple of days ago and tastes a little more bitter too.
I tried ringing Ritchie products but no answer probably due to covid.
Sorry to give so much info

 

[latchy]

would wilko pectolase do the trick? Hoping to get some tomorrow

 

[Chippy_Tea]

would wilko pectolase do the trick? Hoping to get some tomorrow

Pectolace is not designed to clear wine so no, if you want to clear it quick you need finings KwiK clear and youngs clear it are the fastest i have used.

 

[latchy]

Pectolace is not designed to clear wine so no, if you want to clear it quick you need finings KwiK clear and youngs clear it are the fastest i have used.

Thanks Chippy. I got a sachet of finings from a local shop today the same stuff as one of the sachets in the kit. It says young beer finings on it. It's chitosan or something like that. I'll be home later to siphon the wine off the sediment and stir in the finings. See how it looks at the weekend. Thanks again

 

[Stephen Cook]

I clear my wine with dried, powdered eggshell.

It takes about a month. But it works.

Mind you, I should note, it reduces acidity so you may need to add some back in to balance it once cleared.

 

[latchy]

Similar to the crustacean shells that are in Chitosan I suppose

 

[latchy]

In for a penny! Just added this

poured straight in and gave a stir fingers crossed I'll be bottling at the weekend. And it won't look like this

 

[Stephen Cook]

Similar to the crustacean shells that are in Chitosan I suppose

Aye, I reckon so

 

[johncrobinson]

If one takes care with pectin and starches wines WILL clear of their own accord

 

[Gerryjo]

I clear my wine with dried, powdered eggshell.

It takes about a month. But it works.

Mind you, I should note, it reduces acidity so you may need to add some back in to balance it once cleared.

Just reading an old book on country wine and came across this fining method for the first time. Great to hear it being used..

 

[Stephen Cook]

If one takes care with pectin and starches wines WILL clear of their own accord

I'm personally not bothered in the slightest about pectin haze. I am only bothered about yeast and other solids. Given enough time, it is generally true they will drop out. But, this can sometimes take many months and, very occasionally for reasons that are outside of my knowledge base, they simply do not drop out of their own accord even after many months. But, if I use dried eggshells they do.

Always.

I also wonder, though cannot be certain due to lack of knowledge about the underlying chemistry, that any pectin haze is significantly diminished with dried eggshells. But, perhaps the haze was not pectin based. In any event, using dried eggshells makes my wine significantly better in terms of clarity and taste (notwithstanding the issue of acidity I mentioned up-thread) than if I did not use it.

So, I use dried eggshells.

 

[Drunkula]

Did a winebuddy cab sauv kit a few weeks ago and even at 1c it didn't clear after a few days with the 3 part finings. I used half a teaspoon of gelatine in water, left 15 mins then microwaved it to 65c and poured that in, and in 24 hours it was insanely clear. I think it even took some of the colouring out from the flavour pack.

 

[latchy]

I've taken it off the sediment into a fermentation bucket today (4 weeks since I started the kit) but it is still hazy even after adding the chitosan 3 days ago. How long can I leave it before bottling without it going off? Or could I add more finings? I got 100g of Young's Bentonite today it says to use 28.3g per gallon so that's the whole pot! It says nothing on the label about mixing with water or some of the wine, as I've read online.