must the StarSan be totally dried before racking?

[wine newbee]

I'm sure this has been asked umpteen times, but I don't see it right-offhand in posts, so here goes: I'm racking for the 1st [actual] time this weekend; from grapes I fermented last Sept. The btls to-be-used were scrubbed and dried at the time and stored in cardboard and styrofoam boxes.

So now: I've rinsed the btls and tubing with StarSan (I've had it stored over-winter; is that an issue?!) and am letting the btls dry (upright).

Do I have to ensure the btls are totally dry before racking? Is it quicker to have the bottles lay sideways or upside down to speed drying? I've seen somewhere that some folks place the btls in cardboard boxes (or whatever) upside-down, but wouldn't that contaminate the lips of the btls?

Should I expose the new corks I'll use with StarSan, or is it OK to take 'em from their plastic bag as I plug the btls with 'em?

You can tell I'm not feeling super-confident about this.

Thx a heap for any feedback, anecdotes, advice, etc ....

 

[sour_grapes]

No drying necessary at all. Don't fear the foam!

 

[TonyP]

On the corks, they're fine to use as is if you purchased sanitized corks. If you didn't or are not sure, I suggest putting them in a sealed container with some K-meta for a while before corking. There are several ways to do this including either a heavy spray or using a K-meta solution.

 

[Sailor323]

Many winemakers recommend against using K-meta for sanitizing corks. Star-san is probably a good idea

 

[TonyP]

Many winemakers recommend against using K-meta for sanitizing corks. Star-san is probably a good idea

I'm not familiar with this, particularly given that K-meta is used to sanitize bottles. I always thought SO2 gas from K-meta was the preferred method. I've seen this approach used by wine makers referred to as a "corkidor".

 

[opus345]

Bottling (Not Racking) Day
Get 33-35 bottles out the storage room.
Mix up 2-3 gal water and Star San
Use my All-in-One Wine Pump to fill the bottles with 4-5 oz Star San solution
Give each bottle a couple shakes to distribute solution.
Dump solution out of bottle(slowly).
Put corks in solution for a rinse, not a soak.
Drain each bottle and fill with wine/dragon's blood using AIO
Cork bottles
Let sit upright for a couple days.

 

[Sailor323]

Many winemakers recommend against using K-meta for sanitizing corks. Star-san is probably a good idea

This post was based on information that I squirreled away years ago. Apparently it was thought that k-meta contributed to making the corks dry and brittle and preliminary failure. After posting this, I researched the subject and the consensus of most sites was that K-meta is a safe sanitizer for corks.

 

[TonyP]

Thanks for the follow-up.

 

[robert81650]

I use Kmeta all the time to rinse my bottles....no problems...usually you add a little Kmeta to the wine before bottling..............

 

[rustbucket]

I usually give the 100 cork bag a few squirts of Kmeta from a spray bottle before storing the left overs for the next batch. This is done in the belief that the fumes from Kmeta will serve to keep them safe from airborne bacteria and fungus.

Doing this, I think, is similar to @TonyP's corkidor method.