To Rack, or not to rack?

[shoebiedoo]

So, I've got a Soave Clasico and Brunello, both from Juice buckets. They both have Just reached 1.02 sg and I'm fixing to leave town for 3 days. My question is, would I benefit from leaving them in primary without stirring until friday (the brunello has a grape pack in it) or should I just go ahead and rack to secondary tonight before I go? They both have an airlock. I've always waited until till 1.01 or lees to rack. I'm not even sure it makes a difference.

Thanks

Steve

 

[robie]

How many actual days have the wines already been fermenting?

 

[roblloyd]

I'd leave it. Should be done when you get back. If you can put it in a cooler place it should slow down the remaining fermentation.

 

[shoebiedoo]

They've been fermenting for 8 days now. I wasn't sure if not stirring them for a few days would be bad.

 

[robie]

This is just my own opinion, based on what I would do if I had spent my bucks on the two kits..

The grape pack will float to the top and stay there for 4 days without being pushed down. That's a long time; it could start decaying and smelling. It would take a lot of weight to keep it submerged, as every day it would be more and more filled with CO2. Cooling it down, taking the yeast outside their fermenting temperature range, might result in a stuck fermentation.

You don't want to come home to the dreaded rotten egg smell.

There is nothing wrong with racking to secondary at an SG of 1.020.

 

[wjdonahue]

I agree with Robbie that that is what I would do, rack it to protect it.
That said, since there is still fermentation going on, it would probably be proteted by the CO2 still being produced. If it is a closed fermenter, then leaving it wouldn't pose a problem, but it is an open fermenter (bucket) then I also wouldn't want the cap exposed for that long when it doesn't have to be. Rack it and then you don't have to worry.
If it were mine, I would probably leave it, but that is because I used sealed fermentors and would have a great CO2 cap, If I had it in an open fermentor, then I would definitely rack it.

 

[shoebiedoo]

I racked to secondary. In the long run, lot's of folks say to rack at 1.02 and lots say 1.01. So I figured, since this wine isn't foaming too much and fermentation is slow (but steady), safest thing was to rack. I can now go to Toledo with my mind on my work

 

[mmadmikes1]

I would have just removed the grape pack.

 

[Rocky]

Steve, I racked both of my wines whne they reached 1.020, and I think you are fine. Also, that is what is recommended by the directions on the buckets and the directions on the L'Uva Bella site.

 

[Bill McNab]

Hi,
Anything is possible, however, lots of ways to make mistakes by taking risks.
I would rack into a protected vessel, carboy. I assume that when you say second fermentation you mean the malolactic process.
If you do rack leave a little lees present in the racked vessel.
If you are an experienced winemaker you should be aware of positives and negatives of any step in the process.
If you are not you are doing what you should do, that is ask before you act.
Good luck, keep us all in the lop as to results.