Pectolase (Pectic Enzyme): What It Is & How to Use It

Pectolase (also called pectic enzyme) is a small, cheap addition that prevents one of the most frustrating problems in fruit winemaking: a haze that never clears. It also gets more juice out of your fruit.

What Is Pectolase?

Fruit contains pectin, the natural "glue" that holds its cells together and makes jam set. Pectolase is an enzyme that breaks pectin down.

Why It Matters

1. It prevents permanent haze

Pectin left in a wine or cider stays suspended as a cloudy haze. It won't settle, and normal finings can't clear it. Treating it at the start is far easier than trying to fix it later.

2. It gets more juice from fruit

By breaking down cell walls, pectolase releases juice that would otherwise stay trapped in the pulp. Adding it to crushed fruit a few hours before pressing noticeably improves your yield. See our guide to using an apple press.

3. It undoes the damage heat does

Heating fruit "sets" pectin, just as in jam-making. Any recipe that pours hot water over fruit, or uses cooked fruit, really needs pectolase.

Which Wines Need It?

  • Most fruit wines, especially from high-pectin fruit such as plums, damsons, apples, berries and citrus
  • Cider made from fresh-pressed apples
  • Any recipe using heated or cooked fruit
  • Not usually grape juice wine kits, which have already been treated

How to Use It

  1. Let the must cool first: heat destroys the enzyme.
  2. Add pectolase at the dose on the pack, typically around a teaspoon per gallon, usually alongside a Campden tablet.
  3. Wait about 24 hours, then add your yeast.

Test for Pectin Haze

Mix one part wine with three or four parts methylated spirits. If jelly-like clots or strings form, pectin is the problem. Add pectolase to the wine, keep it somewhere warm for a few days, and it should begin to clear. (Don't drink the sample.)

Which Product to Buy

For more on clearing, see How to Clear Cloudy Wine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does pectolase do?

It breaks down pectin in fruit, preventing a permanent haze in wine and cider and releasing more juice.

Is pectolase the same as pectic enzyme?

Yes. Pectolase is the common UK name for pectic enzyme.

When should I add pectolase?

At the start, once the must has cooled, and about 24 hours before adding yeast.

Can I add pectolase after fermentation?

Yes, to treat an existing pectin haze, though it works more slowly in finished wine. Keep the wine warm for a few days after adding it.

Do wine kits need pectolase?

Usually not. Grape juice kits are already treated.

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