How to Use Bentonite to Clarify Wine

Bentonite is a common additive used to clarify and fine wines. It’s great for removing protein haze and can be used to remove off aromas. But what is it?

What is Bentonite?

A bentonite slurry being prepared for clarifying wine.Bentonite is an impure clay formed by the weathering of volcanic ash. It is an absorbent material that is able to bond with the floating particles that cause cloudiness in wine.

The main types used to fine wine are sodium and calcium bentonite. While each will contain small amounts of other minerals they are described by the mineral that is in greatest concentration.

Calcium Vs Sodium Bentonite

Continue reading “How to Use Bentonite to Clarify Wine”

Degassing and Clarifying Your Wine

After a seemingly eternal fourteen days since racking it’s time to degas and add a clarifying agent to the kit wine.

The wine whip degassing tool.Degassing is a brut force method of removing suspended carbon dioxide. I purchased a Fermtech Wine Whip to help with this process and it saved me big time. More on that later.

Check out this video on degassing and adding a stabilizing agent to the wine. This is the final step before bottling. If this step isn’t done correctly your wine won’t clear and you won’t be able to move onto bottling! Continue reading “Degassing and Clarifying Your Wine”