I made a ML-fermentation on a 100 L batch of wine. After completion I
added lysozyme (and som sulphite) to stabilize the wine. Before
ML-fermentation the wine had already gone through one racking, but
with enough yeast materials left for the ML-fermentation.

Now however the wine is very difficult to clear/fine. The lysozyme
seems to float like a protein haze in the wine and do not settle (or
settle very slowly). Have any of you experienced this before and know
what to do? Some tannin is added, but with no apparent effect. Also
some test gelatine was added with no effect.

Any suggestions?

Lysozyme is a protein so it can contribute to a haze. I've also seen it
precipitate out other things in reds.

One suggestion is to fine with bentonite - this will pretty much remove the
lysozyme - which you shouldn't need after ML has completed anyway since
it's designed to kill bacteria such as ML bacteria.

On 2004-04-19 15:51:52 -0400, (K.J.Kristiansen) said:

> I made a ML-fermentation on a 100 L batch of wine. After completion I
> added lysozyme (and som sulphite) to stabilize the wine. Before
> ML-fermentation the wine had already gone through one racking, but
> with enough yeast materials left for the ML-fermentation.
>
> Now however the wine is very difficult to clear/fine. The lysozyme
> seems to float like a protein haze in the wine and do not settle (or
> settle very slowly). Have any of you experienced this before and know
> what to do? Some tannin is added, but with no apparent effect. Also
> some test gelatine was added with no effect.
>
> Any suggestions?
>


The Mad Kiwi Winemaker
(Remove nospam for e-mail)

>
> One suggestion is to fine with bentonite - this will pretty much remove the
> lysozyme -



>>>which you shouldn't need after ML has completed anyway since
> it's designed to kill bacteria such as ML bacteria.
>

My initial response exactly, Alastair....

.... also, silica gel might clear it up. It's a little easier to work
with than bentonite, settles faster and more compactly, and is more
benign on the organoleptic qualities of the wine.


But I'd highly recommend doing fining trials instead of just tossing
in a bunch of agents wantonly.

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

(K.J.Kristiansen) wrote in message . com>...
> I made a ML-fermentation on a 100 L batch of wine. After completion I
> added lysozyme (and som sulphite) to stabilize the wine. Before
> ML-fermentation the wine had already gone through one racking, but
> with enough yeast materials left for the ML-fermentation.
>
> Now however the wine is very difficult to clear/fine. The lysozyme
> seems to float like a protein haze in the wine and do not settle (or
> settle very slowly). Have any of you experienced this before and know
> what to do? Some tannin is added, but with no apparent effect. Also
> some test gelatine was added with no effect.
>
> Any suggestions?

Well, as lysozyme is a protein, gelatin will only make the situation
worse. I would try silica gel as Clyde suggested.

Alastair, a reason for adding lysozyme to ML-fermented wine is if you
want only partial ML - either to stop active ML or to blend ML wine
with non-ML wine. I'm in the second situation right now with a Gewurz,
I've actually got a stuck ML in 1 batch.

I've experienced something similar (fining issues) with a Zin juice. I
don't remember now why I decided to add lysozyme to it, but I did. The
wine seemed clear and there was not much sediment but it tasted a bit
gritty. Then when I racked it 2 months after, I added some oak chips
and grape skin extract for colour and in about 1/2 hr there was a HUGE
level of sediment on the bottom, which I suspect is the lysozyme,
pulled out by either the oak or the tannin in the extract.

Pp
Vancouver, BC, Canada

Thanks for the advice. I will try the silica gel. The reason for
adding lysozyme was actually to prevent the MLB to start "chewing" on
the relatively large amounts of citric acid in the wine.
I also noticed that the tannin addition did cause some "solid"
materials to form (or aggregate), but there is still plenty of the
fine, very slow setling lysozyme material left.
(pp) wrote in message m>...
> (K.J.Kristiansen) wrote in message . com>...
> > I made a ML-fermentation on a 100 L batch of wine. After completion I
> > added lysozyme (and som sulphite) to stabilize the wine. Before
> > ML-fermentation the wine had already gone through one racking, but
> > with enough yeast materials left for the ML-fermentation.
> >
> > Now however the wine is very difficult to clear/fine. The lysozyme
> > seems to float like a protein haze in the wine and do not settle (or
> > settle very slowly). Have any of you experienced this before and know
> > what to do? Some tannin is added, but with no apparent effect. Also
> > some test gelatine was added with no effect.
> >
> > Any suggestions?
>
> Well, as lysozyme is a protein, gelatin will only make the situation
> worse. I would try silica gel as Clyde suggested.
>
> Alastair, a reason for adding lysozyme to ML-fermented wine is if you
> want only partial ML - either to stop active ML or to blend ML wine
> with non-ML wine. I'm in the second situation right now with a Gewurz,
> I've actually got a stuck ML in 1 batch.
>
> I've experienced something similar (fining issues) with a Zin juice. I
> don't remember now why I decided to add lysozyme to it, but I did. The
> wine seemed clear and there was not much sediment but it tasted a bit
> gritty. Then when I racked it 2 months after, I added some oak chips
> and grape skin extract for colour and in about 1/2 hr there was a HUGE
> level of sediment on the bottom, which I suspect is the lysozyme,
> pulled out by either the oak or the tannin in the extract.
>
> Pp
> Vancouver, BC, Canada

For more information on Lysozyme check out data at Scott Labs
(www.scottlab.com) or at Fordras

Q: Lysozyme is a protein. Will it affect protein stability?
Yes. Commercial protein stability tests involving acid precipitation
indicate that lysozyme treated wines may need more bentonite than
wines without lysozyme treatment. This is not, however, always the
case. To know for certain how much bentonite is needed, it is critical
that standard heat stability tests be performed.

Q: Which fining agents react with lysozyme?
Carbon, silica sol, oak chips, and tannin will bind and precipitate
lysozyme with a resulting decrease in activity. Bentonite will bind
with and inactivate lysozyme.


Q: Which fining agents do not react with lysozyme?
Gelatin, potassium caseinate and pectinase do not affect lysozyme
activity. In fact, pectinase treatment will help maintain lysozyme
activity by breaking-down phenolic compounds that can bind lysozyme.

More FAQ's available at:

http://www.scottlaboratories.com/inf...n.asp#lysozyme