Bentonite???
September, 2017 Filed in: Wine making
What is this bentonite stuff that we add to the wine kit on the first day? What purpose does it serve?
Well the simple answer to what bentonite is that it is clay, similar to that horrible stuff we may find in our garden and is goo-like containing a lot of water. Bentonite is used in wine kits because of the extremely large surface area it has plus the large negative charge. So, this then serves two benefits.
Because of the large surface area the bentonite serves as a “home” for the yeast to replicate and ferment those sugars and produce alcohol. And because of the large negative charge on the bentonite, positively charged particles will also attach. The primary substance that winemakers are concerned about is positively charged protein molecules. There is a small, but significant amount of protein in wine that must be removed or the wine will suffer from what is known is protein haze. This protein haze will result in a wine that is not clear.
The bentonite is added on the first day in order to take advantage of the vigorous fermentation action in the first few days. As the bentonite travels up to the surface through the active fermentation it will pick up protein and then drop to the bottom of the pail and drop that protein. It will continue to cycle through the pail many times to carry more protein to the sediment on the bottom of the pail. So in other words, the bentonite helps clear your wine.
Well the simple answer to what bentonite is that it is clay, similar to that horrible stuff we may find in our garden and is goo-like containing a lot of water. Bentonite is used in wine kits because of the extremely large surface area it has plus the large negative charge. So, this then serves two benefits.
Because of the large surface area the bentonite serves as a “home” for the yeast to replicate and ferment those sugars and produce alcohol. And because of the large negative charge on the bentonite, positively charged particles will also attach. The primary substance that winemakers are concerned about is positively charged protein molecules. There is a small, but significant amount of protein in wine that must be removed or the wine will suffer from what is known is protein haze. This protein haze will result in a wine that is not clear.
The bentonite is added on the first day in order to take advantage of the vigorous fermentation action in the first few days. As the bentonite travels up to the surface through the active fermentation it will pick up protein and then drop to the bottom of the pail and drop that protein. It will continue to cycle through the pail many times to carry more protein to the sediment on the bottom of the pail. So in other words, the bentonite helps clear your wine.