Stabilizing Fruit Wine

[PCharles]

I'm interested in procedures for fruit wine stabilization. I find many recipes just say stabilize without going into much detail. I may be incorrect, but I'm looking at fining and stabilizing as the same process.

Your comments are appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[Julie]

Stabilizing a fruit wine would be adding sulfites and sorbate.

You would ferment to dry, let the wine clear, rack and add k-meta (sulfite) and then if you are going to backsweeten the fruit wine you would need to add sorbate first.

 

[PCharles]

Thanks Julie, I figure 1/4 tsp of K-Meta/5 gal would be added. I've heard mention of adding K sorbate as well. How about other clearing agents such as gelatin fining?

 

[Arne]

You stabilize it with the sorbate and sulfite. Fining is adding an agent to help clear your wine. Sparkaloid, superkleer, bentinite or whatever else you choose. These are just some of the choices. Arne.

 

[ffemt128]

That would be 1'4 tsp per 5 gallons. I agree with Julie, Stabilizing would include fermenting dry, allowing to clear either with time, or with fining agents and the addition of k-meta and sorbate to inhibit the yeast should you decide to back sweeten. I generally will not add sorbate until after it is clear and then only after sorbate addition would you back sweeten.

 

[roadwarriorsvt]

I tried using gelatin as a clearing agent. I wasn't really impressed with the results after waiting a month so I added in some Sparkaloid and it really dropped the sediment!

 

[REDBOATNY]

Is there any benefit to cold stabilizing fruit wines? Do they have the same
"diamonds" as grape wines? I have mostly made only grape wine.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Yes you can drop out some of the acid and a little tannin if done correctly.

 

[Wiz]

I think the question was, do I fine and stablize at the same time. I add k-meta, sorbate and bentonite at the same time. After 2 weeks I rack and backsweeten.

 

[Luc]

Please remember that stabilising is not needed with a dry wine.
If a wine fermented dry there will be no residual sugars and there will be no chance of re-fermenting in the bottle.
If you are not going to add sugar afterwards (like sweetening the wine) there is no need to stabilise. just sulphite is sufficient.

Luc

 

[SBWs]

Paul, I have the steps I use for fruit wines on my blog (link below). I like fining after everything else is done except filtering and bottling. Some old guy told me to only use K-meta after secondary to give the yeast time to finish what they are doing and the flavors time to come out. Age like this for awhile before adding anything else. I started doing this and it seems to work, so I've stuck with it.

 

[Stefani]

So, if I plan on back sweeten the wine should I stabilize it at the beginning of bulk aging or near the end of the aging?

I have seen some instructions either way. What would be better?

 

[djrockinsteve]

Stefani, I have added my sorbate and back sweetened after bulk aging with my traditional wines made from juice, (not a kit). These would be whites/fruits 6 months and reds a year. By this time the yeast have died from attrition. There is no food for them and the high alcohol is hard on them not to mention there is little if any nutrients for them by now.

I will always wait at least a week or usually ends up a few weeks before I bottle to ensure no refermentation just in case.

With kits and short wines (skeeter pee) it would be best to add your sorbate after your wine has cleared, add a pinch of sulfite as well then wait (age) before adding any sugar. This way if there are any yeasts surviving they will only consume any remaining sugars which is none/little.

You only need to add sorbate once. Sorbate clings to the yeasts and prevents them from budding (breeding). This way if they would survive they would only eat sugar until their death and that would be minute.