Limoncello Fining

[fsa46]

How many of our members use a fining agent when making their Limoncello, Orangecello ?

I use Sparkolloid and it comes out crystal clear.

 

[NorCal]

How many of our members use a fining agent when making their Limoncello, Orangecello ?

I use Sparkolloid and it comes out crystal clear.

I will try that next time, thanks for the tip. I just bottled last night and it is cloudy.

 

[stickman]

Keep in mind you may loose flavor if the fining removes the citrus oil suspension that's causing the haze.

 

[CDrew]

What I have seen is that it's crystal clear at room temp. Then when it's chilled to freezer temps it gets cloudy. Not a huge deal but what I've seen making limoncello. So clear in the bottle and cloudy in the freezer. Not sure it's preventable.

 

[fsa46]

Keep in mind you may loose flavor if the fining removes the citrus oil suspension that's causing the haze.

stickman is absolutely correct. It's a matter of taste. I made a batch and fined half of it and the other half didn't. The half I didn't fine did have a little more flavor, however, the half I did fine was still great but crystal clear.

I might add, I've never made Limoncello using grain alcohol in the past ( a batch in progress now ) so I don't know how it will work using the grain alcohol. I will fine half when it's finished and let you know.

Here's a pic of some orangecello that had been fined and still taste awesome. The clarity of the photo doesn't really represent how clear it really is.

It's not difficult to fine just half a batch and you can decide, but stickman is correct when he says you will lose some flavor.

 

[NorCal]

Here is what mine looks like.

 

[fsa46]

Fined Limoncello

 

[Ignoble Grape]

Fined Limoncello

View attachment 59082

What size are your bottles. I'm bottling in 30 days, would like to gift in smaller bottles.

 

[winemaker81]

I run the limoncello base (no sugar) through basket coffee filters before sweetening. Comes out crystal clear.

This method takes a couple of hours to do a 3.5 liter batch -- I have 2 small funnels and run them simultaneously. I typically use 10 to 20 filters, as the filter clog up after 2 or 3 iterations.

My method is to carefully pour the lemon base through filters, stirring up as little of the particles as possible. When I get to the end of the batch, the filters clog faster so I use up more filters.

 

[fsa46]

What size are your bottles. I'm bottling in 30 days, would like to gift in smaller bottles.

750 ml for home use and 5 oz Woozy bottles for gifting.

 

[fsa46]

I run the limoncello base (no sugar) through basket coffee filters before sweetening. Comes out crystal clear.

This method takes a couple of hours to do a 3.5 liter batch -- I have 2 small funnels and run them simultaneously. I typically use 10 to 20 filters, as the filter clog up after 2 or 3 iterations.

My method is to carefully pour the lemon base through filters, stirring up as little of the particles as possible. When I get to the end of the batch, the filters clog faster so I use up more filters.

Yes, I have also done that with excellent results. Patience is required. LOL

 

[Rocky]

Is limoncello supposed to be crystal clear? All the stuff I have ever seen from producers is on the "cloudy" side.

 

[Mike Parisi]

I think people do that just because they think it looks "nicer". Pretty much all of the limoncello I have seen in Italy is cloudy. I just can't see straining it because it will undoubtedly lose some flavor. Here is the batch I just made.

 

[stickman]

That was kind of my point also, citrus essential oils that provide aroma and flavor are extracted by the alcohol, but these oils are not soluble in water, so what you have is a dispersion of small droplets of oil creating the haze. The haze is more pronounced if the droplets are of larger size.

 

[NorCal]

My batch was run through coffee filters twice, bottles are around 8 ounce. They are not cheap, but they are reusable.

 

[Boatboy24]

My batch was run through coffee filters twice, bottles are around 8 ounce. They are not cheap, but they are reusable.

I use 12oz bottles just like that. A small investment to get them up front, but totally reusable, as you stated. I got mine at The Container Store.

I've found that when I'm making it, the extract itself is crystal clear (if I pour it off the zest carefully). The simple syrup is also crystal clear. But the solution clouds up as soon as I mix it up.

Another thing to note is that if you're not using organic lemons, the lemons have a waxy coating that contributes to a haze.

 

[fsa46]

Another thing to note is that if you're not using organic lemons, the lemons have a waxy coating that contributes to a haze.

I drop my lemons in boiling water ( one at a time ) for a second or two ( no more ) and the wax come right off and floats to the top. I then remove it and wipe it clean. I tried other methods but this worked the best for me.

 

[sour_grapes]

That was kind of my point also, citrus essential oils that provide aroma and flavor are extracted by the alcohol, but these oils are not soluble in water, so what you have is a dispersion of small droplets of oil creating the haze. The haze is more pronounced if the droplets are of larger size.

I've found that when I'm making it, the extract itself is crystal clear (if I pour it off the zest carefully). The simple syrup is also crystal clear. But the solution clouds up as soon as I mix it up.

Ahh, the Ouzo effect! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouzo_effect Good call, Stick!

Also see: "
Looking into Limoncello: The Structure of the Italian Liquor Revealed by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering" https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.8b01858

 

[NorCal]

Another thing to note is that if you're not using organic lemons, the lemons have a waxy coating that contributes to a haze.

I picked all my lemons off a tree.