463 
FINING AND FILTERING. 
Young wine, even when sound, generally lacks that clearness 
and brightness which characterises a well made and matured wine. 
Condition is the name given to the state of clearness of wine. 
It means the degree of limpidity or the amount and character of 
suspended solid matter it contains. 
Ist. Immediately after fermentation a wine is said to be 
“murky” or “muddy.” 
2nd. After most of the yeast and other sediment have settled 
it is said to be “cloudy.” 
3rd. When sufficiently freed from floating matter to be 
transparent it should be “clear.” When properly fermented tiis 
appears within three or four weeks in the case of a white wine. 
4th. The final stage is reached when no floating particles are 
visible; the wine is then “bright.” 
It is important to bring about a good condition in the young 
wine before the advent of hot weather revives the injurious germs 
which might still be present, and this purpose may be attained by 
by fining, by filtering, and by Pasteurising. 
These methods may be used either singly or conjointly. The 
first two will be referred to briefly now, the latter in a subsequent 
chapter. 
“ining” 1s brought about by the use of albuminoid substances, 
which are reduced to a solution and, mixing with the wine, are 
coagulated by the spirit and the tannin into insoluble floc went 
mesh-like film, of a density slightly greater than the wine, which, 
on settling, gradually drags down the solid particles in suspensina, 
leaving the wine above clear. 
If fining fails to act, it may be due to several causes, viz.: 
Ist, deficiency of tannin, particularly in white wines fermented 
apart from the skins; in this case it is essential to add tannic acid 
a day or so before fining. 2nd, The young wine is still charged 
with carbonic acid gas which, gradually disengaging, forms little 
bubbles which prevent the fining from settling down; racking in the 
presence of air will remedy this. 3rd, The wine may contain active 
germs of disease which, being at work, create a movement in the 
wine and produce gases which also prevent the settling of the fining. 
When this is the case, sulphiting by means of sulphur fumes, or the 
application of meta-bisulphate of potash, will paralyse the germs 
and permit the fining to act. Subsequent rackings will free the 
wine of these sulphur fumes. A surer method is pasteurising, i.e., 
bringing the wine rapidly to a temperature of 150° to 170° F., and 
cooling it also rapidly. This operation is conducted out of contact 
with air by means of a specially constructed machine. 
