Topic: Citric acid.

[legendaryone]

I have had trouble getting some pectolase as my local Wilkos has stopped selling wine making equipment (See my previous topic) I did manage to get some but my mum has given me some small boxes of citric acid monohydrate which says on the packet is used for jam and wine making, well i was wondering if anyone here uses it and what quantities did you use ?  :)

[saddad]

We use Tartaric when we do our own elderflower cordial...  :-\

[PurpleHeather]

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/

Try the above link. Or big branches of Boots the Chemist.

I thought, that for wine you needed to take the pectin out of the fruit.
For jam you need to keep the pectin in the fruit.

Pectin being a jelly like substance which is great for making jam set but useless in wine, it makes it cloudy.

The substance you want, I think, for wine making, is an anti pectin agent which neutralises the natural pectin in the fruit.

Citric acid is used in wine and jam making recipes. I know for a  wine recipe I have both are needed. This indicates that citric acid is not a substitute for pectrolase.

[gwynleg]

Do you get funny looks when you ask for citric acid? I think it may also be used with illicit substances so chemists have to check what you will be using it for. Or maybe I just look suspicious?

[PurpleHeather]

Citric acid is not a commonly used substance so very likely the people who work in the shop where you are asking may well be unaware of the existence of the substance.

What makes a difference is, If you go into a shop acting like fifteen year old wanting to buy a single condom.  Or confidently go to the counter and say 'I am making jam and my recipe requires citric acid, do you sell it?

[cleo]

Has the world changed so much since I stopped making it-citric,tartaric,succuinic-all easy to buy.

I no longer brew but get frustrated when I find saltpetre harder and harder to find when Iwant to pickle meat

[PurpleHeather]

Has it changed?

Has it ever.

The first thing the shoppers go for now are the little packages of ready made meals.

They pay a fortune for tiny tubs of ready made jelly.

Think that potatoes with soil attached are 'dirty'.

I overheard some one say, the other day, that they love to cook a Sunday roast but it is too complicated.

Saltpetre? That is what they add to cigarettes to stop them from 'going out'  isn't it?

[Baccy Man]

I have had trouble getting some pectolase as my local Wilkos has stopped selling wine making equipment (See my previous topic) I did manage to get some but my mum has given me some small boxes of citric acid monohydrate which says on the packet is used for jam and wine making, well i was wondering if anyone here uses it and what quantities did you use ?  :)

pectolase is a pectic enzyme which increases juice yields from fruits by breaking down some of the long-chain carbohydrate compounds cellular structure. It also acts as a clarifier, and is used to clear hazes caused by residual pectins.

Citric acid, minor in grapes but major in many other fruits, is often added to wines to increase acidity, complement a specific flavor or prevent ferric hazes. In the grape, citric acid all but disappears during fermentation in much the same way that malic is reduced. It is reduced through normal fermentation and again during malolactic fermentation . If added to an almost finished wine to increase acidity, citric acid gives the wine a freshness of flavor that seems (and is) artificial.
Addition of about 1 gram per 10 gallons will help prevent ferric (iron) hazes, a malady which is no longer very common. Like tartaric acid it buffers to a nice low pH. It may be used as a substitute in place of tartaric acid to acidify a wine. 3.5 grams per gallon will increase the acidity by about 0.1%. It has the advantage of not upsetting tartrate stability.  It can also be used in place of lemon juice if needed.

[legendaryone]

Thanks for the replies everyone it has turned out to be an interesting topic  :)

[STEVEB]

And if your stuck for a use of any left over stick it in your kettle it will take of all the scale !!