The Next Step After Clearing

[davek]

So I started a Sauv Blanc in January. Most everything has gone according to plan... A week in we were down to 1.0 in a week, and I moved to secondary. I left it in secondary for two full weeks, down to .995 and racked again.

For two and a half months, I let it sort of sit on it's lees, stirring twice a week, then onece a week for a small "sur Lees" effect.

Last week in March, I racked again, and I degassed strongly, whipping it with a drill for two days. Then I added the clearing stuff and let it sit two weeks. It was cristal clear. I moved it upstairs to rack again, and the syphon tube hit the bottom! (Lesson there, ok!)

It only made a small cloud of yeck, but I could see it. So I le it sit. In a day, the whole carboy was cloudy. So I wait a week. Its OK, but not nearly as clear, so I wait another week... by about the middle of the week, its clear again, looks great. We wait a couple more days, and syphon!

When we got near the bottom (Tilting the carboy), we were watching close, and all of a sudden the suction pulls up some dregs. Just a small amount (I thought!) and I yanked the syphon immediately, but that last bit got in. We still had a lot of wine left on the bottom of the old carboy that we threw out... the new carboy is only filled to where it STARTS to turn in from the sides.. so it wasnt like we were pushing it, or trying to get every last drop. So what did I do wrong there, and how can I do that better?

That was yesterday.

Today, pretty cloudy. I can see a ghost of my hand, but not the individual fingers.

I HAD planned on letting it sit until First week of June, syhoning again and bottling then. Should I do anything? Should I wait longer? Add a new clarifier? Do a new syphon in two weeks? Just drink a bottle of something else and move on?

Thanks, learned a LOT here!

 

[sour_grapes]

Sorry about your clearing woes. Must be a bit frustrating, seeing how you almost had it!

I have two comments/questions. Do you have a tip on your racking cane (like the one shown below) to help avoid sucking up the dregs:

Second, sounds to me like you should top off the carboy with some commercial wine and let it sit until clear again. Also, are your sulfite additions on schedule, i.e., have you added the "right" amount of sulfites so far?

 

[davek]

SG:

Thanks! Yes, headed out to the LS to p[ick up a bottle of semi-good sauv blanc. So, yes, that was on my list! I will top it up to the neck.

2) I added three tabs of crushed camden, yesterday. A month ago, when I did the clarifier, I think the kit had some sulfites in it, too.... so I am OK I think!

3) Yes, siphon tube has a black end, different than your picture but I assume the same funtion. When we got that big whiff of dregs, the bottom of that was 3/4 to an inch off the bottom...

I am happy with waiting, I thought that was the corcet response, but wanted to check with those with more experience. Plus see if I was doing something wrong, or if getting a wisp of dregs was unavoidable and sort of the sign to STOP!

 

[cintipam]

Hi davek

sounds like you did a pretty good job. I still struggle with clean siphoning. But usually there is quite a bit of good wine left after that first hit of dregs. I put it in a separate container to let it clear again then either pour or siphon the good stuff off the top. It it will fit in one gallon pouring is easier than the siphon after clearing. Plus if you can fit the gallon in the fridge it will often clear very well in just one day. This will really cut down on purchasing wine just to top off.

Pam in cinti

 

[davek]

Thanks Pam!

I learned I was syphoning wrong at mt LHBS. I would tilt the carboy at the end... they said I should tilt the carboy a day or two in advance, let the dregs work their way down, then syphon from the top side of the tilt

 

[sour_grapes]

Thanks Pam!

I learned I was syphoning wrong at mt LHBS. I would tilt the carboy at the end... they said I should tilt the carboy a day or two in advance, let the dregs work their way down, then syphon from the top side of the tilt

I agree that would be better. I almost never think that far ahead, though!

 

[JohnT]

I applaud your efforts, but if you got a little sediment into a corked bottle it would not be the end of the world. You could always decant your wine before drinking it.

 

[Enologo]

Sometimes I won't tilt on the first go round but rather put the racking cane on the high spot in the center of the carboy and stop the syphon before I pull up any dregs. Then I transfer the remainder to a smaller container as mentioned earlier for further clearing then again syphon off whatever is clear from that. Just my two cents.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

Racking from carboy to carboy, I don't worry about a few dregs, it will come out with next racking. before bottling I always rack to get the wine off the bottom if there is anything on the bottom. Save the wine, the dregs will come off later.
also even after racking and you get some sediment in the bottles, who cares, if you want you can decant it.
Also, I tilt the carboy when its full and set in on some blocks to hold it sill and rack from the low end.