Home Winemaking
Fining and Sediment

Racking normally takes care of most of the sediment found in wine, by transferring the clear wine from carboy to carboy. However, often some sort of fining, or clarifying process is desired before bottling to be sure that the wine is clear and free of sediment.

In olden times, winemakers used egg white, gelatine from hooves even blood, seaweed and clay. These items would collect the impurities in the wine, so that it settled at the bottom and was easily racked away. Modern winemakers tend to use components specifically designed to the purpose.

Common fining agends are sparkolloid or gelatin. Sparkolloid works well on white wines, usually 1 tsp per gallon. It might also take months for the sparkolloird to fully come out of the wine. Bentonite is also good on whites, although it works best if the wine is kept warm while it settles out. Both sparkolloid and bentonite pull out positively-charged particles.

Gelatin pulls out the negatively-charged particles, tannins and astringency from reds. The gelatin itself is positively charged, and as we know from high school, opposites attract. Isinglass works on the same principle. You can also use actual filters to run the wine through.

Glossary of Winemaking Terms

Images courtesy of your Wine Guide and the BMCB Website