Two step fining with Bentonite and Gelatin?

[Johnny2]

Have you tried to use Bentonite and Gelatin in a two step process, the same way as Kieselsol and Chitosan. Like them, other is negatively (bentonite) and the other is positively charged (gelatin).

Would it be more effective way to clarify, than just using either by itself?

 

[Erik the Awful]

I use bentonite right when I put a wine in secondary and sparkolloid two weeks before bottling. It's very effective. If it matters to you, note that bentonite/sparkolloid are vegan friendly, while kieselsol/chitosan are not, and neither is gelatin.

 

[Johnny2]

I use bentonite right when I put a wine in secondary and sparkolloid two weeks before bottling. It's very effective. If it matters to you, note that bentonite/sparkolloid are vegan friendly, while kieselsol/chitosan are not, and neither is gelatin.

Yes, I don't mind it being non vegan. Sparkolloid has been discontinued and wasn't even available here. Bentonite byitself is a good enough fining agent, but not fast. Maybe I should test this myself on my next mead. I'll try to remember to post how it went here in a month or two. I'm starting it this weekend or early next week.

 

[Midway Island]

Bentonite surprised me. A gray paste added to a carboy of fermented liquid could clear the suspension in 2 weeks is unbelievable. I had an unpolished diamond I was ready to bottle but decided to pitched some bentonite 2 weeks later it had cleared and looked fantastic.

 

[Johnny2]

Even if it's crystal clear now, it's going to throw out some sediment after 4-6 months in the bottle. That's why people who can afford it filter their wines.

Bentonite surprised me. A gray paste added to a carboy of fermented liquid could clear the suspension in 2 weeks is unbelievable. I had an unpolished diamond I was ready to bottle but decided to pitched some bentonite 2 weeks later it had cleared and looked fantastic.

 

[Johnny2]

And what comes to using bentonite and gelatine both in a two step. I don't see any difference.

 

[Austin Willoughby]

My biggest concern would be stripping any of the flavors and aroma put that you want to keep in your wine. My understanding a little to much bentonite alone can do that let along adding another clarifier to the process. I'm only speculating and using info from things I've read. I haven't done enough batches of my own with bentonite to have a conclusion though so take that with a grain of salt lol.

Any others input on that?

Also the the few times I have used it I got a super clear wine in about a week.

 

[Raptor99]

My process for clarifying wine is time. I just opened a bottle of pear wine that I started a year ago. It is crystal clear. It spent 10 months in bulk aging. I did not use any clearing agents. Like @Austin Willoughby I am concerned about stripping flavor and aroma by using clearing agents.

 

[Austin Willoughby]

My process for clarifying wine is time. I just opened a bottle of pear wine that I started a year ago. It is crystal clear. It spent 10 months in bulk aging. I did not use any clearing agents. Like @Austin Willoughby I am concerned about stripping flavor and aroma by using clearing agents.

I'm using bentonite only at the moment simply for my wines and yes I agree time clears all things. Bentonite seems to be the most natural of all the other fining agents as far as I can tell. Now for my mead I may steer clear of anything or use very little bentonite bc of the fear of stripping honey aromas and flavors. Honey cost to much for all that lol

 

[Johnny2]

Even if it's crystal clear now, it's going to throw out some sediment after 4-6 months in the bottle. That's why people who can afford it filter their wines.

I want to clarify my statement. It seems my last bottles of year old banana wine have basically none sediment, while my traditional mead has shitton of fine sediment (I back sweetened it with honey after using a fining agent though). My other berry wine had more sediment and the color of the sediment turned black after 12 months. I'm not sure what I did differently with the banana wine. I didn't keep notes of that batch.

Also, I can say for sure that using gelatine after bentonite did nothing.