Tips and Tools » Additive FAQs

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The oak bag was floating on top of the wine, so I pushed it down. Is that okay?
Yes, that's okay. The oak bag will help flavour the wine whether it floats on top or sinks down.

My oak bag has a hole in it. What should I do?
To make sure the floating oak chips don't clog things up, use a sanitized spoon to scoop them out on day 14, and then continue as you normally would.

What is in the Cleanser packet (One Step™)?
One-Step™ is an oxygen sanitizer that you mix with warm water to make a solution that you can either coat your equipment with or immerse it in. It has no odour and doesn't need to be rinsed off.

What is in the Primary Wine Clarifier packet (Bentonite)?
Bentonite is a special kind of food-grade clay. The yeast in the wine attaches itself to the tiny clay particles as it circulates through the vessel, and this increases fermentation. After the fermentation is finished, the Bentonite settles out completely, so there's none left in the wine.

What is in the Wine Stabilizer packet (Potassium Metabisulphite)?
Potassium Metabisulphite is a stable salt of sulphur used in winemaking all over the world. When you add it to your wine, it stops oxidation (that is, it keeps the wine from going brown and losing its aroma and flavour), and it stops bacteria from spoiling the wine.

What is in the Yeast Inhibitor packet (Potassium Sorbate)?
Potassium Sorbate is a very common food preservative that inhibits yeast and mould growth. Artful Winemaker™ kits that have a Wine Reserve Bottle (#5) need a Potassium Sorbate addition. This stops any yeast that's left in the wine from fermenting the Wine Reserve in the bottle, so you don't end up with sediment at the bottom, or cloudy or 'fizzy' wine.

What is in the Wine Clarifier packet (Chitosan)?
Chitosan is technically a kind of sugar, related to a natural shell-like substance called chitin. It combines with any small particles floating in the wine, and when it attaches to them, they drop out of the liquid, leaving the wine clear and brilliant.

What is the Wine Clarifier packet (Isinglass)?
Isinglass is a protein (like gelatine) that's derived from fish proteins. It combines with particles floating in the wine, and when it attaches to them, they drop out of the liquid, leaving the wine clear and brilliant.

What is Wine Reserve (#5 Bottle)?
Wine Reserve is a blend of sugars, natural flavour and stabilizers. When the fermentation is done, you use this to sweeten the wine. It needs to be used together with Potassium Sorbate.

What is Bottle Sanitizer (Potassium Metabisulphite)?
Potassium Metabisulphite is a stable salt of sulphur used in wine making all over the world. When you rinse the inside of bottles with it, it sanitizes them against any organisms that could spoil the wine. It's not a cleanser, however: your bottles must already be clean before you use Potassium Metabisulphite to sanitize them.