Original Pee ---Sediment

[Sammyk]

I added the campden tablet (1 per gallon), sorbate and Sparkolloid 3 days ago. Pee is fairly clear but there is a small amount of sediment on the bottom of the carboys. Should there be any at all? Is this a fining sediment?

Also I say fairly clear because the slurry was raspberry and plum so there is a slight color to the pee. To me crystal clear means as clear as a glass of water.

Should this just be left or should it be racked again? While I have other fruit wines going, I have not added the final additives yet so I have no idea what to expect. SG is .99

 

[robie]

I added the campden tablet (1 per gallon), sorbate and Sparkolloid 3 days ago. Pee is fairly clear but there is a small amount of sediment on the bottom of the carboys. Should there be any at all? Is this a fining sediment?

Also I say fairly clear because the slurry was raspberry and plum so there is a slight color to the pee. To me crystal clear means as clear as a glass of water.

Should this just be left or should it be racked again? While I have other fruit wines going, I have not added the final additives yet so I have no idea what to expect. SG is .99

You will always get some sediment from fining. To get it clear, warm it up into the mid 70's F. It clears faster there.

I would give it a month or so and rack it again after it is no longer cloudy.

 

[Arne]

Clear is when you shine a light like a lazer or flashlight thru it and you do not get reflections back from any particles floating in the wine. It will fall where you do not see the beam in the wine. You have finings falling out. leave it sit for a while, probably at least a week or two, then you can rack off the sediment. You can taste it now, but it will get better with time. Course around here it usually disappears before it gets too much better, but a month or two after bottling lets it smooth out a lot. Arne.
Robie, you jumped in while I was typing. Lol, Arne.

 

[Sammyk]

Oh, we did taste it and did not like the taste at all. We are hopeful that it will taste a whole lot better based on all that we have read here. I think I have read almost every thread on the pee forum.

 

[dangerdave]

The instruction on my bag of sparkolloid says to let it clear for one week after adding to the wine, then rack. After fining, I usually wait a week, then rack. Wait another week, then back-sweeten with sugar to taste. Wait until crystal clear (usually two weeks or more)! <never bottle cloudy wine> Then bottle.

Also, remember, you will be doing some back sweetening when the pee gets clearer. It will taste much better with some sugar added.

 

[robie]

Even a red wine becomes what we call "clear", meaning no cloudiness or anything floating in it.

Since you used a raspberry/plum slurry, "clear" to you will be when there is no cloudiness and the wine is brilliant with only a slight tint, due to the slurry; no milkiness.

 

[djrockinsteve]

You should allow a month to 6 weeks to clear. Keep in mind not only are you clearing the wine but you are also killing off yeast that made the transfer. If you rush this and back sweeten it could begin to referment. Also rushing it to bottle you will probably get some more sediment on the bottom.

It will taste a lot better once you back sweeten. Some take it to around 1.010 just FYI

 

[Arne]

Yep, when you take your sample, add a little sugar to it. It should help a lot. Like the ol song says, a spoon full of sugrar helps the medicine go down. Arne.

 

[Sammyk]

That helps a lot because the instructions on the back of the bottle must have gotten wet or something because they are too blurry to read. I had to look it up on the Internet to see how much to add.

I am only going to rack one gallon after a week and leave the rest. I am thinking the rest will be ready for Christmas company.