Included in this list are all products that we currently have in stock and a brief description of what they do and a recommended dosages from the manufacturers. This is a great resource for helping you select the right product for helping in your winemaking. It is recommended that you read this in its entirety to make you aware of what the various products we stock and what they do. There are many more items available to the home winemaker but we have selected basic items that most winemakers will need at some point and some of these items are only available in bulk in sizes that may be too big for most home winemakers. Since the club is buying in bulk we pass on those savings to club members. These items are sold pretty much at cost as a beneficial service to our club members.
NUTRIENTS
Note: Additions of any nutrient should be based on the Grapes initial YAN level and what the desired total YAN level needs to be based on your yeast selection. Refer to the online Must/Yeast/Nutrient Calculation by Willem Wygaards on our website.
Fermaid O
Fermaid® O is an autolyzed yeast nutrient with a very high content of organic nitrogen (amino acids). It is formulated without DAP. Since it contains no DAP it can be added below the 1/3 fermentation level without affecting the yeast viability. Application has been made for organic certification.
Fermaid K
Fermaid® K is a blended complex yeast nutrient that supplies ammonia salts (DAP), free amino acids (organic nitrogen derived from inactivated yeast), sterols, unsaturated fatty acids, key nutrients (magnesium sulfate, thiamin, folic acid, niacin, biotin, calcium pantothenate) and inactive yeast. Since Fermaid K does contain DAP, it should NOT be used below the 1/3 fermentation level. Fermaid K is typically used near the beginning of the fermentation because it is about half the cost of Fermaid O.
It should be used in combination with Go-Ferm (for yeast rehydration)
Diammonium Phosphate (DAP)
Also known as DAP. A good source of pure nitrogen. Can be used in all wine musts but it should be used in addition to the Fermaid K or O products because it contains none of the other nutrients that the yeasts need. DAP should NOT be used below the 1/3 fermentation level because yeast cannot metabolize DAP anymore at this point and it will remain in your wine as a nutrient for other unwanted organisms to feed on.
Go Ferm – Yeast Rehydration Nutrient
It is used ONLY at the same time that the yeast is rehydrated and was developed to enhance kinetics and thereby potentially avoid problem fermentations. Suspend Go-Ferm in the rehydration water before adding the selected active dried yeast culture. The yeast soak up the valuable bio-available micronutrients as they rehydrate. Infusing yeast with these essential nutrients arms them against ethanol toxicity and optimizes nutrient availability to the rehydrating yeast culture. The result is fermentations that finish stronger. Rehydration with Go-Ferm is effective for helping the yeast survive the fermentation. If Go Ferm was added directly to the must, competitive microorganisms would use a significant amount of it.
Dosage: use a ratio of 1 part yeast to 1.25 parts GO-FERM
ACTI-ML – Malolactic Bacteria rehydration nutrient
ACTI-ML™ is used during rehydration to strengthen the Malolactic bacteria population, especially when wine conditions are difficult. Specialized nutrient blend of inactivated yeast rich in amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. Mixed with cellulose to provide more surface area helping to keep bacteria in suspension. Mix ACTI-ML into 5 times its weight of 20°C (68°F) chlorine-free water. Add Malolactic bacteria, then wait 15 minutes before adding the suspension to the wine.
Dosage: 20 g/100L
OPTI’MALO PLUS – malolactic fermentation nutrient
OPTI’MALO PLUS® supports malolactic bacteria resulting in a faster start to malolactic fermentation. Blend of inactivated yeasts rich in amino acids, minerals, vitamins, cell wall polysaccharides and cellulose. Higher bacteria survival rate and shorter malolactic fermentation. Usage: Suspend in a small amount of water or wine and add directly to the wine just before adding the malolactic bacteria. OPTI’MALO PLUS should not be added to ML rehydration water (if rehydrating ML). Dosage 20 g/100L
TANNINS
VR Supra – Fermentation Tannin
Recommended for red wines. Tanin VR Supra is composed of proanthocyanic and elagic tannins specifically formulated for use during Red Wine and Fruit Wine fermentation. VR Supra does a fantastic job of improving mid-palate mouthfeel. Adding VR Supra at the start of fermentation protects indigenous tannins, allowing them to remain in the wine. The indigenous tannins bind with anthocyanins to create a more stable color. It is useful in wines affected by Botrytis as it inhibits oxidative enzymes (laccase, polyphenol oxidase) that cause browning.
Dosage: Red Vinifera must (30-50g/100L), Red Non-Vinifera must (40-60g/100L), Fruit Wine must (20-50g/100L)
Tannin Grand Cru – Aging/Finishing Tannin
For those who prefer a tannin structure with even greater polymerization and refinement, Tan’Cor Grand Cru is the tannin of choice. It was developed to add structure to premium red wines without harshness or a forward oak finish. Due to a unique extraction process, Tan’Cor Grand Cru further enhances softer middle palate when compared to Tan’Cor. It can also enhance varietal fruit character that may have been masked and add complexity to the finish. Tan’Cor Grand Cru will help stabilize wines by improving the polyphenolic composition. The anti-oxidative character of Tan’Cor Grand Cru may allow for the use of less sulfur dioxide. It is especially beneficial when aging wines in older, tannin leached barrels.
Tannin reinforcement also helps microbiological management during barrel aging.
Dosage: Prior to barrel aging Red (10-30g/100L), Prior to Bottling (5-10g/100L)
Tannin Querplus – Finishing Tannin
Querplus is a soluble wood tannin extracted from toasted American oak Stavewood. It works in much the same manner as Quertanin but with an additional vanillin oak character and smooth finish.
Dosage: Red Wine and White wine: 2-20 g/100L
Tannin Quertanin – Finishing Tannin
To introduce oak character in wines, an addition of pure oak tannin may be beneficial. Quertanin is extracted from oak trees grown in the Limousin region of France. Quertanin contributes wood nuances without toasty or smoky character.
This finishing tannin is a strong anti-oxidant and can increase the complexity of the wine finish. It will not, however, increase middle palate. Quertanin contributes to color preservation, especially when old barrels are used during aging.
Dosage: Red and white Wine 2-20g/100L.
ENZYMES
Lysozyme
Lysozyme is a naturally occurring enzyme isolated from egg whites. It is used in wine to inhibit lactic acid bacteria. Lysozyme degrades the cell wall of gram-positive bacteria such as Oenococcus, Pediococcus, and Lactobacillus.
Due to their protective external membranes, Lysozyme is not effective against gram-negative bacteria like Acetobacter. It also has no activity against yeast. Lysozyme’s effectiveness depends not only on the type of bacteria, but also the number of cells present. Unlike SO2, Lysozyme is more effective at higher pH’s when lactic acid bacteria growth is favored.
Lysozyme does not replace SO2 because it has no anti-oxidative effect. It can, however, be used to help greatly reduce the amount of SO2 needed to achieve microbial stability over the life of both red and white wines.
Dosage: 0.1-0.5g/L
Lafase HE Grand Cru
Pectolytic enzyme preparation, purified in CE and anthocyanase for the production of full bodied red wines that are rich in colouring matter and structured tannins, destined for ageing. Lafase HE Grand Cru allows for strong selective extraction of Rhamnogalacturonan type II (components of the skin and pulp), favouring a better stability of colouring matter and the coating of tannins. Anthocyanase purification allows for a better stability of colour over time and the purification in CE limits the formation of ethyl phenol precursors during a potential Brettanomyces contamination. For the production of structured red wines, rich in colour and polymerised tannins, with good mouthfeel and favours wine clarification.
Dosage: Red Grapes (3 to 5 g/100 kg of grapes, Under-ripe or thick skins: 4 to 5 g/100 kg of grapes, Optimal maturity or thin skins: 3 to 4 g/100 kg, Botrytis Infected grapes: 5 g/100 kg)
Pectic Enzyme
Pectic enzyme is essential when using grapes or other fruit to make wine. Using this enzyme helps to break down the fleshy pectin in the fruit, liberating greater amounts of sugary juice, and making pressing more efficient. Pectic enzyme is used to reduce the hazing effect of pectins when using real fruit in your wine, beer, cider, or mead. Pectic enzyme breaks down above 150° Fahrenheit, thus if you are doing any heating of your product, add it after the product has cooled.
Dosage: 3/4 tablespoon per gallon of crushed fruit or 2 tsp with cold water and add to 5 – 6 gallon of product.
Scottzyme Colorpro Red
Scottzyme® Color Pro is a specialty pectinase with protease side-activities. These side-activities are important for helping break down the cell walls of red grapes to gently extract more anthocyanins, polymeric phenols and tannins. This gentle extraction creates wines that are rounder in mouthfeel and bigger in structure, with improved color stability.
Wines made with Color Pro tend to have increased tannins, improved clarity and reduced herbaceous or “veggie” character. Lower doses of Color Pro are recommended for red varieties that are underripe, low in anthocyanins or high in seed tannins. For “big” reds from ripe fruit with mature seeds, higher doses of Color Pro are recommended.
Color Pro is also used in white winemaking for settling and clarifying juice. The improved clarification helps lead to more compact lees, less need for fining, cleaner fermentations and easier filtrations.
Dosage: Crushed Grapes 3-5ml per 100 lbs
FINING AGENTS
Sparkolloid – Positive Charge fining agent
Sparkolloid is a proprietary fining agent which is effective against a wide range of hazes. Sparkolloid carries a positive charge and thus combines with negatively charged particles, removing them from the wine. It should only be used on wine which has been racked at least one time.
Mix 0.5 to 2 grams ( 1 to 1.5 tsp) of Sparkolloid in 30 ml (1 fluid ounce) of water per gallon of wine to be fined. Heat to boiling in a double boiler and simmer for half an hour. Prevent scorching by frequent stirring. Replace any liquid which is lost by evaporation with additional water. Stir the wine with a dowel and slowly add the hot Sparkolloid while still stirring.
The Sparkolloid will settle within a week at which point the wine should be racked again. The sediment from Sparkolloid is easily disturbed, so great care must be exercised during racking. It may be beneficial to follow the Sparkolloid fining with bentonite to give more compact sediment. The bentonite should be hydrated and added after the Sparkolloid has settled out completely.
Dosage: 10 – 40 gr/100L
Bentonite – Negative Charge Fining Agent
Sodium bentonite is negatively charged. Use for clarification or protein stability. Bentonite (Vitiben) is the most reactive with proteins, and is excellent for protein stabilization. For clarification or protein stability. It is a standard ingredient in most wine kits. Bentonite can strip color and flavor from a red wine.
Directions: dissolve in cold water, stirring to prevent lumps and it is ready to add in about 5 -10 minutes.
Dosage: 25 – 100gr/100L
OTHER ADDITIVES
Potassium Sorbate
Also called “Sorbate”. Used for bottling stability. Potassium Sorbate does not kill the yeast but prevents them from reproducing. DO NOT use on ML fermented wine or you will get an overpowering aromas and flavors of geranium leaves in your wine.
Dose 10-20g/100L
BACTILESS – Spoilage bacteria control
BACTILESS™ is an allergen-free, innovative microbial control agent used to protect juice, must, and wine from acetic and lactic acid spoilage bacteria. Use in the juice or must phase to control spoilage bacteria without negatively impacting alcoholic or malolactic fermentation (MLF). Use post alcoholic fermentation to control spoilage bacteria populations if MLF is not desired. Use post malolactic fermentation to reduce bacteria populations, including malolactic bacteria
· When used in juice/must rack before initiating malolactic fermentation when added to wine rack after 10 days contact time
· Offers an interesting alternative to lysozyme treatment and/or significant SO2 additions, but does not replace the use of SO2 as it does not have antioxidant or antifungal properties
· BACTILESS is sensory neutral and cannot decrease any sensory contribution already produced by spoilage bacteria · When BACTILESS is used early in the winemaking process LALVIN VP41™ is the suggested malolactic bacteria strain. Rack wine prior to initiating MLF with a double dose of LALVIN VP41™.
Recommended Dosage: 20–50 g/100L Mix BACTILESS in 20 times its weight of cool water and mix thoroughly prior to adding to juice/must. BACTILESS is insoluble, so it will not go into solution without mixing with water.
Acidex
Also called “Neo-Antacid”. Reduces tartaric and malic acid in proportion. Acidex can ONLY be used on unfermented juice or must. Wine will not go through Malolactic fermentation after it has been treated by Acidex. Note always deacidy a small portion of the wine and add back to the main batch.
Directions: The following is a simplified technique for the use of Acidex. 1. Determine the acidity of the juice or wine (expressed as tartaric). 2. Decide what final acidity is desired. 3. Next determine the amount of Acidex to be used as follows: Total volume in gallons X (times) acidity reduction required X (times) 2.6 = Acidex in grams. EXAMPLE: For example we willl use a 5-gallon carboy of juice (wine) at acidity of 12g/l with a desired acidity of 8g/L, for a reduction of 4g/L.
5 gallons * 4g/L x 2.6 = 52 grams of Acidex 4. Treat only a PORTION of the juice or wine with the Acidex initially. This part volume can be determined as follows: Total volume in gallons X (times) (the acid reduction required divided by the starting acidity minus 0.2) equals the portion to be treated. EXAMPLE: 5 gallons juice at acidity of 12g/L with desired acidity of 8g/L. (5 gallons * 4g/L)/(12g/L-2) = 2 gallons to be treated.
NOTE
– The amount of Acidex determined in step 3 should be placed in a container large enough to accommodate the portion of wine to be treated determined in step 4.
-Always add the untreated wine to the Acidex or its suspension, mixing continually. NEVER add the Acidex suspension to the quantity being treated. Add 10% of the portion to be treated to the amount of Acidex, mixing well as you add. Slowly add the remaining 90% ( of the volume to be treated) and continue stirring until the foaming subsides.
Allow to settle. Settling will take from 2 to 24 hours. Separation by filtration immediately is required.
Allow the de-acidified wine to stand at least three months before bottling. Give the wine time to rid itself of the dissolved CO2, which resulted from treatment.
Potassium Metabisulfite
Commonly used as a wine equipment sanitizer.
Potassium Metabisulfite is also used as an oxidation preventer and microorganism inhibitor in wine.
To Sanitize Equipment: Use 4 tsp. powder per 1/2 gal. of water. Requires 5 min contact time, drip dry. To Sanitize wine before adding yeast use 1/2 tsp. powder per 6 gal. of wine.
2.5 % Solution: – 2.5% solution is made by adding 25 g of potassium metabisulphite to 1 litre of water. Example for addition to wine: Based on additions where 0.7ml/L of solution provides of 10 ppm of free SO2 to 1 L of wine, or where 1.1 ml/L provides 15 ppm and 3.5ml/L provides equals 50 ppm then additions for any volume can be easily calculated
10 % Solution Table – 10% solution is made by adding 100 g of potassium metabisulphite to 1 litre of water. or addition to wine: Based on additions where 0.2ml/L of solution provides of 10 ppm of free SO2 to 1 L of wine, or where 0.3 ml/L provides 15 ppm /L wine and 0.9ml/L provides provides 50 ppm per Litre of wine then additions for any volume can be calculated
Tartaric Acid
– A natural acid found in grapes and fruits
– Used to adjust acid levels in grapes and modify ph levels
Dose 1g/L will raise TA by 0.1%
Citric Acid
Citric acid is a colourless, weak organic acid with a sour nature. It is used predomininatly for flavouring and for preservation in the food and beverage industries world-wide.
Winemakers use citric acid if no MLF will be used to correct the aciditity in their white wines.
We recomend your filter pads be soaked in a solution (1L water + 0.75g pottasium metabisulphate + 3.5g citric acid to rid them of the “cardboard” taste
Citric acid is as part of the cleaning/neutralizing of wooden barrels, as well as passivating stainless steel
Malic Acid
Malic acid is the sourness of green apples and Malic acid is one of the natural acids found in grapes but is typically not added to wines
Malic acid gets converted into lactic acid after MLF so if performing a Chromatography test to determine if MLF is complete the club carries malic acid for that purpose. Description on how to perform a chromatography test can be found under the Laboratory Analysis page of our website
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– Malic Acid is required for doing Chromatography tests
Opti Red
Opti-Red® is a unique natural yeast preparation that undergoes a specific refining process resulting in a high level of polyphenol-reactive yeast cell wall polysaccharides. Opti-Red® is used at the beginning of red wine fermentations to obtain fuller bodied, more color stable, smooth palate wines. Using Opti-Red® in the must provides early polysaccharide availability for the complexing with polyphenols as soon as they are released and diffused. This early complexing results in red wines with more stable color, rounder mouthfeel and better harsh or green tannin integration. Opti-Red® can be used alone or in conjunction with enological macerating enzymes such as Lallzyme EX™. Using Opti-Red® towards the end of fermentation allows the winemaker to shape harsh polyphenols into smoother more approachable tannins.
Dosage: Add Opti-Red® to the must at 11.5 g/100lbs or 30 g/100L towards the end of fermentation.
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