Why include Bentonite at start?

[Pyrosfx]

A week ago the wife grab a pack of Youngs super wine yeast compound, instead of nutrient. So I've used it on a gallon of Lychee and a gallon of Rhubarb. All progressed very quickly, racked off.Both are now uniformly cloudy. Is this possibly down to the bentonite in the compound ? and why include it at the start ? I thought it was a fining agent

[rjb222]

The way I understand the use of bentonite in the beginning of fermentation goes like this. The bentonite serves a couple of purposes in the brewing process. The bentonite will keep yeast from setting out during fermentation this will help ensure a total fermentation of your wine. Two bentonite will help break down the pectin in the juice this will help your wine clear without pectic haze. Third is the bentonite will after fermentation help settle out the lees leaving a more compact bed harder to disturb when racking.

[fullmoonwinery]

The way I understand the use of bentonite in the beginning of fermentation goes like this. The bentonite serves a couple of purposes in the brewing process. The bentonite will keep yeast from setting out during fermentation this will help ensure a total fermentation of your wine. Two bentonite will help break down the pectin in the juice this will help your wine clear without pectic haze. Third is the bentonite will after fermentation help settle out the lees leaving a more compact bed harder to disturb when racking.

very good to know, thanks. i use it at the start of my kits as per instructions and didn't know why until now. will do on my none kits wines from now on. my banana stalled half way through ferm and i had to restart with B1 and champaign yeast; maybe if i'd have used benonite at the start, no problem.

[David]

A week ago the wife grab a pack of Youngs super wine yeast compound, instead of nutrient. So I've used it on a gallon of Lychee and a gallon of Rhubarb. All progressed very quickly, racked off.Both are now uniformly cloudy. Is this possibly down to the bentonite in the compound ? and why include it at the start ? I thought it was a fining agent

Did you add anything else at all at the racking off stage? (which may have caused this problem).