Timing of racking

[JBP]

Just completed first-time MLF - on a cab juice bucket (OG 1.096; co-inoculated BM 4x4, CH16 24 hours later - used fermentation tannins, lallezyme, Opti-Red, Acting's-ML and Opti-Malo plus on schedule (Brehm's additive pack). Fermented dry (0.995) relatively quickly and left untouched as MLF completed. MLF evaluated with Accuvin malic acid test strip. Dosed with Kmeta and lysozyme yesterday - today, I have almost 3" of fluffy lees at the bottom of the carboy. Have never seen this volume of lees on a juice bucket. Not sure whether to get off the lees quickly or let compact over the next week and then rack. Recommendations?

 

[cmason1957]

I have used the lysozyme the past couple of years and am always amazed at how many (much) lees are produced when it is added. I generally let it sit on those until they compact over a couple of weeks or so. I don't worry, much, about lees after the racking to get the wine off the gross lees.

Prior to this, I didn't add lysozyme, figuring that if the test kits show no more malic acid, there isn't much to worry about. But my last couple of mlf have stopped still showing just a hint of color on the strip.

 

[CDrew]

I’m new at the lysozyme thing too but planning to clear mine with bentonite. This is supposed to help and I’ll find out in a few weeks

 

[JBP]

Thanks so much - good to know it is not my imagination and that I am safe to wait for the lees to compact some. Common sense says all this would drop out eventually as the wine cleared without lysosome addition, but it is pretty dramatic.

 

[JohnT]

As far as racking, i like to rack when there is a distinct layer of sediment, usually 1 week after pressing. In other words, i like to get rid of the gross lees just as soon a possible. I also rack again a month or so later, once the wine clarifies.

 

[winemaker81]

I'm in the middle. If the lees look compact, I rack after a week or so. If the lees do not look compact, I wait until they do.

Either way, pour the lees into a bottle (I keep clear 750 ml and 1.5 liter wine bottles for this purpose) and put .in the fridge for a week. Most of the time I recover half the sludge as good wine, sometimes more. And sometimes less. I carefully rack off the lees and keep that wine separate for at least a week or two. Taste it, and if it's good, use it for topup as needed.

I've not had a wine go bad doing this, but I'm cautious -- I'd much rather toss 1.5 liters of wine than lose the carboy!

Besides, I like tasting wine, regardless of the stage it's in.