# To rack or not to rack after degassing and sediment settling



## jmales (Mar 8, 2012)

I have decided to bulk age my wine for the next little while. It has degassed and there is a pile of sediment at the bottom. Does it make sense to rack it to remove the sediment or will that expose it to to much air. I should note that it would be a double racking as I do not have another carboy to rack it into, so it would be in the primary fermenter and then back into the carboy. Thoughts???


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## robie (Mar 8, 2012)

jmales said:


> I have decided to bulk age my wine for the next little while. It has degassed and there is a pile of sediment at the bottom. Does it make sense to rack it to remove the sediment or will that expose it to to much air. I should note that it would be a double racking as I do not have another carboy to rack it into, so it would be in the primary fermenter and then back into the carboy. Thoughts???



What kind of wine - fruit or grape?
From a kit or fresh/frozen?
Did you already add a clearing (fining) agent?
If not, are you going to add a clearing agent?

The type of clearing agent dictates whether or not you leave sediment in before adding the agent.

We have to have a little more info to help you.


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## Runningwolf (Mar 8, 2012)

First off, yes rack it and get off the lees. This is a good time to add meta if you need it. Once you start racking add it to the container your going into. This would ensure you're getting it mixed in good. Be careful not to disturb any of the sediment in the carboy you're coming from. Do you test for S02? If not and you haven't added any in the last 7-10 weeks I would add 1/8 tsp. If it's been longer then 10 weeks I would add 1/4 tsp (I am assuming this is a 5-6 gallon batch). This should help protect your wine while aging since you'll be losing a bit during your double racking.


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## Runningwolf (Mar 8, 2012)

Robie is correct, I didn't think about clearing.


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## jmales (Mar 8, 2012)

So it is a Cab/Sauv from a kit. I have added clearing agents Meta bisulphate, floksol/keisosol. Did the whole degassing/vigorous stirring thing, and let it sit in the basement as it is a little cooler down there (this really helped with the settling I found). Does this information help you a bit


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## robie (Mar 8, 2012)

jmales said:


> So it is a Cab/Sauv from a kit. I have added clearing agents Meta bisulphate, floksol/keisosol. Did the whole degassing/vigorous stirring thing, and let it sit in the basement as it is a little cooler down there (this really helped with the settling I found). Does this information help you a bit



That helps. The instructions in the kit should tell you what needs to be done. Once the wine has cleared for the designated time period (3 to 5 weeks), rack off the sediment. Don't disturb it until then, even if it looks clear.


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## jmales (Mar 8, 2012)

Instructions suggest bottling after four weeks (it's a four week kit) after racking it into the primary fermenter if I choose not to filter (which is what I have chosen- have not had good experiences with filter pads- that's a different story). Would there be a problem with racking and bulk aging it though?


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## Runningwolf (Mar 8, 2012)

Nope, go ahead and bulk age. We all do it!


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## robie (Mar 9, 2012)

That's one thing about the instructions I don't follow. One can bottle that quickly, but the result will most likely be sediment in the bottles.

Yes, bulk age at least until you get no more sediment. Make sure you have the wine topped off and sealed either under a solid bung or bung/airlock. I generally use a bung/airlock for the first 5 or 6 months of bulk aging. After that I go to a solid bung.


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