What Fermentation and Aging Additives do you use for Fruit Wines?

[Raptor99]

I'm looking at some of the fermentation additives on More Wine such as Opti-White. What additives do you use for fruit wines? Which ones do you like best.

I realize that many fermentation additives are designed and marketed for grape wines, but I was wondering which ones work well for fruit wines as well.

 

[winemaker81]

I use Color Pro for red grape -- from reading the description it may be suitable for darker fruit.

And I used Cinn Free this fall for white grape -- it is NOT suitable for most fruit:

Not suitable for high pectin or high solid juice​

Contact Scott Labs and ask the question.

 

[Rice_Guy]

I will routinely use tannins on country wines. Basically I am trying to have some of the antioxidant characteristics that red grape will have (shelf life). The last two years I have experimented with thiol powder along with TR313 yeast. This fall I got some BlancSoft Citrus via the vinters club which will go in a country wine.

Basically if you stay away from chemistries aimed at tartaric acid, the additive should have a similar effect in a country wine. A polyphenol is a polyphenol whether from grape skin or black raspberry or choke berry.

 

[Ohio Bob]

I’ve used Lallzyme EX for a few years now for my blackberry. I think it turns the frozen/crushed fruit to mush more than pectin enzyme does. Opti-Red is a companion nutrient that is recommended to be used in conjunction with LEX.

Agree with using tannins in the primary. For this years blackberry/raspberry mead (first time effort) I added Booster Rouge. At the first racking it tasted great, far better than I expected. I’m not claiming the BR was the reason though.

 

[wood1954]

I will routinely use tannins on country wines. Basically I am trying to have some of the antioxidant characteristics that red grape will have (shelf life). The last two years I have experimented with thiol powder along with TR313 yeast. This fall I got some BlancSoft Citrus via the vinters club which will go in a country wine.

Basically if you stay away from chemistries aimed at tartaric acid, the additive should have a similar effect in a country wine. A polyphenol is a polyphenol whether from grape skin or black raspberry or choke berry.

Do you think tr313 would be good for Itasca grapes?

 

[Rice_Guy]

Do you think tr313 would be good for Itasca grapes?

With Briana and thiol powder (phantasm) and a thiol cleaving yeast in primary I had more aromatics than any other grape I’ve run. Should also work on Itasca, the key will be do you do low temp and low oxygen so you can keep the good stuff?
Last year was at room temp and the finished wine lost most of it.