Pectic Enzyme Time

Greetings again,
Today I picked up a small package of pectic enzyme. The guy at LBHS tells me it's pretty okay to toss it in at any time during the fermentation process, which I wondered about right away. From what I am finding so far it is best to include it right after mixing up a new carboy. How fast does this agent work clarifying the product.? Does it impart a smell? Does it work well? Thanks in advance for any info on this one. Good brewing!

It works pretty well, if you have a pectin haze or to prevent a pectin haze.

You can add it at any time, but it works better to not have a heavily sulfited must, so I like to do it this way: 1. Make the must and add sulfites. 2. Wait 12 hours and add the pectin enzyme 3. Wait 12 more hours and add the yeast.

The pectin enzyme works better not in the presence of sulfites, and I read somewhere that it works better before the yeast is added. I don't know if that's true or not, but that's what I've always done.

However, if I forget, or the it needs more pectin enzyme later, I have added it later with good results. If you have a haze that won't clear, you could pull out a small sample of the cider, stir the pectin enzyme in well, and then gently add it to the carboy. You don't want to actively stir a finished (or almost finished) cider, since you don't want to oxygenate it. You can gently add it to the carboy, and gently swirl the carboy a bit to mix.

Yooper,
Thanks for your input. I sampled some of my second batch of cider last night which turned out better than the first. I used English cider yeast in it rather than the ale yeast I used in the first batch. All the best to you.