When and how much pectic enzyme to use

[Tibley Bobley]

I'm under the impression that the reason I've added pectic enzyme to this gallon of mead I'm making is that it has the juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange added to it - and that might otherwise cause a pectic haze. The recipe (in "First Steps in Winemaking") calls for it but says nothing about how much or when to add it... so I've added what it says on the pot that the Pectolase came in: a couple of teaspoons (1 for the orange & lemon juice & 1 because the water and honey had to be heated to "simmering point"). I added the stuff the day before pitching in the yeast because it says to give it 24 hours between the 2 operations a bit earlier in the book.

So this is my question:
If the pectolase is just for the orange and lemon juice (for example), wouldn't it be better to squeeze the juice into a jar, add not much more than a pinch of the pectic enzyme and then sloosh the contents of the jar into the rest of the ingredients after 24 hours, instead of adding a much larger quantity to the whole lot... I'm guessing the honey and water didn't need it.

Also, what would happen if I'd put the yeast in straight after the pectolase? Would the one stop the other from working?

Thank you in anticipation.

[fatbloke]

Well normally, you can either add it to a fruit must before fermentation, or you have to double the quantity if you add it after the fermentation has finished.

I don't usually bother with it in meads, unless its a melomel, cyser or something like that.

It does seem that it can also help with colour/flavour extraction as well.

Bob did some updates on CJJ recipes not so long back, but for meads, things are a bit different.

Have a look at the Gotmead forums, and their Newbee guide (yellow box on left of page is where you'll find the link). Yes its more aimed at the US market, but equivalents do a good job. CJJ mead recipes give unremarkable results.......

[lockwood1956]

Hi Sally,

welcome aboard

Pectolase helps to extract colour and flavour as well as getting rid of pectin hazes. Generally one would add 1 tsp per gallon, but if using it in wines with ingredients high in pectin content or if there was warm or hot water used in processing, then double the dosage

regards
bob

[Tibley Bobley]

Thank you very much fatbloke and Bob!

I've just looked at your CJJ update (very useful!) and see that you've taken the pectic enzyme out of that mead recipe altogether... so I guess I wasn't furrowing the old brow for nothing

Can you use pectic enzyme and yeast at the same time - I mean, I see that some of the recipes instruct you to put the enzyme in first and wait 24 hours before pitching the yeast... but is it a disastrously bad thing to put them in at the same time? (Not that I've done that - but I was thinking about it...)

[lockwood1956]

Can you use pectic enzyme and yeast at the same time

you most certainly can...the 24 hour wait is normally to allow the campden tablet you added to settle in as sulphite can inhibit yeast activity

regards
bob

[Cellar_Rat]

It also allows time for the pectic enzyme to extract colour/flavour before the ferment starts.

[silverfox]

Hi sally,
Yes you can you use pectic enzyme and yeast at the same time, you can also add it to crushed fruits before you add it too the bulk.
I use this method for my late additions to an already well fermented wine. The reason is that the higher the alcohol the less effective the Pectic enzyme is so adding it to any crushed fruit will break down the pectin
I am also an advocate of Rohpect P another enzyme that is very effective. Use at the same time as you add Pectolase. A much smaller dose is required.
Try get hold of Gerry Fowles "Winemaking in Style" for lots of info on all aspects of winemaking. I class it as my "bible of winemaking"

Thanks Silverfox

[Tibley Bobley]

Thank you all! Great answers... very helpful!

The mead is fermenting nicely with more pectic enzyme than I really needed to use... I guess it's not for colour and flavour in this particular case. I'll be using your technique in future Silverfox, if it seems appropriate... and I'm thinking straight.

I've got a couple of gallons of barley wine (from CJJ again) on the go and I got all indecisive about using the alfa amylase (the instructions on the bottle are all in a foreign language) and didn't put it in in the end. I had a look at Bob's CJJ update and noticed there was no amylase in the list of barley wine ingredients, so I heaved a sigh of relief. Then the fermentation didn't get going, so I added some more yeast and nutrient. It still wouldn't go, so I added about 1/4 pint of vigorously fermenting tinned peach wine. Still it slept, so I added a crushed vitamin B1 tab - and finally the bubbles bubbled! And I regretted not adding the amylase. Can the yeast access the sugars in the barley without the amylase to break down the starch?

Also, I didn't put in the Campden tablet... couldn't see what amongst the list of ingredients for the CJJ barley wine might carry spoilage organisms that would justify the use of a Campden tab. Looking through the book, I couldn't see much of a pattern to the listing or not listing of Campden tablets in the wine ingredients. I expect I'm missing something that's obvious... aren't I? It'll all go horribly wrong because I didn't follow the instructions properly

[Tibley Bobley]

Quick update on my barley-wine-to-be (if not ruined by me): I mashed up a couple of medium/large bananas and added them to the brew... cuz I read that bananas won't alter the taste much but could help to clear it. We'll see...

[lockwood1956]

Best way with bananas is to boil the bananas in water and then add the water to the must, and not the bananas, there is then no pulp to deal with and the banana syrup added will have the same effect, adding body and aiding clearing.

regards
bob

[Tibley Bobley]

Thank you Bob. I'll remember that advice for future reference - and console myself that at least I made the mistake before the barley wine got strained off the rest of its solids.