Jay wrote:
<snip>
>I'm not sure how
>much to use since my recipe calls for leaf (gold) gelatin. Does anyone know
>how I could convert it? From what I understand, the setting properties of
>agar are quite a bit stronger than that of gelatin and I'm a little bit
>reluctant to experiment with my good wine.
>
>Any suggestions?

Hi Jay.... I've never used leaf gelatin before so I'm not sure what the amount
would compare to...basically, one tablespoon of gelatin equals 1 tablespoon of
agar powder or 3 tablespoons of agar flakes so if you're using the powdered
stuff you should be able to substitute 1 to 1.

I generally use 1 tablespoon of agar powder per cup of liquid unless it's
particularly acidic, then I increase the agar powder by 10% or so... one of the
great things about agar is that if it doesn't set up as much as you'd like, you
can always reheat and add more.

Be sure to soak whatever type of agar you use in the wine first for at least
10 minutes and bring it to a full boil and let it simmer until it totally
dissolves...usually around 8 minutes... it can sometimes be a little tricky to
work with-- if you overcook it it won't set up properly much as if you add too
little it won't be really firm. Takes a little experimenting but it's worth it
:-).

hth,

Cheers,

Fritz