> I know a lot of people use clarifying agents; is there anyone else out
> there who lets it all clear just by the simple passage of time and gravity?
> I do my ferment, add campden tablets after a couple months to stop
> fermentation as much as possible, watch it settle to near-crystalline
> clarity, then rack into another carboy, add preservative and wait for final
> clarification. It can take a very long time....... ;-)
> Bob

I understand your point Bob, and have actually produced commercial
wine recently that was neither fined nor filtered. It was a red that
had been aged for two years in oak barrels and was as clear as any
wine. Just had to see for myself.

But I feel compelled to mention that fining has other purposes beyond
clarification. Namely, the organoleptic qualities of the wine can be
greatly improved sometimes with proper, judicious finings. I've done
fining trials before on my reds, but have never seen any improvements
from the treatment.

Also, along these lines, it's a common misconception that filtration's
main function is clarification. When I filter, it's mainly to remove
microbial beasts: brilliant clarification is just a nice side effect.

If you've never tried these techniques of winemaking, then you could
not possibly know whether they have positive effects on your wine.
But if you're content with your current procedures, that's all that
really matters.

clyde
Steelville, Missouri, USofA
http://www.PeacefulBend.com
http://www.vinic.com