![]() What’s left over may be removed through racking, however, the sodium does get left behind.įor commercial wineries the addition of sodium metabisulfite and sodium bicarbonate is legally prohibited by the US Tax and Trade Bureau. Sodium bentonite, as the name implies, has sodium (salt) in it. After adding it to a wine it will clear what it can clear and settle out. Calcium Vs Sodium BentoniteĮither form may be used to clarify a wine, however, the difference between the two are the minerals that get left behind. While each will contain small amounts of other minerals they are described by the mineral that is in greatest concentration. The main types used to fine wine are sodium and calcium bentonite. It is an absorbent material that is able to bond with the floating particles that cause cloudiness in wine. But what is it? What is Bentonite?īentonite is an impure clay formed by the weathering of volcanic ash. It’s great for removing protein haze and can be used to remove off aromas. To begin or continue your homebrewing education, check out Northern Brewer University for our Homebrew Video Courses.Bentonite is a common additive used to clarify and fine wines. Read this article for more info on Bentonite. Although it may seem a little odd to be adding clay to your wine, when the finished product is clear and delicious, you’ll be glad that there was a little bentonite to polish it up. By adding the bentonite on the first day, the formulation can be much closer to the desired finished wine, without extra additions or manipulation. Too much finings can lead to a stripping of color and flavor, making it necessary to formulate much darker and stronger wine kits to compensate. With a sufficient dosage of finings it is possible to strip a red wine to the point where it becomes ‘white’. Not only does this amount cause the formation of a deep, loose sediment bed it also has the effect of stripping the wine.įinings are considerably more powerful than most people suspect. Some other companies use up to 80 grams! This is far too much. RJS Craft Winemaking kits typically use 10 or 15 grams of bentonite. In addition, because the bentonite will quickly settle out before it can effectively clear the wine, significantly more is needed when used post-fermentation. Therefore the winemaker is obligated to stir it through the wine repeatedly, ensuring the thorough dispersal. When bentonite is added to a wine kit post-fermentation, it does not have the advantage of the CO2 lift that it would get during fermentation. In this way, the bentonite is circulated around the wine continuously for days, doing its job. When the bubble bursts, the particle of bentonite drops back down to the bottom of the carboy, all the time working to absorb the particles that are clouding the wine. The bentonite is surrounded by a bubble of gas and floats up to the surface of the wine. They want to come out of suspension on some kind of a point, where a nucleus of gas can form the beginning of a bubble. ![]() The bubbles of gas don’t actually appear out of nowhere. This is because of the process of gas nucleation that the CO2 in the wine is undergoing.Īs the yeast ferments the sugar, it converts it into carbon dioxide (CO2) and alcohol. ![]() At the end of 48 hours, however, the bentonite is back in circulation. When bentonite is added on the first day, it disperses through the wine and most settles to the bottom within a few hours. The reasons behind it go beyond technology, straight into Wine Making philosophy. Midwest suggests that you add bentonite on the first day. What is the advantage of adding it to my wine on the first day? Bentonite settles out so completely that it does not leave any residual taste or color behind. This means that it attaches itself to a particle, and together they are too heavy to stay in suspension, falling to the bottom of the carboy, leaving the wine clear and stable. Stable means that it won’t change appearance, taste, aroma, or chemical composition while in storage.īentonite is stirred into the wine to remove proteins and other haze causing particles. It not only improves a wine’s appearance it also makes sure that it is stable. Fining is the action of removing particles that make a haze in wine by combining them with materials that bind to them and force them out of suspension, leaving the wine clear and bright. ![]()
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