Wine Additives

Many people feel that wine is just grape juice that has been fermented. They often do not realize that most of the wine subjected to chemical analysis and a series of tests in order to pour the bottle the way the winemaker intended. During winemaking, the wine may have been a number of additives put into it. Although this does not cover every one of them, we'll take a look at some of the most common:

Yeast

The yeast is of course what really makes the work of transforming the juice into wine. There are many different strains of yeast, and often a winemaker will choose the particular strain for the qualities that create the finished product. Yeast selection can also be determined by the environment, the wine is made in. Some strains of yeast to tolerate different temperatures.

Yeast Nutrient

Often a juice can not be all the nutrients necessary for the reproduction of yeast good, if a nutrient made up of some vitamins and minerals may be added to ensure yeast health.

Pectic enzyme

Almost all fruits contain some pectin, which, if left untreated can cause a disturbance in the wine. pectic enzyme breaks down the pectin and extract the flavor and the juice of the fruit.

Potassium metabisulfite (K-Meta)

Some people believe that sulfite in wine causes headaches, sulfites, however, are a common food preservative, and it is likely that it was added to one or more stages of the winemaking process. When the grapes are first picked, sulfite may have been sprinkled on the grapes to inhibit wild yeast and bacterial growth. It is often used in juices before being inoculated with yeast, and are almost always added during the fermentation is complete.

In addition to inhibiting the growth of bacteria, sulphite protects against oxidation.

Sodium metabisulfite

Although not as common today, sodium metabisulfite can be used in the same way as potassium metabisulfite. It is most often available as "Campden tablets. However, due to health problems of those on restricted diets sodium and the fact that K-Meta is slightly more efficient, this form of sulphite is used much less as a additive, but is still used to make sanitizing solutions.

Potassium sorbate

Potassium sorbate is often used in conjunction with K-Meta to stabilize the wine. It inhibits the yeast to reproduce, which prevents the yeast cells that remain after fermentation to start a new fermentation using residual sugar or sugar added to sweeten.

Clarify (collage) Additives

When the wine is first, it is very cloudy with yeast and other suspended particles. From house wine are often surprised and shocked at the appearance of wine when he first begins to ferment.

Often, these particles are not about to leave the wine as sediment, which clarifies the additives are used to accelerate or facilitate the process of clarification. Suspended particles have either a negative or positive charge, thus clarifying agents have an opposite charge to attract particles and help them along their way down the ship wine to become sediment.

Common additives clarify the following:

• Bentonite - a clay made from volcanic ash. Negatively charged and attracts positively charged matter.
• Isinglass - made from the swim bladder of certain fish, including sturgeon, cod and cichlids. This is a fairly benign clarifier as flavors there is no band and color as much as others might. A positive charge attracts negatively charged particles.
• Kieselsol - a negat.