# Glycerine and Glucose



## petes (Jun 29, 2009)

I've been reading on various forums (fora?) use of these ingredients, never together, as a means of 'smoothing' and increasing mouth feel - 'thickening' in wines.
Each seems to have the same effect as the other - I'm confused and I suspect some of the posters have been too.
Can anyone clarify here please?


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## Tom (Jun 29, 2009)

According to Jack Kellers site
Glucose: 
One of two simple fermentable sugars in grapes and other fruit, the other being fructose. Glucose is approximately half as sweet as fructose. 
Glycerin: 
See Glycerol. 
Glycerol: 
A colorless, odorless, slightly sweet, syrupy substance produced naturally during fermentation that gives the palate an impression of smoothness in a wine. Also known as glycerin. 
Still confused? 
Corn sugar is a blend of Glucose and water. So, I believe Glucose in in Glycerine. WADE??


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## Luc (Jul 11, 2009)

Glucose is sugar and will ferment or may start fermentation again.

Glycerine is an alcohol. Not the ordinary drinking alcohol (ethanol) but a so called higher-alcohol. It is formed during the wine-making process as a by-product from fermentation.
It is the material that makes the 'teardrops' on the wineglasses happen in a great wine (like my elderberrywine).
It is also sold in bottles (over here in the Netherlands and Belgium) as an addition for winemaking.
It will give you a better mouthfeel.
It's use it son very widespread anymore as far as I know.

It is better winemaking procedure to plan your wines upfront instead of doing additions afterwards. So in a thin wine use raisins and/or bananas to produce mouthfeel.

Luc


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## Tom (Jul 11, 2009)

LUC,
How many banana's would you use in 23 ltr?


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## Luc (Jul 12, 2009)

I normally use about 1 kilo overripe banana's per 10 liter.

I once added 3 kilo to a fermenting 30 liter plum wine and thought it was too much. The whole house had a lovely banana smell.
Then after a while the banana smell went away and in the end no trace of banana's was found in the wine....

Banana's tend to blend in nicely. It is unlikely in my experience that
you will find any smell or flavor back when used in a vigorous fermentation (all smell will be blown out) and in a modest amount.

Luc


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## BettyJ (Jul 13, 2009)

*glycerin question*

Are there any differences between what you can buy at the drug store and what the wine suppliers sell?


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## Luc (Jul 13, 2009)

Well, it is all about bacterial and fungus contamination.

Wines are likely to spoil when bacteria get to it or fungus.
That is why we also use sulphite. So most winemaker materials and add-ons are made as clean as possible.

Now goods bought at the drug-store are normally made for 
health use or any other use for the human body. Therefore they
are likely to be bacteria and fungus free. And could therefore
be used for winemaking.

Two things however come to mind.
- Concentration might be different.
- Prices from a drug-store might be different as from your local home brew shop. I do not know which one would be cheaper.

I do know drug-stores over here are selling citric acid for much higher prices as home brew shops do. The argument is that anything involving human health or body is worth a high price.

Luc


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## petes (Jul 13, 2009)

Luc,
Thank you for your postings on my query, very helpful.
FWIW I have often used bananas from start of fermentation to increase 'feel'; found as you say, do not add any flavour. Now raisins......


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