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Sediment problem in Apple Wine
(kksbridge) wrote in message . com>...
...
> So, did adding the extra yeast cause this long sediment production or
> is it because of the nature of apples, or is there another cause? ...
Not sure what is causing the sediment, but doubt it has anything to do
with adding a couple of extra yeast packets during fermentation.
Yeast multiply up to a saturation level pretty quickly, then switch
from reproduction to fermentation. Adding more yeast in the beginning
just means they reach saturation a bit faster. When fermentation is
done, they are generally pretty good about settling to the bottom of
the container.
Apples often have quite a bit of pectin, which tends to hold things in
suspension, so you usually see advice to use some pectic enzyme
(pectinase) to break the pectin down, during fermentation or later.
If you haven't used any pectinase on your existing batches, I'd
recommend adding some now.
Four or five months (October to February) is often enough time for
wines to settle and clarify nicely on their own, but there is no
specific rule - it may have been too early to bottle that particular
batch. You need to make sure that (a) any fermentation has completed,
and (b) the wine is crystal-clear. Even then, wines sometimes do
throw sediments.
If the wine seems stable (no bubbling) but just won't clear on its
own, you can use various fining agents to help any residual particles
of stuff settle out. Most are pretty cheap, readily available at
winemaking supply stores, and come with directions for use.
See Jack Keller's website for a very good overview of clarifying wine,
discussion of when to use different fining agents, etc. Sometimes the
first thing you use doesn't work; if so, the second (or occasionally
third) pretty likely will.
The relevant page on Jack's site is:
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/finishin.asp
Doug
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