Pectic haze

[Lauritsen]

What is pectic haze really. If I take apple juice and add Water there is no haze. What happens to The must?

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi Lauristen, If you add water to apple juice ... you dilute the apple juice. Pectic haze is the cloudiness that lingers for months (and longer) in some wines. The pectins are (I think) chains of protein-like substances that when you apply heat turn fruit juices into jam. Most wine makers prefer their wines to be bright and clear before they bottle so pectic haze is viewed as a fault and a problem to be resolved. The best way to avoid pectic haze is A) never to apply heat to fruit juices and B) to add a pectic enzyme to the juice about 12 -24 hours before you pitch the yeast. The enzyme will break up the pectins in the fruit and prevent or at least inhibit haze from forming.

 

[Chef-Ryan]

Actually Pectin are complex sugar chains called Polysaccharides (see more below). and yes the addition of a pectin enzyme should be done in the must form and given time to settle.. and not only does pectin cause issues with a haze it can also make for one heck of a time filtering.

WARNING: Science Content
Polysaccharides are carbohydrates, chains of monomer (single unit molecules) that contain more than 10 monomeric saccharide units
Two main purposes and types of polysaccharides are:
Energy Storage (like starch)
Structural Support (like cellulose and pectin)