Racking woes

[mercurial_m]

I'm brand new to wine making, and I'm interested in making mostly fruit wines (not grape). I have two different batches of apple wine going, both made with apples I picked and juiced. I've been reading the Joy of Home Wine-Making, which is a great book, but I think I've probably messed up my first racking (surprise). I was under the impression that I was supposed to wait a month before first racking. So I did. In the middle of the month, the stupid rubber ring around the airlock on the lid of the primary fermenter slipped off and fell into the must. Bummer. Couldn't get it out. In retrospect, I probably should have racked it then. Instead, I let it sit another couple weeks with a loosely fitting airlock and a piece of rubber in the must. I had no idea how to use a hydrometer, so when I finally racked it, it was reading at .99. Does this mean it's fermented out? And, any advice for correcting the over oxidation? I suppose there's not much I can do at this point about the "gentle notes of rubber" the wine may have picked up except to laugh it off and only give that batch to people I wish would stop calling me. There's a use for everything.

I'm going to pitch the yeast on my second batch tomorrow, and I've been reading online that first racking should be done within 4-7 days. Is that true? Or should my PA be at a specific level? Thanks!

 

[cpfan]

I like to check the specific gravity after 6-7 days. If it's 1.005 or lower, then I rack from the primary (pail) to carboy (jug).

Steve

 

[JohnT]

I doubt that your wine is oxidized. Wines (even Apple wines) can hold up well to a little O2. I would wait a while (a couple of weeks) and give it a taste.

 

[BernardSmith]

Hi Mercurial M and welcome to this forum. I am no "expert" but I think everyone here will agree that fermentation by time is not something advisable. Fermentation by outcome is much better. So while I think you may want to take a hydrometer reading after a day or so and then after another 24 hours so that you can get a rough and ready idea of how quickly the fermentation is going. Some people on this forum may suggest that you think about a first racking when you get a reading of around 1.010 - 1.020 and you then add an airlock and seal the carboy. I tend to rack when my wine is closer to 1.000.
That said, you referred to a hydrometer reading of .990 and "over oxidation" but your hydrometer tells you nothing about oxidation. It indicates how much fermentable sugar is in the must. Distilled water at a specific temperature will have a certain buoyancy that your hydrometer shows as 1.000. Water with dissolved matter in it (it might be salt or sugar) will be more buoyant and in wine making that dissolved matter is sugars. And the more alcohol as a percentage of the total volume there is will mean that the buoyancy will be lower (your hydrometer floats higher in liquids with lots of sugar and lower in liquids with more alcohol and less sugar). Oxidation (its a bit like organic rust) occurs when you expose the surface of the wine to come into contact with the oxygen in the air. While your must is fermenting vigorously and producing CO2 there is not much likelihood of damaging oxidation. As I understand it, the CO2 forms a blanket on the surface and the dissolved molecules of CO2 act as buffers to prevent molecules of oxygen latching on to what they would otherwise oxidize. In short , in the first few weeks I don't think you have very much to worry about in terms of oxidation.

 

[mercurial_m]

OK thanks, that's helpful! I was concerned about oxidation (not because of a hydrometer reading, duh) but because the rubber seal came off the airlock and I think fermentation is close to done. In any case, that batch is now racked and under airlock. Just pitched the yeast on batch 2 this morning, and I'll check the SG in a week. Thanks so much for all your help de-mystifying this process for a total beginner!

 

[cimbaliw]

Many of us go through primary ferment with a piece of muslin cloth over the primary bucket to keep the bugs out and allow the oxygen in. Then rack to a well head spaced carboy after the SG is <1.010. Rack to a near zero headspace carboy after that. I suspect you're in good shape and will be quite pleased with the outcome of both batches of wine. Grab a sanitized wine thief and take a taste.

 

[Arne]

Grab a sanitized wine thief and take a taste.[/QUOTE]


LOL, You best be careful with where you leave the wine theif. Them ol wine gremlins will find it and next time you go to the cellar look at the carboy, scratch your head and say"wonder how come the level of the carboy is so low." Never fear, just the wine gremlins came to your place. Oh, and I didn't say it in the introduction spot, but "Welcome to the forum." Arne.

 

[Noontime]

There are quite a few people who transfer out of the primary container a bit late, with no ill effects (with a good seal on the container). I know I've had a few that went to .990 before transfering... the wine is so saturated with CO2 that it will forgive a little.

 

[mercurial_m]

OK, thanks, this is reassuring! Hope is restored.