Racking & Filtering

[jip911]

Fairly new to wine making with only 24 gallons under my belt and I was wondering about racking and filtering.
I am always torn between grabbing the last little bit off the bottom of the primary or secondary and risk transferring a bunch of sediment or leaving behind my hard work and not getting the last drop...
I have a whole house filtering setup and access to cheap filters from .5 micron to 100 micron and was contemplating putting in a coarse filter in the canister, propping up one end of the carboy or primary and putting the racking cane all the way to the bottom and rely on the filter to screen out the sediment.

Would this just plug off the filter? could this affect secondary fermentation?

I realize I am over thinking this and should just accept a little loss with each transfer but would like to hear your thoughts.

Thanks
J

 

[Rice_Guy]

The standard is to toss the lees.
If you operate a cartridge and intentionally pull the lees you will blind the filter quickly. If you collect a few inches above and work down as the layer is pulled lower you could recover a bit more, but still about as much as tossing lees.
Commercial uses a centrifuge which can generate a thin paste.
I will pour the lees into a tall container settle a bit and use it for testing backsweetening and such, , hate to toss it.

 

[NorCal]

I recycle my lunch bags, so you know I’m not wasting money. However, there is nothing worse than pouring a glass of wine to a friend and having sediment come out. If you look at the volume left behind on a good racking cane with a tip, it’s less than 1% of the total wine. I toss it, but it doesn’t stop me from thinking I’m tossing some good with the bad.

 

[sour_grapes]

You know, I don't see anything tragic about, you know, just drinking the wine leftover in the bottom of the carboy. Rack off as much as you can, pour the dregs into a mason jar, let it settle out in the fridge for a day, pour the liquid off into a glass, and do what comes naturally!

 

[reeflections]

You know, I don't see anything tragic about, you know, just drinking the wine leftover in the bottom of the carboy. Rack off as much as you can, pour the dregs into a mason jar, let it settle out in the fridge for a day, pour the liquid off into a glass, and do what comes naturally!

I was happy to come across this old post. That's exactly what I do but was embarrassed to bring it up.

 

[hounddawg]

i filter with ever rack or bottling . i use whole house filters spun polypropylene filters, from fermenter to secondary since i do not use fruit packs i use a 25 micron filter only for racking from fermenter to glass carboy, after that i use 5 microns on my reds and 1 micron on my whites, on ebay if you look hard you can get them in boxes of fifty for about $55 or about a buck apiece, leave that last little bit ,do not chance the lees, if you become hooked check out steve,( allinonevacuumpumpman,) great system and very honest and extremely helpful.
BEST OF LUCK
Dawg

Fairly new to wine making with only 24 gallons under my belt and I was wondering about racking and filtering.
I am always torn between grabbing the last little bit off the bottom of the primary or secondary and risk transferring a bunch of sediment or leaving behind my hard work and not getting the last drop...
I have a whole house filtering setup and access to cheap filters from .5 micron to 100 micron and was contemplating putting in a coarse filter in the canister, propping up one end of the carboy or primary and putting the racking cane all the way to the bottom and rely on the filter to screen out the sediment.

Would this just plug off the filter? could this affect secondary fermentation?

I realize I am over thinking this and should just accept a little loss with each transfer but would like to hear your thoughts.

Thanks
J

 

[hounddawg]

I was happy to come across this old post. That's exactly what I do but was embarrassed to bring it up.

me too
Dawg

 

[SpoiledRotten]

I just filtered for the first time. I started making wine around 2011. Been using clarifying agents and gravity before the final bottling process. Proud to say that I finally bought a Buon Vino filtering system about 3 weeks ago. This is the results of a Sav. Blanc after using the machine and #2 pads.

wish I had polished the outside of the 6 gal carboy before taking the pic.

 

[robert81650]

Looks great..................

 

[DizzyIzzy]

I just filtered for the first time. I started making wine around 2011. Been using clarifying agents and gravity before the final bottling process. Proud to say that I finally bought a Buon Vino filtering system about 3 weeks ago. This is the results of a Sav. Blanc after using the machine and #2 pads.

wish I had polished the outside of the 6 gal carboy before taking the pic.

View attachment 62007

Lookin' darn purty................................LOL

 

[hounddawg]

yup i filter every rack and when bottling, 1 micron for whites, 5 microns for reds, the whole house filters i use are spun polypropylene , 2an1/2" x10". by the case of 50 they run about a buck a filter, and except for pineapple and banana, you can wash in k-meta freeze and reuse,a 20mm ammo box holds around 26 filters i got 4 ammo boxes more or less full,,, yup darn purty
Dawg

 

[DizzyIzzy]

I was happy to come across this old post. That's exactly what I do but was embarrassed to bring it up.

I agree with you guys. I just HATE to waste the vino!! Since I am awaiting racking canes to use with the new AIO I decided today was the day to at least rack off some 1 gallon wines. Since I have never mastered the autosiphons, I racked the old-fashioned way sucking on the end of the tube till it started draining into the receiving bottle (carefully wiping off the end with K-meta). Oh, how I hated to do that, the germaphobe that I am......that said, I used a turkey baster to VERY carefully draw as much wine off the lees as possible. I got down far enough that all that was left was the lees, so no need to drink. However, all is now in the secondary and it wouldn't have tasted very good at this point anyway! Thus, no regrets on what was tossed. Can't wait for the racking canes to come in so I can rack my SP and a 5 gal. rhubarb. BTW, my 1 1/2 gal. banana/pineapple was clear as a bell!

 

[hounddawg]

I agree with you guys. I just HATE to waste the vino!! Since I am awaiting racking canes to use with the new AIO I decided today was the day to at least rack off some 1 gallon wines. Since I have never mastered the autosiphons, I racked the old-fashioned way sucking on the end of the tube till it started draining into the receiving bottle (carefully wiping off the end with K-meta). Oh, how I hated to do that, the germaphobe that I am......that said, I used a turkey baster to VERY carefully draw as much wine off the lees as possible. I got down far enough that all that was left was the lees, so no need to drink. However, all is now in the secondary and it wouldn't have tasted very good at this point anyway! Thus, no regrets on what was tossed. Can't wait for the racking canes to come in so I can rack my SP and a 5 gal. rhubarb. BTW, my 1 1/2 gal. banana/pineapple was clear as a bell!

put that whole house filter housing steve sells and on ebay you can get cases of 50 filters for about $55, 1 micron for whites,,,5 microns for reds
Dawg

 

[Arne]

I agree with you guys. I just HATE to waste the vino!! Since I am awaiting racking canes to use with the new AIO I decided today was the day to at least rack off some 1 gallon wines. Since I have never mastered the autosiphons, I racked the old-fashioned way sucking on the end of the tube till it started draining into the receiving bottle (carefully wiping off the end with K-meta). Oh, how I hated to do that, the germaphobe that I am......that said, I used a turkey baster to VERY carefully draw as much wine off the lees as possible. I got down far enough that all that was left was the lees, so no need to drink. However, all is now in the secondary and it wouldn't have tasted very good at this point anyway! Thus, no regrets on what was tossed. Can't wait for the racking canes to come in so I can rack my SP and a 5 gal. rhubarb. BTW, my 1 1/2 gal. banana/pineapple was clear as a bell!

Well, If you have on of the orange carboy caps that the racking cane fits in you can fit it on top of the carboy with the cane in, have a tube attached to the cane to the receiving container and blow into the other side of the carboy cap. Have the receiving container lower than the donor carboy and instant siphon.. Course now instead of sucking on the tube you are blowing the germs into the wine. Works easier than regular siphon, but you don't stand the chance of having a taste of the wine. Man, I am probably gonna get flamed with this post, suckin and blowin. LOL, ARne.

 

[hounddawg]

Well, If you have on of the orange carboy caps that the racking cane fits in you can fit it on top of the carboy with the cane in, have a tube attached to the cane to the receiving container and blow into the other side of the carboy cap. Have the receiving container lower than the donor carboy and instant siphon.. Course now instead of sucking on the tube you are blowing the germs into the wine. Works easier than regular siphon, but you don't stand the chance of having a taste of the wine. Man, I am probably gonna get flamed with this post, suckin and blowin. LOL, ARne.

oh ARne please i beg you to tell us you weren't on your knees, bahwaaaaa
cough, sorry just could not help myself, a sleepless night brain foggy, um well they really ain't sure i have a brain,,,,,, tisk, tisk, stop baiting me please,,, lol
Dawg

 

[Arne]

I knew it was going to start. LOL. But just throwing old ideas out there and really didn't know how else to post it. Arne.

 

[hounddawg]

I knew it was going to start. LOL. But just throwing old ideas out there and really didn't know how else to post it. Arne.

hec.k i appresseate the laugh i got, with all this stress i took great plesure at your expense, lol
Dawg

 

[DizzyIzzy]

Well, If you have on of the orange carboy caps that the racking cane fits in you can fit it on top of the carboy with the cane in, have a tube attached to the cane to the receiving container and blow into the other side of the carboy cap. Have the receiving container lower than the donor carboy and instant siphon.. Course now instead of sucking on the tube you are blowing the germs into the wine. Works easier than regular siphon, but you don't stand the chance of having a taste of the wine. Man, I am probably gonna get flamed with this post, suckin and blowin. LOL, ARne.

Arne......I don't care what they say about you, I DO appreciate your offering another option. LOL good news is that the racking canes are due in tomorrow so I will finally be able to use my AIO to rack SP and 5 gal. rhubarb into secondarys which will free me up to finally try DDDB...Yah'h, yah'h

 

[hounddawg]

Arne......I don't care what they say about you, I DO appreciate your offering another option. LOL good news is that the racking canes are due in tomorrow so I will finally be able to use my AIO to rack SP and 5 gal. rhubarb into secondarys which will free me up to finally try DDDB...Yah'h, yah'h

Steve's pumps are a true game changer, with out due to my health , i'd be lucky to do 4 or 5 6-gal musts a year, now my musts are a minimum of 2 carboys per type of country wine, right now i'm down to 5# 6-s of skeeter pee, 3# 6-s of elderberry/blackberry, 3# 6-s of strawberry, 3# 6-s of DD dragon blood, all while sitting in a wooden chair 70% of the time, due to that pump, i also have that filter housing times 2, so every rack i filter and degas and at bottling i have a second system of steves so without changing anything i vacuum and filter my wine while bottling, i use 1 micron for whites and 5 microns for reds, spun polypropelene, you can find on e-bay box of fifty filters for less then $60 a box
Dawg

 

[DizzyIzzy]

Steve's pumps are a true game changer, with out due to my health , i'd be lucky to do 4 or 5 6-gal musts a year, now my musts are a minimum of 2 carboys per type of country wine, right now i'm down to 5# 6-s of skeeter pee, 3# 6-s of elderberry/blackberry, 3# 6-s of strawberry, 3# 6-s of DD dragon blood, all while sitting in a wooden chair 70% of the time, due to that pump, i also have that filter housing times 2, so every rack i filter and degas and at bottling i have a second system of steves so without changing anything i vacuum and filter my wine while bottling, i use 1 micron for whites and 5 microns for reds, spun polypropelene, you can find on e-bay box of fifty filters for less then $60 a box
Dawg

Hey, Dawg.................what are your thoughts on my 24 day old SP smelling yeasty and musty with a SG of 1.020? Is this an OK thing or not in your opinion? Yes, I am anxious to try the AIO because I'm too small to juggle those 5-6 gal. glass carboys. I am so glad I learned about the AIO on this site!