Sparkoloid question

[avatar]

Trying to decipher the instructions:

Dissolve 1 tbsp in 1 cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. Add mixture to 6 U.S. gallons of wine. Stir gently.

Do you bring the water to a boil, then remove from heat and add the sparkoloid, stir and wait 5 minutes then add to the carboy, or do you bring the water to a boil, add the sparkoloid, stir, and continue boiling for 5 minutes before adding to the carboy?

OR, just use bentonite instead?

 

[wineforfun]

What I do, when I used to use Sparklloid, was to bring the water to a boil, with the Sparklloid already added. Once it just started to boil or roll, I would back the heat off some and let it stay just at or under the boiling point for 5 minutes. Then add to carboy while still hot.

My preference now is SuperKleer as it compacts the lees much better than Sparklloid.

 

[jumby]

+1 for Superkleer. Does a much better job IMHO...

 

[ceeaton]

Trying to decipher the instructions:

Dissolve 1 tbsp in 1 cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. Add mixture to 6 U.S. gallons of wine. Stir gently.

Do you bring the water to a boil, then remove from heat and add the sparkoloid, stir and wait 5 minutes then add to the carboy, or do you bring the water to a boil, add the sparkoloid, stir, and continue boiling for 5 minutes before adding to the carboy?

OR, just use bentonite instead?

I boiled the water, took it off the heat, added and stirred in the sparkoloid, covered, waited 5+ minutes, added it to the carboy AFTER I had removed a few liters. Others have posts about the ensuing volcano of wine if it hasn't been properly degassed (ie. they thought they had degasssed enough but obvioulsy hadn't).

 

[acorn]

It worked for me like a charm multiple times by just pouring boiling water over Sparkolloid powder in a mug, stirring for 1 minute and adding to the carboy. I haven't peronally noticed any substantial difference in lees compactness between Sparkolloid and SuperKleer, but Sparkolloid tends to produce better clearing results. That's just my subjective view.

 

[JimmyT]

I know using sparkolloid the lees are very easy to disturb and "dust" up

 

[avatar]

Thanks all for your help. Just as I suspected, it doesn't really matter. Once my supply of Sparkoloid is used up, I may try SuperKleer.

 

[Rocco]

Superkleer is more likely to strip color and flavor from what I've read. Blunt instrument.

 

[jumby]

Superkleer is more likely to strip color and flavor from what I've read. Blunt instrument.

I never experienced that.

 

[wineforfun]

I never experienced that.

Same here. I will always use SuperKleer when available.

 

[Turock]

Adding more tannin to your wine will have the effect of helping clarity. Many wines that refuse to clear are low on tannin. That's why ya all love Super Kleer so much----that first packet has,largely, nothing but tannin in it.

 

[wineforfun]

Adding more tannin to your wine will have the effect of helping clarity. Many wines that refuse to clear are low on tannin. That's why ya all love Super Kleer so much----that first packet has,largely, nothing but tannin in it.

Interesting and good to know. That would explain why I normally only have to use it on dragon blood or lemon-lime based type wines. They have tannins added to them but are obviously lower. Of course, these types of wines I am normally wanting to get done quicker, therefore using SuperKleer, etc. I would be curious to see how they cleared on their own with just time.

I just finished up a blueberry where it cleared pretty well on it's own. Didn't use any clearing agent. I would guess it was higher in tannins then.

 

[sour_grapes]

Adding more tannin to your wine will have the effect of helping clarity. Many wines that refuse to clear are low on tannin. That's why ya all love Super Kleer so much----that first packet has,largely, nothing but tannin in it.

Huh? The first packet of Super Kleer is chitosan. Granted, both chitosan and tannins are able, I believe, to bind to (and hence precipitate) things such as proteins, but that does not make them the same thing. Chitosan is a polysaccharide, and tannins are polyphenols.

Chitosan:

A typical tannin:

 

[Rocco]

The mechanism of sparkloid makes it gentle w little affect on color or flavor

 

[sour_grapes]

I dunno, Sparkalloid is also a polysaccharide, and it looks a lot like Chitosan to me: