Another newbie question

[kvaden]

Hi, all.

I just started winemaking in the last couple months, and have only done 2 kits so far. They came out great! So now I'm hooked.

So here's my question: The kit instructions say to leave it in the primary until below .96. It's currently at 1.04, but I've been called out of town and have to leave tomorrow, and won't be back for a week. Based on looking through here, it seems to be safe to rack it, but not put any of the stabilizers or clarifiers that came in the kit. Is that right? Or should I leave it be for the week?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Syrah-volution!]

I would leave it for a week, especially if the kit has skins. You can drape a towel over the primary, or clamp down the lid and install an airlock. Since its summer, be sure that your thermostat is set below 80F while you're away and all should be good.

 

[kvaden]

Thanks! No skins, it's a Pinot Grigio. And I have a decent area in my basement that'll keep it a good temp.

Thanks!

 

[sour_grapes]

Hi, all.

I just started winemaking in the last couple months, and have only done 2 kits so far. They came out great! So now I'm hooked.

So here's my question: The kit instructions say to leave it in the primary until below .96. It's currently at 1.04, but I've been called out of town and have to leave tomorrow, and won't be back for a week. Based on looking through here, it seems to be safe to rack it, but not put any of the stabilizers or clarifiers that came in the kit. Is that right? Or should I leave it be for the week?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Can you clarify your SG readings? Is it 1.040 or 1.004? (Your instructions certainly don't say 0.960, they should say 0.996, which is why I worried that you may have misreported your current SG.)

In my opinion, if your SG is 1.004, I would rack it to the carboy before leaving for a week. If your SG is 1.040, I would leave it in primary until you return.

 

[kvaden]

Sorry, I knew those didn’t look right. 1.004, and you’re correct, 0.996.

So, given that, I’ll rack it this afternoon.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[winemaker81]

I typically rack at ~1.010, with a max of 1.020 and min of 1.000.

Kit instructions are designed for newbies to produce a successful result, and they do the job. However, there are a lot of nuances that are impossible to explain in concise instructions designed for complete novices. You came to the right place for help.

 

[kvaden]

So now I think on it, what effect does racking before it finishes fermenting have on the wine? Why rack at ~1.010 and not wait until 0.996?

Forgive me if that question's been answered elsewhere, and thanks!

 

[cmason1957]

So now I think on it, what effect does racking before it finishes fermenting have on the wine? Why rack at ~1.010 and not wait until 0.996?

Forgive me if that question's been answered elsewhere, and thanks!

It's been asked, but probably hard to find. As the fermentation finishes (going from 1.010-0.99x) the speed of fermention slows down significantly, so the amount of CO2 being produced drops off. The 1.010 is a somewhat arbitrary number and you can choose a different one, if you want to. But 1.010 seems to be where most folks rack. Personally, I do it somewhere between 1.015 and completely finished, wherever it happens to be when I get to it.

This is one of the ask 10 winemakers, get 11, maybe 12 or 15 opinions questions.

 

[kvaden]

It's been asked, but probably hard to find. As the fermentation finishes (going from 1.010-0.99x) the speed of fermention slows down significantly, so the amount of CO2 being produced drops off. The 1.010 is a somewhat arbitrary number and you can choose a different one, if you want to. But 1.010 seems to be where most folks rack. Personally, I do it somewhere between 1.015 and completely finished, wherever it happens to be when I get to it.

This is one of the ask 10 winemakers, get 11, maybe 12 or 15 opinions questions.

Does it affect the taste of the wine? I guess I'm trying to understand the advantage to not waiting until it's stopped.

 

[winemaker81]

@ kvaden, Racking before fermentation completes ensures that the wine is never without a cushion of CO2 protecting it from the air. A lot of wine makers will tell you it's not necessary, and I agree if you rack shortly after fermentation ends.

Free time is my largest issue. Wine is on its own schedule, and when mine doesn't match, I have a problem. By racking before fermentation ends, I remove the problem -- I no longer have to worry about when fermentation is done. As @cmason1957 said, the final stage of fermentation slows down a lot., so the CO2 cushion may not be sufficient. Mostly that final stage takes 3 to 5 days, but I've had it take several weeks. In the carboy, if I miss the end by a week, no harm is done.

Yup, 1.010 is an arbitrary number -- my total range is 1.020 to 1.000, with 1.008 to 1.012 the preferred range.

A lot of wine making advice is based upon "this is what I was told to do." Look at the reasons behind why we do what we do, and make your own choices.

 

[kvaden]

Thanks for the explanation, that really clarified it for me. I'm trying to understand the reasons so I know where I can tweak and where I'll screw up.

Thanks all!

 

[PandemoniumWines]

I typically don't rack until it's 1.000 or less, however, I also work from my home, so I have the ability to stop everything and rack wine when it needs racked. You can sort of predict from your wine log of gravity readings when it's going to need to go in the carboy. Case in point - my mango was 1.006 yesterday morning, and .998 that evening; I racked it. My purple (can we really call welches wine "wine?") was down to .996 and I racked it (as of today it's .995). I find when I wait to rack that it takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to finish to dry in the carboy (and carboy volcanoes are zero fun), so I like to cut it as close as possible before transferring it.