Racking question

[iridium]

So after primary is done and racked into the carboy I notice fine lees settle out. When I go to rack off those lees I notice I am also leaving a thin layer of good wine behind in the old carboy. Is there a way to get this good wine without the lees? Or is this layer of wine a sacrifice to Dionysus to ensure a good result?

I have racked with both an auto siphon and a all in one and the results do not change.
Thank you,
Iridium

 

[pgentile]

So after primary is done and racked into the carboy I notice fine lees settle out. When I go to rack off those lees I notice I am also leaving a thin layer of good wine behind in the old carboy. Is there a way to get this good wine without the lees? Or is this layer of wine a sacrifice to Dionysus to ensure a good result?

I have racked with both an auto siphon and a all in one and the results do not change.
Thank you,
Iridium

Pour what you can of remaining wine and lees into a smaller vessel,(gallon or smaller container) and then put in frig for a few days. The lees will fall and become very compact, you can then carefully pour off most of the clear wine. Give the angels and gods as little as possible.

 

[Johny99]

Fine lees are normal. How long you leave them depends on the style you want.
As for the good wine left behind, it is a sacrifice the gods as you say. Or you can drink it and the lees, there are health arguments for “most”. Just don’t take any long drives afterwards!

 

[Ajmassa]

Yeah man. It’s easy to get sloppy racking And depending on size of batch- that little bit can matter.
Others have their own methods. But I like to dump into a mason jar and put it in the fridge over night. Next morning you’ll see it separated nicely. And easy access to siphon the wine out.
I have some larger plunger syringes I use to remove from the jars. Here’s a couple before&after pics

 

[Scooter68]

Yup, The purist says toss them out but I just can't bring myself to do that when I see results like those in the pictures. At the least it provides a foretaste of what is to come. See through the sharpness and rough edges to the wine in the future. And for some of us (ME) I have some help for topping off at the next racking.

If it lasts that long in the fridge.

 

[mainshipfred]

I do the same thing by putting excess in the frig although I sometimes let sit there for a few days to a week.

 

[sugar]

The Fridge works every time. settles clear and can be added back or.....drank. After all you have to see where you at,..you know.

 

[Scooter68]

I do the same thing by putting excess in the frig although I sometimes let sit there for a few days to a week.

It lasts that long? Wow you have some restraint.

Actually I have some in my fridge that needs checking....

 

[Trick]

Put,a few drop of chitosan and mix well before dropping the bottle in fridge. Typically u can recover more than 75%.
I tend to reduce fining dose in wine to avoid stripping too much flavour and color but quite generous to use it in sludge.

 

[Scooter68]

But are those fining agents really effective at fridge temps?

 

[Richard Hanford]

Yet another option, if one composts organic matter, is to add remnants from racking into the composter, thus providing more moisture to assist decomposition and feed the worms; happy worms, I might add.

 

[Trick]

But are those fining agents really effective at fridge temps?

Good question. I usually let it sit in my basement only (16°C) for a few days. Not in fridge.
Will test next time to see it works in fridge or not. The fining agent is a kind of coagulant, it should work under 5°C. Maybe slower?

 

[Scooter68]

The reason I put the "sludge" in the fridge immediately is to slow/prevent any off flavors from the lees in there. That's hopefully what the cold does as well as speed settling of the lees. So I try to then separate the lees within a week. If figure the sooner I separate them the less chance of bad things happening. Perhaps the fining agents will work, I just don't use anything other than bentonite and fixing that up for this - that's way to much work to do for the sludge.

 

[Scooter68]

Yet another option, if one composts organic matter, is to add remnants from racking into the composter, thus providing more moisture to assist decomposition and feed the worms; happy worms, I might add.

Think the alcohol might be toxic to the worms. I normally put it out on an old stump and see if any critter is interested. Would be fun to see a drunken squirrel, possum, or better yet a raccoon. (Raccoons are on my hit list and if I can get a raccoon slowed down and drunk - it would be my pleasure to have served it a last meal followed by a lead chaser.)

 

[Trick]

The reason I put the "sludge" in the fridge immediately is to slow/prevent any off flavors from the lees in there. That's hopefully what the cold does as well as speed settling of the lees. So I try to then separate the lees within a week. If figure the sooner I separate them the less chance of bad things happening. Perhaps the fining agents will work, I just don't use anything other than bentonite and fixing that up for this - that's way to much work to do for the sludge.

Bentonite should work as well. I picked Chitosan because I have so much leftover from each RED. Actually I have piles of bentonite leftover as well (always be skipped for REDs) but feel it needs an extra hydration and activation step.
So far the strategy works very well. Almost no need to use any other wine to top up.
With KMS to protect the sludge, I haven't come across any off-flavor so far.

 

[NorCal]

Or is this layer of wine a sacrifice to Dionysus to ensure a good result?

I toss it. Not that I couldn't recover some of it, but I mentally write it off on the cost of making wine. Kinda like 2nd run wine; the amount of work require vs. the benefit (wine quality) just isn't there for me. I learned something new with Dionysus...could be a future wine label.

 

[mainshipfred]

I toss it. Not that I couldn't recover some of it, but I mentally write it off on the cost of making wine. Kinda like 2nd run wine; the amount of work require vs. the benefit (wine quality) just isn't there for me. I learned something new with Dionysus...could be a future wine label.

You probably make too large a quantity to try to recover it. I also did some research on the gods of wine, which I never thought of, and there are a lot of good label ideas.

 

[Trick]

It is important to be cautious. I would taste before putting the recovered back.

 

[Scooter68]

It is important to be cautious. I would taste before putting the recovered back.

Of course we taste it before putting it back. Very intensive testing taste ish done, unfortunately thish seems to negatively impoct the voluuumah of wine avalble for topping off.

 

[Trick]

Of course we taste it before putting it back. Very intensive testing taste ish done, unfortunately thish seems to negatively impoct the voluuumah of wine avalble for topping off.

At least it is in stomach and not in the sink.