# sparkolloid not working



## damudman (Mar 26, 2013)

My question is can sparkolloid go bad.
I have 4 different batches I am trying to clear
Raspberry , skeerpee, dragon blood and grape concord.
I treated all four about 10 days ago and not one of them have started to clear.
They all were degassed , and I let them set for 4 days before I added sparkolloid.
I did the puff test all were good.


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## Ernest T Bass (Mar 26, 2013)

I'm not sure, but it's pretty much clay and I don't see how clay can go bad. I've used it a lot and had good results. Usually clears in a day or two at most. The way I use it for a gallon of wine is to boil about 5 or 6 oz's of water - don't add the sparkolloid until the water is boiling, keep a jar of hot water handy because as the water boils away you have to add some, try and maintain the level of water the same as when you started. When the water is boiling add a lite tsp of sparkolloid and stir the boiling water constantly, adding water as needed. Boil for 20 minutes and add to cold wine while sparkolloid is hot. Add a little and stir, then add some more over a period of about 30 seconds. Install air lock and it had always cleared for me. This is to be done after adding k-meta and sorbate. That may not be the right way, but that is how I was told to do it. Hopefully someone with more experience will come on and tell you a better way, then we will both learn something.
Semper Fi


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## Sammyk (Mar 26, 2013)

My method is different. I boil water add the water to a 1/2 cup measuring cup and add the Sparkelloid stir a few minutes and then add it to the carboy and rack on top of the slurry. I have never had a problem of it clearing except my peach and I had to use Bentonite to clear it.


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## oldwhiskers (Mar 26, 2013)

I generally boil for 15 to 20 minutes and stir into the wine. The only time I have had a problem was when I did not degass fully.


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## Sammyk (Mar 26, 2013)

+1 on the wine being gassy especially since it is 4 wines you are talking about.


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## damudman (Mar 27, 2013)

Sammyk said:


> +1 on the wine being gassy especially since it is 4 wines you are talking about.



They all were fully degassed . I could see maybe 1 out of 4 maybe, but 4 are in 5 gallon carboys 4 in 1 gallon jugs. Not 1 out of the 8 have started to clear.
Thats why I am thing it has to be the sparkolloid.
They all were degassed with a drill and paddle over several days.


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## oldwhiskers (Mar 27, 2013)

Did the wines have tannin and pectic enzyme in the recipes? Both aid in clearing, but not to be added in excess of the norms.


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## damudman (Mar 27, 2013)

oldwhiskers said:


> Did the wines have tannin and pectic enzyme in the recipes? Both aid in clearing, but not to be added in excess of the norms.



yes 2 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme, 1 tsp tannin .
These were all 6 gallon batches.


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## saramc (Mar 27, 2013)

How much sparkalloid per gallon? Plus WinemakerMag recommends a 30 day even up to 3-6 month wait after Sparkalloid addition because it tends to have a long fallout.


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## oldwhiskers (Mar 28, 2013)

Well with what you have told us they should be clearing. Wine clears better with the temperature of the wine between 70º-75ºF and the hot Sparkolloid mix should be stirred in gently. Outside of this, you may have to either let it clear with time or try another fining agent.


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## dangerdave (Mar 28, 2013)

For me, _cloudy wine = pectin haze_. One of the first things I learned when starting this hobby was, "Ninety percent of all cloudy wine problems is pectin haze." _Every_ persistantly cloudy wine I have had has been caused by it. Even if pectic enzyme was added to the primary, the amount of pectin---which differs with the fruit used---could have overwhelmed the dose. I would redose them again with the pectic enzyme. It will clear, and the enzyme will not affect the wine at all.

Trust me...


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## Sammyk (Mar 28, 2013)

On my peach wine, I back flavored with simmered down peaches and then pectic enzyme. When I first posted it would not clear it was suggested more pectic enzyme and it still did not clear.

The bentonite started working 24 hours later. I don't recall how many days later it was that we bottled it because it was clear!
Now I think I know why my peach wine looks more like cider, the peaches had oxidized before I used them, making them look dark. Thus my darker colored peach wine.
I did add lemon juice to the water I used to skin them but maybe not enough.


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## dangerdave (Mar 28, 2013)

Thanks, Sammy. There are always exceptions to the pectin haze problem. Very good point!


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## Sammyk (Mar 28, 2013)

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f6/peach-wine-i-believe-bentonite-photos-36341/ 

Take a look at the difference before benonite and after!
We sell bentonite in our business, I buy it in 50 pound boxes. It used to clear cloudy ponds and works like a charm.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f6/peach-wine-i-believe-bentonite-photos-36341/


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## damudman (Mar 29, 2013)

I racked my dragon blood and added super-kleer,
12 hours latter and it is almost clear.
I am going to rack my raspberry and add some new sparkolloid
and see if it clears the raspberry.


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## damudman (Mar 29, 2013)

After 12 hours of adding super-kleer


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## oldwhiskers (Mar 29, 2013)

It's trying to get there. Give it a couple of weeks or so and if it keeps the haze, I would try some more pectic enzyme, but don't do any stirring without racking off of the residue on the bottom.

Glad to see you made some progress on clearing. Generally I have had no problems with the Sparkolloid as long as the fermentation was complete, the wine was within 70°-75°F and it was fully degassed. Generally when mine are complete and I degass, the next day I generally have a larger amount of lees on the bottom and a clearing line that keeps dropping every day. When the clearing line gets to the bottom I rack off of the lees and then add the Sparkolloid for the final clearing and polishing.


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## damudman (Mar 29, 2013)

I did add some more pectic enzyme just to be safe


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## damudman (Mar 31, 2013)

nice and clear now super-kleer did the trick


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## dangerdave (Mar 31, 2013)

Or was it the pectic enzyme...?


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## damudman (Mar 31, 2013)

dangerdave said:


> Or was it the pectic enzyme...?



nope. super-kleer 
The 1 gallon jug I hit with sparkolloid again 
still not clear


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