WineXpert To bag or not to bag

[richmke]

To bag, or not to bag - that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the pail to suffer
the slings and arrows of clogged racking canes
Or to take arms against the sea of skins,
and by bagging, end them. To stop - to clean -
no more; and by clean to say we end
the heartache, and the thousand drips of wine
the floor is heir to.

Is there any significant benefit either way to bagging or not bagging the skins?

Seems like with free floating, they get dispersed throughout the must to to give up their essence to the wine. With bagging, with every stir, you should try to squeeze the bag to move some must through it.

With bagging, it is easier to ring out the juice at the end, and much easier to rack. You can also put the oak dust in the bag.

What is your preference?

 

[bkisel]

Bagging it is my preference. Punching down and/or squeezing if that's what the instructions call for. I notice that the newest RJS instructions just have you squeezing the bag in step 2.2 where they have you removing the bag and racking to "secondary".

Also, I've been using my high end kit skins a second time in a low end kit. That would be hard if not impossible to do had I let them free float their first usage. You have given me the idea though that it might be beneficial to set them free in the second usage in order to get more goodness out of them.

 

[Rocky]

Thank you, Richlet, Prince of Wisconsin!

"See first that the design is wise and just. That ascertained, pursue it resolutely. Do not for one repulse forego the purpose that you resolved to effect."

In the majority of cases, I use a bag. A few times, to my great regret, I did not. I like to keep the skins and oak as confined as possible and I give the bag a good squeeze a couple of times a day in primary. I believe this gives me the best extraction while limiting the difficulty in racking from primary. Also, I have spigots on my primary and do not use an auto siphon for this purpose.

 

[sour_grapes]

I use the bag for skins and for oak. Due to difficulty filling the bag, I just emptied the skins into the must the first few times. I hated racking off of that. (Thankfully, kind people like Gwand, Bkisel, and Rocky taught me how to fill the bag!)

I have tried weighting the bag (with glass or stainless steel objects) to keep it submerged. I have moved onto heavier and heavier objects, but so far it still it still floats once CO2 starts really kicking!

 

[Charlesthewino]

I prefer to bag. It really enhances the flavor of the wine. I use a juicer and all the waste goes into the bag! I use it only in batches that start in the bucket. However, I've seen pics of folks adding fruit directly to the carboy. Too much headache for me. Way too much pulp and sediment!


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