Solid Pectic Enzyme

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billsea

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I picked up a gallon of fresh pressed apple juice from the local orchard. I have made some great cider with this stuff in the past. I was getting ready to mix up a batch and found that my little plastic jar of Pectic Enzyme powder had solidified. I mean hard as a rock. I got it to soften with a few seconds of heating in the microwave and removed it from the jar. Now it is rock hard again. I only need 1/2 teaspoon for my batch. Is this stuff still functional or is it ruined? If it is not ruined I can dissolve some in a little water and use it. Any thoughts?
 
I would just chisel out the approximate amount you need and dissolve it in a small bit of cider before adding to help it disperse in the cider. I would avoid heating it to soften, as you may actually be denaturing the enzyme. It may already be denatured due to water absorption (which is why it has solidified like a rock), but it's worth a try. Otherwise, as dmtaylor stated, patience or gelatin will both work.
 
Pectic enzyme deteriorates with age. Refrigeration between seasons is essential. Even under those conditions, you would up your dose by 20% to get the same effect as fresh pectinase.

Gelatin will probably clear your cider but it will also strip color and flavor (removal of tannins). If you use gelatin, quickly follow it with kieselsol to prevent too much flavor stripping and rapidly and completely cause settling of the gelatin. Run a small test to see how little gelatin it takes to solve the problem because too much gelatin will ruin your batch. Rack the cider off the sediment as soon as it is clear to reduce the amount of time in contact with the gelatin. Household gelatin might work but you would be better off buying some from a wine supply company who will also have kieselsol.
 
I picked up a gallon of fresh pressed apple juice from the local orchard. I have made some great cider with this stuff in the past. I was getting ready to mix up a batch and found that my little plastic jar of Pectic Enzyme powder had solidified. I mean hard as a rock. I got it to soften with a few seconds of heating in the microwave and removed it from the jar. Now it is rock hard again. I only need 1/2 teaspoon for my batch. Is this stuff still functional or is it ruined? If it is not ruined I can dissolve some in a little water and use it. Any thoughts?

Put the lump in a plastic Ziploc bag, cover with a dishtowel & smack it with a rubber mallet till it's a granular powder again. You might need to double the plastic bag.
Regards, GF.
 
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