How to find the right Winemaking Additives AI guide

What the AI looks for in Winemaking Additives

Sulfite (potassium metabisulfite / Campden)

Use about 1/4 tsp of potassium metabisulfite per 5–6 gal, or one Campden tablet per gallon. Dose at crush, after fermentation and before bottling, adjusting to wine pH. Sulfite protects against oxidation and spoilage organisms; the dose needed rises as pH rises.

Potassium sorbate

Use only with sulfite, and only after fermentation is complete. Never use it in wine that has gone through malolactic fermentation. Sorbate stops yeast from restarting, but malolactic bacteria break it down into a geranium off-flavour.

Fining agents

Add bentonite at the start of fermentation for protein haze. Use two-part kieselsol/chitosan or sparkolloid after fermentation for clearing. Each agent removes different haze particles at a different stage.

Pectic enzyme for fruit

Add before fermentation to any fruit wine, and to pressed juice from high-pectin fruit. It prevents permanent pectin haze and improves juice yield.

Nutrients

Prefer complex nutrients such as Fermaid-type products over DAP alone, and split doses through the first third of fermentation. This prevents stuck fermentations and hydrogen sulfide in fruit wines and meads, which are often low in nitrogen.

Acid and tannin

Adjust with tartaric acid for grape wine or acid blend for fruit wine, guided by acid titration or pH, not taste alone. Acid balance drives stability, sulfite effectiveness and flavour.