To early racking?

[sjors86]

I crushed my grapes for white wine, added them together with yeast, Suger, some acid and little bit of sulfite to a bucket to go through first fermentation (which had alot activity). After 4 days the fermentation slowed down (but still went on) and decided to rack to a 5L fermentation bottle (instead of the 10L buck t it had been in, so it would have less contact with air). Added 0,2gr of sulfite and racked it over. In the bucket was a lot of residue (yeast etc.). Now it has been in the bottle for 1 day, I see almost no activity and I see on the bottom of the bottle again quite some residue.

I expected it to continue fermentation, but slowly and didn't expect to see quite some residue at the bottom this soon after racking. Did I do something wrong or is the to be expected and should I rack again to remove the residue?

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

do you have a hydrometer ? If not buy 2. (You will eventually break one.

SG of 1.010 or lower and you are OK to rack to secondary. You can do it just by visual cues but….

quite likely fermentation will continue until yeast is done eating as much sugar as it can. start Reading through the forum for goodi formation and encouragement.
patience is essential as well. It can continue to clear for weeks

 

[sjors86]

do you have a hydrometer ? If not buy 2. (You will eventually break one.

SG of 1.010 or lower and you are OK to rack to secondary. You can do it just by visual cues but….

quite likely fermentation will continue until yeast is done eating as much sugar as it can. start Reading through the forum for goodi formation and encouragement.
patience is essential as well. It can continue to clear for weeks

I got 1 not 2, maybe should buy a spare one.

But do you advice to measure now or wait x days? The residue which turned up in the bottle (after first rack), can it harm my wine or maybe it's even a good thing for the body?

 

[David Violante]

Agree with above, and you didn’t do anything wrong… heavy sediment will continue to drop, then fine. Absolutely expected. I wouldn’t rack until you have a heavy accumulation of gross lees. Make sure it’s under airlock.

 

[David Violante]

Here’s a good article on racking:
https://www.smartwinemaking.com/post/how-often-should-you-rack-your-wine

 

[Rice_Guy]

Air exposure will create an off flavor (acetaldehyde). I try to keep racking / air exposure to a minimum. Once you are below 1.050 the yeast do not need oxygen so I rack whites close to 1.030 to 1.050. Second racking is when yeast activity is done and I can see most of the stuff has fallen out ,,, ie about a month later.

 

[Raptor99]

Air exposure will create an off flavor (acetaldehyde). I try to keep racking / air exposure to a minimum. Once you are below 1.050 the yeast do not need oxygen so I rack whites close to 1.030 to 1.050. Second racking is when yeast activity is done and I can see most of the stuff has fallen out ,,, ie about a month later.

I have a question about this. If you rack between SG 1.030 to 1.050, there will be lot of gross lees in the secondary container, especially for fruit wines. Do you think it is okay to leave the wine on that heavy layer of lees for a month? Or is your advice here only for white grape wines made from pressed juice?

 

[Rice_Guy]

will be lot of gross lees in the secondary container, especially for fruit wines. Do you think it is okay to leave the wine on that heavy layer of lees for a month?

I do this for all fruit wines. The theory I have heard about gross lees is they can putrify / release sulfur compounds. Either it isn’t a serious risk or I can’t taste those flavor notes. (come to think of it contest judging doesn’t identify rotten / putrid) In the vinters club the comment has been rack all the lees off the fermentor cause yeast doesn’t matter. Also The proper time for the second racking is when it has substantially cleared / yeast initiated turbulence is over.

From a process point of view i use fine mesh nylon straining bags and a press any time there are large particulates. I want the liquid volume. I will add colored pulp as aronia for pigment, if I think there is something left aronia gets frozen for the next doctored color wine. I don’t see any flavor gain on lots of pulp in country wines, ,,, possibly with the exception of apples with aromatic skins. ,,, taste, ,,, and have a purpose.

An edit, at state fair last spring there was a peach which was described as “dirty diaper”. I need to talk to the judge who used that term to see if it should actually be “putrid” ie the winemaker tried extended maceration.

 

[Raptor99]

I do this for all fruit wines. The theory I have heard about gross lees is they can putrify / release sulfur compounds.

Do you stir the lees on a regular schedule, as in sur lie? With a heavy sediment wine like peach, there might be an inch of lees at that stage.