1. Home
  2. Winemaking Craft Forum
  3. Lysozyme and fining

Lysozyme and fining

I made a ML-fermentation on a 100 L batch of wine. After completion I added lysozyme (and som sulphite) to stabilize the wine. Before ML-fermentation the wine had already gone through one racking, but with enough yeast materials left for the ML-fermentation.

Now however the wine is very difficult to clear/fine. The lysozyme seems to float like a protein haze in the wine and do not settle (or settle very slowly). Have any of you experienced this before and know what to do? Some tannin is added, but with no apparent effect. Also some test gelatine was added with no effect.

Any suggestions?

Reply to
K.J.Kristiansen
Loading thread data ...

Lysozyme is a protein so it can contribute to a haze. I've also seen it precipitate out other things in reds.

The Mad Kiwi Winemaker (Remove nospam for e-mail)

Reply to
Alastair Thomson

My initial response exactly, Alastair....

... also, silica gel might clear it up. It's a little easier to work with than bentonite, settles faster and more compactly, and is more benign on the organoleptic qualities of the wine.

But I'd highly recommend doing fining trials instead of just tossing in a bunch of agents wantonly.

clyde Steelville, Missouri, USofA

formatting link
formatting link

Reply to
Clyde Gill

Well, as lysozyme is a protein, gelatin will only make the situation worse. I would try silica gel as Clyde suggested.

Alastair, a reason for adding lysozyme to ML-fermented wine is if you want only partial ML - either to stop active ML or to blend ML wine with non-ML wine. I'm in the second situation right now with a Gewurz, I've actually got a stuck ML in 1 batch.

I've experienced something similar (fining issues) with a Zin juice. I don't remember now why I decided to add lysozyme to it, but I did. The wine seemed clear and there was not much sediment but it tasted a bit gritty. Then when I racked it 2 months after, I added some oak chips and grape skin extract for colour and in about 1/2 hr there was a HUGE level of sediment on the bottom, which I suspect is the lysozyme, pulled out by either the oak or the tannin in the extract.

Pp Vancouver, BC, Canada

Reply to
pp

Reply to
K.J.Kristiansen

For more information on Lysozyme check out data at Scott Labs

formatting link
or at Fordras

Q: Lysozyme is a protein. Will it affect protein stability? Yes. Commercial protein stability tests involving acid precipitation indicate that lysozyme treated wines may need more bentonite than wines without lysozyme treatment. This is not, however, always the case. To know for certain how much bentonite is needed, it is critical that standard heat stability tests be performed.

Q: Which fining agents react with lysozyme? Carbon, silica sol, oak chips, and tannin will bind and precipitate lysozyme with a resulting decrease in activity. Bentonite will bind with and inactivate lysozyme.

Q: Which fining agents do not react with lysozyme? Gelatin, potassium caseinate and pectinase do not affect lysozyme activity. In fact, pectinase treatment will help maintain lysozyme activity by breaking-down phenolic compounds that can bind lysozyme.

More FAQ's available at:

formatting link

Reply to
Zack S

DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.