How can I tell if its clear

[Aqualung]

Hi all. I made four gallons of Elderberry wine in October from frozen berries. The DJ's have been sat on the garage floor for two months now to clear. The problem I have is the wine is so dark I can't tell if it is clear enough to bottle yet.

I usually find my red wines are clear after a couple of months, the Bramble was lovely and clear and has no sediment in the bottles. But I could see through it.

What do other people do?

 

[Dutto]

Have you tried shining a very bright and focussed light through it in the dark? e.g. a big torch.

If you can't see the light clearly then you will probably be able to see the "cloudiness" that is failing to clear.

Personally, after two months I would use Kwik-Clear if a wine was still cloudy and I was certain that the fermentation had finished.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I used to have a couple of brown DJ's i used for clearing and i used a very bright led torch to do as you suggest you can definitely see a line where the clear and hazy wine meet.

.

 

[tonyhibbett]

I have a year old cabernet sauvignon. Even with a torch behind a glass of it it, no light penetrates. The important thing is it tastes great!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Even with a torch behind a glass of it it, no light penetrates.

You need one of these tony.

 

[stephen1546]

LOL

 

[Ghillie]

An LED torch will work; it needs multiple LED's like a cluster lamp.

If you can easily make out each individual LED then it's definitely clear.

 

[tonyhibbett]

After 2 months, it's best to rack the wine. If there is a firm layer of sediment it's most likely that the yeast has dropped out. Elderberry has lots of tannin, which helps clearing but can make the wine too astringent when young. By the way, a combination of blackberry and elderberry makes an excellent wine, one of the best reds I ever made.

 

[Aqualung]

Thanks for the tips. I think I will bottle one gallon and see how it goes. I looked through the wine at a bright light and I think it is pretty much clear.
Tonyhibbet: Before I made the Elderberry I made Bramble. I re-used the Bramble and Elderberry mush to make a batch as you suggest. It is just coming to the end of its ferment now.