Kiwi wine update...

Eric,

Two inches is a lot of head space to make up. If you like the taste now anything you add could have a detrimental effect. Personally thats why I have so many different size carboys and jugs. I would rack to a smaller carboy and any remaining into a 1 gallon or smaller jug or bottle. When you next rack you can top off with the smaller jug.

Tom

Did you use any pectic enzyme? If you heated stuff that might have set the pectins. I'm not too familiar with kiwifruit and pectin but that could be the source of the haze.

If you are talking two inches at the top of a standard 5 gal carboy that is very little. You want an inch or so anyway. You could top up with water if you wanted. If you are talking 2 inches in a 1 gal jug, that is a bit more. You probably should top up with something.

But do not top up with cooked apples. If you do not sorbate, that could restart the ferment which would cloud things up again and delay everything. If you do sorbate it would definitely change the flavor. Not good if you already like it. I would not want Apple flavored Kiwi wine.

Racking will not clear your wine. It will get the wine off the sediment. Give it 6 months and see if it clears on its own. If not try pectin enzyme or betonite. But don't rush it.

Ray

Tom,

I presume I can use any one gallon glass jar for the one gallon amount. Do you know where I can locate a three to four gallon carboy. I think I have about 4 gallons of wine total.

Eric

It is still pretty early on in the process so I think the haze is just suspended yeast or other stuff. I did heat some of the kiwi to juice them earlier. What do you mean by "set the pectins". Is this something that can be corrected with pectin enzyme?

Thanks,

Eric

It is two inches from where the neck starts (not from the top) of a five gallon carboy. Is that significant.

Thanks for the advice on clearing. I once had this problem with apple wine and it was simply a matter of adding pectin enzyme. I will wait a good six months before addressing.

Eric

Yes. 1-2" from the bottom of the rubber stopper is the most airspace you want to allow. Some people top of to 1/2", but since this doesn't allow enough room for fluid expansion should the temperature change, I don't recommend it.

Actually, racking may indeed clear the wine. The induction of fresh air _sometimes_ helps wine to clear. Pectic enzyme works best if introduced initially, and it only works if the haze is caused by pectin. Adding 100 ml of methanol (or denatured alcohol) to 30 ml of wine will cause jelly-like clots or strings if there is a pectin haze. If there is no indication of pectin, the enzyme is a waste of time.

Wait a few months and see if it starts to clear. Every wine will clear eventually, if you have the time to wait, but it may take years. Then, if it's a white wine, try bentonite or sparkaloid. For a red wine, try adding tannin (or strong tea) or egg-whites.

Well, when making jams, heat is used to set the pectin so the jam jellies... since there isn't as much water in jam is coagulates...

I think pectic enzyme will get rid of it. Negodki mentioned a test involving denatured alcohol, you can try that and know for sure.

Since it's a young wine though I would just give it some time. If it turns out to be something other than pectic haze, I've had good results with Kieselsol and Chitin finings (sold under the Claro K-C mark) I'd also check for protein haze and treat with bentonite accordingly... processes for all of these things are in the google archives. HTH

Charles,

Is there a way of checking for protein haze (besides adding bentonite or sparkeloid and seeing if it clears)?

As I understand it, there are 4 types of hazes: pectin, protein, starch (with some country wines), and darned-if-i-can-figure-it-out. I know how to cure the first 3, but I'm still looking for a consistent treatment for the last one. :)

Warming a sample up should be a way to detect it... the proteins polymerize and form the haze...

SchlossGoist has a great summary of it:

Eric, next time, don't boil; the water. Unnecessary dribble from the dark ages. Joanne