Plum wine not clearing! Help!!

[w33blegurl]

OK, I have never made plum wine (or any wine) so consider me utterly clueless!! I got a kit for making a gallon amount and got to the stage of adding the finings. This is done and it sat the recommended 2 weeks but it still looks pretty cloudy. So... two questions:

1. Does it matter that its still cloudy if it tastes OK?
2. If I do need to get rid of the cloudiness what should I try next? I read about using pectolase in case its a pectin haze - is this the right way to go?

Its taken ages to get it to this point so I'd rather not mess it up if possible!!

Thanks in advance!
Julia

[burnie]

How long is ages? is this from a kit or have you made it yourself?
Wine needs leaving once it has stopped fermenting to allow the "lees" to settle, it is then syphoned off, often several times. I have wine in the loft, now over a year old and it's still fermenting!!

[Kirk]

Pectolase is likely required, plums are high in pectin and it take time to clear if it ever does.
Think you can add it at this late stage, but it may take a bit longer to do it's stuff. Usually it is added at the initial ferment and it breaks down the pectin at that earlier time.

I am reasonably sure that pectolase can be added later (after fermentation) and will do it's stuff. I had a DJ that had the top 2/3 clear and the lower 1/3 a bit cloudy. At the ime I searched and found that it could be added at any time. However my thinking is that Pectolase action may be a bit reduced by the alcohol present.

Time will generally clear most wines but that could bve a year or more and then it generally needs a cool place to sit. It is nice if the stuff clears itself quicker.

Have to say I have not used finings, most have always just cleared themselves, but have added pectolase for the pectin.

[Baldy]

You can add pectolase later inthe process but you usually add more than you would during fermentation if memory serves...
Personally i don't mind a bit of haze in my wine - which might explain my bad memory.

[w33blegurl]

Thanks all, I feel rather reassured that I'm probably just being a bit impatient here and time may well help! Its been going for a couple of months overall with various addings of stuff and waiting - its from a kit so am following those instructions since I don't really know what I'm doing!

I'll add some pectolase and see how it goes. It smells nice so hoping that's a good sign...?

[Bigmallly]

Advice taken from a wine making forum:

"Slightly warm half a mug of your wine (not too hot, only 30-40C) and whisk in 2 tsps of pectolase. Return that to your wine and mix well. Leave in a cool place for a couple of weeks."

[goodolpete]

Have you degassed the wine yet?
Once it’s off the lees, shake demijohn (with bung in ) 20 secs, release bung.
Repeat until no sound of escaping pressure.
Personally I would then add pectolase and keep at room temp, not cool place,
for a week to see if that helps.
If not put somewhere cold for a week to see if that precipitates the suspended solids.
Pete

[w33blegurl]

OK...pectolase has been added so will see what happens in a couple of weeks!