Cloudy Wine!

[Elmer]

I took a flash light to my new batch of wine. I noticed it is super cloudy, except for where it has been topped of.
I have all intention of bulk ageing until November, when I bottle, with a racking or 2 in there.

However when I went to top off a batch of older wine, with some of my older made wine, I noticed that wine was cloudy as well.

I see a running theme with my wine, cloudy!


I know store bought wine can be crystal clear.
I want that!

I always add the bentonite in the begining. And at the end I add liquigel & Siligel that comes with the kit. However I dont think Liquigel or Siligel does anything, since all my wines tend to be cloudy.
So
What do I add?
When do I add it?
Do I do it while bulk ageing?Before bottleing
Does allowing it to settle during bulk ageing aide in clarity?
Should I just be patient?

I am trying to really make the best wine I can make.
I am tired of making cloudy, low grade table wine!

Thanks for any help!

 

[TonyP]

Sorry Elmer, but getting wine to clear is not only possible, it's easy. Here's what I feel are the important points for kits:

1. For clearing always follow directions. For example, some kits require sediment to be stirred back into solution.
2. Make certain wine is fully degassed.
3. Add clearing agents when appropriate.
4. Get rid of sediment from time to time.
5. Be patient.
6. Clean and sanitize properly.

One last point, don't bottle cloudy wine. Wine never clears in the bottle.

 

[jswordy]

I'm thinking it might need to be degassed, TonyP. How about you?

 

[Elmer]

Sorry Elmer, but getting wine to clear is not only possible, it's easy. Here's what I feel are the important points for kits:

1. For clearing always follow directions. For example, some kits require sediment to be stirred back into solution.
2. Make certain wine is fully degassed.
3. Add clearing agents when appropriate.
4. Get rid of sediment from time to time.
5. Be patient.
6. Clean and sanitize properly.

One last point, don't bottle cloudy wine. Wine never clears in the bottle.

I always follow the directions. ( add everything from the kit)
I stir occasionaly and dump sediment when I rack.
I clean and sanitize

I always assumed that stirring in an attempt to degas just moves the sediment around instead of letting it settle!

Does it hurt to add additional clearing agents?

 

[jimmyjames23]

You can give egg whites a shot.

Guaranteed results and its cheap and organic.

 

[TonyP]

I always follow the directions. ( add everything from the kit)
I stir occasionaly and dump sediment when I rack.
I clean and sanitize

I always assumed that stirring in an attempt to degas just moves the sediment around instead of letting it settle!

Does it hurt to add additional clearing agents?

I'd say helping to clarify (perhaps egg shells) is fine to help the process along, but my preference is for you to figure out why your wine's not clearing without the extras. So, I'm wondering about your comment on stirring to degas moving sediment. If that's what you're doing, it creates two problems. First, bringing the sediment back into solution inhibits degassing. Second, you have to wait for the sediment to clear all over again.

My suggestion is to rack prior to degassing.

 

[Elmer]

The only time I transfer the sediment or must is during the 1st initial transfer from the bucket to a carboy.
after that I dont put any of the sediment into the carboy from my 1st rack.

I guess it is possible for some of the cloudy must from the botttom gets sucked up in the siphon, but I just assumed young wine was cloudy!

Maybe I just need a few months!

 

[jimmyjames23]

Time is your friend. And if you leave it alone it will clear on its own. When racking are you putting the hose/racking cane right to the bottom?

 

[jimmyjames23]

Personally I would leave it alone. Don't look at it, think about it, pay any attention to it whatsoever… Especially DO NOT stir it.
Let it sit for another 15 to 30 days and have another look. If you like what you see then racket. If it still cloudy add an egg white according to very specific directions and within 10 days you will have crystal-clear wine.

 

[Elmer]

Time is your friend. And if you leave it alone it will clear on its own. When racking are you putting the hose/racking cane right to the bottom?

I used, but have learned my lesson.
I angle the siphon in the carboy,to just about and inch above the bottom. This is why I tend to lose some wine when I rack.
This is also why before I learned to top off, I was only making 24 bottles out of what was supposed to be 6 gallon kit.


So I will let it sit and then rack in 1 month or 2.
If it is not clear I will follow the egg instructions and hope for the best.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[TonyP]

Elmer, one last point and I'll let this go. In terms of topping off, a loss of six bottles is a tremendous amount and I'd work at getting that down to one. When you rack and get down to the last gallon or less, gently tilt the carboy onto its edge to around a 45 degree angle. This will allow wine to accumulate and you'll get more siphoned. Also, the siphon has a cap on the bottom to help protect you from taking in too much sediment. Overall though, I'd prefer taking up some sediment to topping up excessively.

 

[robie]

Put that sediment in a sealed glass container in the frig for a week or so. It will settle and allow you to use a sanitized turkey baster to draw the clear wine off the top and back into your carboy.

You may have misunderstood TonyP. You only want to purposely rack over the sediment just before you add the clarifiers. After that you don't want to rack it over.

You didn't mention if you actually do fully degas your wine. Do you? Do you keep the carboy under an air lock? Did you add the stabilizer(s) per instructions?

Wine that is not degassed will take much longer to clear.

You should not ever have to use a second dose clarifiers, like egg whites or any other on a kit wine.

 

[Elmer]

Put that sediment in a sealed glass container in the frig for a week or so. It will settle and allow you to use a sanitized turkey baster to draw the clear wine off the top and back into your carboy.

You may have misunderstood TonyP. You only want to purposely rack over the sediment just before you add the clarifiers. After that you don't want to rack it over.

You didn't mention if you actually do fully degas your wine. Do you? Do you keep the carboy under an air lock? Did you add the stabilizer(s) per instructions?

Wine that is not degassed will take much longer to clear.

You should not ever have to use a second dose clarifiers, like egg whites or any other on a kit wine.

Yes I add all the stabilizer and clarifiers that come with the kit. I follow all the instructions as they are listed.
I keep the carboy under airlock, topped of to just under 2inch from the top.
I stir the heck out of it right before I add all the clarifier, as the instruction indicates.

In the past, with other wines I have stirred once a month, but I am reluctant to do so, since it would just mix in anything that has settled down!