Hazy Viognier

[Boatboy24]

Made a Viognier from a 6 gallon Chilean juice bucket last spring. I tweaked it a bit by adding dried mango and apricots to the primary and had to adjust acid using Tartaric. In secondary, I gave it a little orange and lemon zest (mostly orange). I racked off the sediment and stabilized back in June, then again in December. There is a haze or cloudiness in there that just doesn't seem to want to clear. On Jan 3rd, I moved it into my garage, hoping the cool air might get it to clear. As of Monday, no luck there, so I racked, brought it back in and added Sparkoloid. A few days later, it looks like the Sparkoloid has all settled to the bottom, but the wine is still cloudy.

Thoughts on how to proceed from here? Bentonite? Pectic Enzyme? In what doses? Thanks.

 

[joeswine]

viognier

viognier, is a great white wine but not without it's problems in the production mode. Pectin haze can be the problem, adding pectin enzyme to the mix 1/8th teaspoon should work in a week if not superkleer in a double dose will, time is the answer it will clear.

 

[kevinlfifer]

It took my voigner 4 months to clear after the final racking. I did add elderflowers in primary and golden raisins in secondary I didn't add any clearing agents. I bet Joe is right and the peptic enzyme will do it. Everyone of my white wine drinking friends like it. Hang in there, the tweaks sound like it will be a tasty white.

 

[codeman]

I used a 1 micron filter on my viognier (after sparkolloid had settled) and there's extremely fine particles in mine.

 

[Julie]

I agree with Joe, sounds like you have a pectin haze.

 

[Boatboy24]

Thanks all! I thought it might be pectin haze, but figured I'd give the Sparkoloid a shot. Needed a few things from MoreWine anyway so I added some PE to the list.

 

[geek]

I also agree using pectic enzyme.
My peach wine was hazy as heck and then I treated it with pectic enzyme, that did the trick in a few days.

 

[cmason1957]

I agree that you want to add pectic enzyme, but the amount you want to use is significantly more than the amount you would use, if you had added it pre-fermentation. Alcohol cuts down the effectiveness of pectic. I seem to recall you have to double or triple the amount to use. It is one of the wine making chemicals you almost cannot use to much of. I would add something like a tablespoon, maybe two or three. This from Jack Keller's site:

To treat the wine, for each gallon of wine draw off one cup of wine and stir into it teaspoon of pectic enzyme. Set the treated sample in a warm place (70-80?F.) and stir hourly for four hours. Strain the sample through sterilized muslin cloth and add to the bulk of the wine. Leave the wine at 70?F. for 4-5 days. The haze should clear.

 

[Bmd2k1]

Bringing this Hazy Viognier thread back to life.......as I have one currently that is hazy still after 4months in bulk aging.

How can I tell if the haze is due to pectin or something else?

To this point it has not been treated with K&C or anything else.....just via bulk aging.

Cheers!

 

[Rice_Guy]

Grapes are not exceptionally high in pectin, this is not a high probability. That noted it doesn’t hurt adding pectase.
Infection? Do you have risk factors as high pH? low SO2? residual fermentables as malic acid and sugar?
Protein? you are early in the process so I wouldn’t expect a cloud yet. It doesn’t hurt adding a low dosage / low flavor tannin to see if it is pulled out. Pectase is a protein so it would also be pulled out.

If this was a tank I would suggest bench trials.

 

[winemaker81]

How can I tell if the haze is due to pectin or something else?

Recon by fire? Add a double-dose of pectic enzyme and give it a week. If you see no changes, that wasn't it, but it causes no damage.

It's more likely protein haze. Hit the wine with a bentonite slurry. That will cure protein haze and precipitate everything.

 

[Bmd2k1]

Recon by fire? Add a double-dose of pectic enzyme and give it a week. If you see no changes, that wasn't it, but it causes no damage.

It's more likely protein haze. Hit the wine with a bentonite slurry. That will cure protein haze and precipitate everything.

Rather than K&C? (I don't typically use either -- so I'm a bit unclear what each affects...)

Cheers!

 

[winemaker81]

Rather than K&C? (I don't typically use either -- so I'm a bit unclear what each affects...)

Cheers!

K&C won't clear a protein haze, AFAIK. Bentonite will.

 

[Hazelemere]

Made a Viognier from a 6 gallon Chilean juice bucket last spring. I tweaked it a bit by adding dried mango and apricots to the primary and had to adjust acid using Tartaric. In secondary, I gave it a little orange and lemon zest (mostly orange). I racked off the sediment and stabilized back in June, then again in December. There is a haze or cloudiness in there that just doesn't seem to want to clear. On Jan 3rd, I moved it into my garage, hoping the cool air might get it to clear. As of Monday, no luck there, so I racked, brought it back in and added Sparkoloid. A few days later, it looks like the Sparkoloid has all settled to the bottom, but the wine is still cloudy.

Thoughts on how to proceed from here? Bentonite? Pectic Enzyme? In what doses? Thanks.

bentonite

 

[Hazelemere]

Chilean Viognier 2024 from fresh juice SG 1.083 with D47 yeast (probably the same juice as yours)

Appearance - clear, pale lemon yellow from cooler after bentonite and tartrates settling

Smell - good smell, delicate

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - good, this has improved a lot from last time. It has a bit of a young aftertaste which hopefully will improve over time

 

[Bmd2k1]

K&C won't clear a protein haze, AFAIK. Bentonite will.

what's the least amount of h20 for a bentonite slurry -- for a 6gal batch of vino?

 

[winemaker81]

what's the least amount of h20 for a bentonite slurry -- for a 6gal batch of vino?

Following is what I did the last time I used bentonite. Based upon my usage, 2 tsp bentonite in 1/2 cup water.

Take the time to make the slurry. If you don't, a lot of the bentonite simply drops to the bottom of the carboy, doing nothing useful.

https://wine.bkfazekas.com/using-bentonite-in-winemaking/

 

[Bmd2k1]

Following is what I did the last time I used bentonite. Based upon my usage, 2 tsp bentonite in 1/2 cup water.

Take the time to make the slurry. If you don't, a lot of the bentonite simply drops to the bottom of the carboy, doing nothing useful.

https://wine.bkfazekas.com/using-bentonite-in-winemaking/

Having never used bentonite before -- how long does it typically take to clear a vino?


another curiosity -- I've not used any oak during bulk aging for my viogniers -- does bulk aging w/oak help protein haze whatsoever?

Cheers!

 

[winemaker81]

another curiosity -- I've not used any oak during bulk aging for my viogniers -- does bulk aging w/oak help protein haze whatsoever?

You will probably see action within hours. The wine may appear totally clear within a day. However, I'd give it 1 to 2 weeks to ensure that everything that will drop, has. Laziness may save a racking ...

 

[Ohio Bob]

Having never used bentonite before -- how long does it typically take to clear a vino?

I would take a picture at the same time every day, every 24 hours. You will see a lot of change in the first few days, then it will slow down. Like @winemaker81 says, it may take a few weeks. Your pictures will be helpful for you to decide when you no longer see any difference in the pictures. Then give it one more week.