Ideas for clearing wine that won’t clear

[PenhowBrewer]

I have a wineworks merlot kit which didn’t clear following the addition of the kit finings. It was thoroughly de-gassed using a drill & degassing wand before the findings were added.

So after a few weeks I used a Harris Vinclear as that’s always worked for me.
A few weeks later it still wasn’t clear, so I tried a Kwik Clear as this had a lot of good write-ups.

It’s still not clear two weeks later. I contacted Lovebrewing, and had a very prompt reply, but basically saying I had done everything right and sometimes it just takes a lot of time for clearing to happen.

I had planned on having this bottled by now, and it’s now taking up one of my FV’s which I used when racking off, so I want to get it out of the FV if I can.
I don’t want to fork out 25 quid on a filter, especially as it might not work

I have never had such a situation before, so has anyone else had a similar experience, and/or have any tips to get this to clear?

Cheers
PB

 

[Frogbrew]

Could try Wilko two part finings @£1, I use often and clear every time. The Young's finings are the same I think.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

A few weeks later it still wasn’t clear, so I tried a Kwik Clear as this had a lot of good write-ups.

I have used KwiK Clear many many times and it has always cleared in 48 hours max, does the wine smell and taste OK?
.

 

[LED_ZEP]

Used Wilko finings loads of times with good results also Kwik Clear.

I clear all my wines in a pressure barrel, it's sealed and you can leave as long as it takes and it's easy to get a quick sample out of the tap. A cheap barrel will only cost about the same as the filter, £32 new from Wilko and you can always keep a beer or cider in it.

 

[An Ankoù]

Back in the days when I experimented with wine (seventies) I used bentonite as a clearing agent and it worked pretty well.
http://winemakersacademy.com/bentonite-clarify-wine/
I stopped drinking wine when I discovered that drinks really only come in pints.

 

[chthon]

Time and a cool place. I make my wine from my own pressed grapes. After the winter my wine is clear without any finings.

 

[Sandimas]

+1

Can be hard to find a cool enough place this time of year, I just cleared a wine in my north-facing front loo which can get down to 12C in winter but it struggled this time of year.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

With all the finings he has used i would have thought it would have cleared long ago even at room temperature.

 

[PenhowBrewer]

+1

Can be hard to find a cool enough place this time of year, I just cleared a wine in my north-facing front loo which can get down to 12C in winter but it struggled this time of year.

I did wonder if it was temp related, as I just use my garage, which is integral to the house, so it doesn’t tend to get very cold

But as Chippy says, I would ha e thought it would have cleared with the finings I have added......and I haven’t had this problem before
PB

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Does it smell and taste as expected?

 

[PenhowBrewer]

The smell is fine ..... no hint of anything ‘going off’.
Taste-wise, I’d say it’s OK - little bit tart, but drinkable - it’s still pretty young, so there’s nothing I wouldn’t expect

 

[Chippy_Tea]

That is good news but also bad as the only thing i can think of is a pectin haze i guess you are going to have to drink this one as it is or leave it a few months and see if it clears naturally.

 

[PenhowBrewer]

Would it be worth trying some pectolase, do you think?
This conventionally goes in at the start of the fermentation, but would it work now if it is a pectin problem at the bottom of all this?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Looks like it may be worth a try, to be honest if it tastes OK i would either leave it and see if it clears naturally or drink it as it is i have drunk many a bottle of cloudy wine due to bad syphoning when i first started and it did us no harm.

Pectolase should be added before fermentation is allowed as enzymes do not work well in the presence of alcohol. ... You can try adding 2 heaped teaspoons of pectic enzyme per gallon of hazy wine to see if it will destroy it, but this is not always successful.
Pectolase/Pectinase Enzyme | Wine Yeast & Extras | Hauraki ...
https://www.haurakihomebrew.co.nz/wine-yeast/777-pectolase-enzyme.html

 

[Rack&Ruin]

A most irritating thing to happen. Last time this happened it was a gallon of parsnip wine. Just had to leave it - it took 18 months to clear. Tasted incredible though. I work on the basis that you give it some time - then throw everything at it - and if this is not successful - then just put it away and let it do its thing.