Cleaning up cloudy brews

[Zakk Linton]

Just wanting ideas on how to clear up my wines and ciders more it seems to be the number 1 problem I have, after fermentation and bottled it will still for what looks to be lye at the bottom

 

[Abhishek Dewan]

For wines, racking from time to time is the usual thing along with use of finnings like egg whites, food grade clay (bentonite), gelatin etc. Or you can simply cold crash it for 2 weeks, all suspended things will settle down and you can siphon off an inch or two above the bottom, leaving the sediment below.
My own preferred method is to use filter cloth/cheese cloth when I decant the wine to drink. This is the old school & safest way to avoid oxidation of the wine.

 

[Zakk Linton]

For wines, racking from time to time is the usual thing along with use of finnings like egg whites, food grade clay (bentonite), gelatin etc. Or you can simply cold crash it for 2 weeks, all suspended things will settle down and you can siphon off an inch or two above the bottom, leaving the sediment below.
My own preferred method is to use filter cloth/cheese cloth when I decant the wine to drink. This is the old school & safest way to avoid oxidation of the wine.

I've tired using cheese cloth before but it came back, or do you mean to use it then drink kinda thing, cause when i tried that didnt seem to help just kinda split it up. But what can you tell me of the other finning agents? And does it help with ciders? Cause I have a thing of applejack which has now formed some at the bottom to and it kinda annoying

 

[Abhishek Dewan]

The way I do is (applicable for wine & ciders etc):
Rack them twice - once after a month and then after 3 months, I put in for cold crashing & rack it off. If you age more than 3 months, then cold crash around that time for 1-2 weeks. After that I leave the wine in bottles and decant/filter on the day of drinking.
I also use couple of layers of filter cloth inside a steel funnel and place over the decanter bottle. Then I slowly pour the wine. It'll slowly empty up, don't rush it. It takes care of all sediments.
You can buy gelatin from homebrew stores or use Food grade bentonite from Amazon etc, if you're vegetarian/vegan. These can be dissolved in water & poured into your fermenter. Then usually in 48 hours, you rack off, leaving an inch or two from the bottom. Avoid using honey to back sweeten, at times it forms a haze.

 

[Zakk Linton]

The way I do is (applicable for wine & ciders etc):
Rack them twice - once after a month and then after 3 months, I put in for cold crashing & rack it off. If you age more than 3 months, then cold crash around that time for 1-2 weeks. After that I leave the wine in bottles and decant/filter on the day of drinking.
I also use couple of layers of filter cloth inside a steel funnel and place over the decanter bottle. Then I slowly pour the wine. It'll slowly empty up, don't rush it. It takes care of all sediments.
You can buy gelatin from homebrew stores or use Food grade bentonite from Amazon etc, if you're vegetarian/vegan. These can be dissolved in water & poured into your fermenter. Then usually in 48 hours, you rack off, leaving an inch or two from the bottom. Avoid using honey to back sweeten, at times it forms a haze.

How does gelatin work? And I heard bentonite can strip the color so I try and avoid it.. I have some never used it was trying to see if there was an easier way to get rid of this stuff cause theres some things I've racked twice and it still gets some. Maybe a combo between cold crash and maybe gelatin??

 

[Zakk Linton]

Idk sometimes I dont get it cause like I said I made some applejack freeze distilled and it's still form some at the bottom like I didn't think that would be possible

 

[Abhishek Dewan]

Both can work, please read Simple Ways To Beating Homebrew Haze | MoreBeer
I hope you use pectin enzyme to make sure all fruits are fully dissolved.

 

[Abhishek Dewan]

Idk sometimes I dont get it cause like I said I made some applejack freeze distilled and it's still form some at the bottom like I didn't think that would be possible

I've never done freeze distillation but I think you freeze the whole liquid, which may mean it freezes all sediments along with liquids. When you start melting it, the sediments break free again. If this is the case, the process is very different from cold crashing.

 

[Zakk Linton]

I've never done freeze distillation but I think you freeze the whole liquid, which may mean it freezes all sediments along with liquids. When you start melting it, the sediments break free again. If this is the case, the process is very different from cold crashing.

That's how it works but you repeat the process a lot so most sediment would and should get left behind with the ice. I'll read into that link and yes I use pectin enzyme,

 

[Zakk Linton]

I'm interested to try the gelatin tho idk how that would work out