Clarification at low temperatures

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charles udale

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Jun 9, 2022, 6:00:14 AM6/9/22
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Dear Cider makers, 


A clarification question (sorry!). 

This coming season I would like to improve pre-fermentation clarification. However, I am concerned that my juice is always too cold to allow pectic enzymes to function. Our juice temp never exceeded 9 degrees C between pressing and the end of fermentation. The ideal temp for these enzymes is much higher - perhaps 40, Claude's book suggests 15 C will work. 

Anyone had success at low temp clarifications? If so which product / dosage did you use? 

One other thought: I noticed the initial juice out of the press was particularly milky, after a while this cleared up. Does that change represent variation in pectin content over the course of a pressing?


Thanks!

Charlie 

Claude Jolicoeur

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Jun 9, 2022, 8:04:01 AM6/9/22
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Le jeudi 9 juin 2022 à 06:00:14 UTC-4, charle...@gmail.com a écrit :
This coming season I would like to improve pre-fermentation clarification. However, I am concerned that my juice is always too cold to allow pectic enzymes to function. Our juice temp never exceeded 9 degrees C between pressing and the end of fermentation. The ideal temp for these enzymes is much higher - perhaps 40, Claude's book suggests 15 C will work. 

Enzymes will work at lower temperature, but it may take longer or require increase of dosage.
I mostly use PME enzyme for keeving and these work at temperature as low as 5C. So I don't see why normal pectinase wouldn't work around 9C if you've got the right dosage.

I suggest you talk with your local enzyme supplier (I don't know where you are)... There are cider makers in N.America who use Scottzyme PEC-5L successfully, but I am not sure what is the dosage they use. You might need to make some tests until you find the right recipee for your apples and conditions. Note that some juices will clarify more easily than others - this may depend on your pressing system as well as on the variety.

AW

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Jun 9, 2022, 11:20:24 PM6/9/22
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The classic rule of thumb for enzymes - For every increase in temperature of 10C, the reaction rate doubles.  

If you are at 5C and you reference says it should work at 15C.....double the dosage.  The enzyme might even be active for longer at lower temperatures.  

Andrew Lea

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Jun 10, 2022, 2:14:25 AM6/10/22
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I agree with the previous remarks about enzymes. The pectic enzyme you add should probably be active for many hours, even days, and should work slowly even at 9 C. 

But your talk of milkiness implies that you maybe have a problem with starch not pectin. What sort of fruit do you use and is it fully ripe? Do you do a starch test before pressing? Can you briefly describe your cider operation and why you have concerns over clarification in any case? 

Andrew

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Wittenham Hill Cider Page

On 9 Jun 2022, at 11:01, charles udale <charle...@gmail.com> wrote:

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charles udale

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Jun 10, 2022, 5:27:50 AM6/10/22
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Thank you for these responses. 

I will do some research on the most suitable enzymes available in the UK. I have just come across this one from Vigo: https://www.vigoltd.com/Catalogue/Additives-treatments/Pectolytic-enzyme-Fructozym-P\

Not sure if anyone has any experience with this? 

What happens if you add too much of these enzymes, are there any adverse effects?

Andrew: my cider making operation is small but (hopefully) commercial. We pressed 2500 ltrs this first year using a large rack and cloth oak press I have made. The apples were left for about a month and a half and I did perform random sample iodine tests before pressing. As an alternative to the pectin hypothesis, I did consider starch or organic matter. Perhaps after a while the pomace acts as a filter bed to prevent particles escaping out of the cloth in a similar way to the grain bed in the mash tun when brewing? The reason I want to clarify is because I am using a partial sterile filtration to reduce yeast biomass and preserve sweetness. This worked really well this year but reasonably high pectin did mean I clogged the filter pads quite easily with some juices. Main apples: eaters selected for acidity akin to the taste of Browns apple, some bitter sharps, Dabinett and HMJ. 

All the best, 

Charlie

 

Cider

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Jun 10, 2022, 7:26:51 AM6/10/22
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Fructozym P has been around for quite a few years and it comes from Erbsloeh who are a well respected German supply company for wines and fruit juices. I’m sure it will do the job.  The other one you might look out for is Pectinex Ultra which seems to be available in the UK from this reseller https://www.specialingredients.co.uk/pectinex-ultra-sp-l-100-millilitres but it is a lot more expensive (at least from them).

Your cider process is idiosyncratic and I am not entirely convinced that pectin is the cause of the problem you describe. By the time you do a partial sterile filtration (at what SG?) I would expect all the starch granules should have sedimented and the pectin should have gone - though that does depend on the quality of your enzyme (what brand did you use before?).   

One of the things that clogs membrane filters is the presence of yeast or bacterial derived polysaccharides, rather than from the fruit.  What sort of yeast do you use and what is your SO2 regime? Did you test for pectin and is that why you think it’s the problem? When you say “partial sterile filtration” what exactly do you mean? Is that a straight 0.45 micron membrane or a cross-flow system you are using?

Andrew

Wittenham Hill Cider Page

On 10 Jun 2022, at 10:28, charles udale <charle...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thank you for these responses. 

Claude Jolicoeur

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Jun 10, 2022, 8:50:49 AM6/10/22
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Le vendredi 10 juin 2022 à 05:27:50 UTC-4, charle...@gmail.com a écrit :
The reason I want to clarify is because I am using a partial sterile filtration to reduce yeast biomass and preserve sweetness. This worked really well this year but reasonably high pectin did mean I clogged the filter pads quite easily with some juices.

Why don't you keeve then?
Keeving would do a perfect pre-fermentation clarification and ensure a low yeast population, making it easy to preserve some sweetness.

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