HI I am making red currant wine for the first time and I have a cheesecloth straining bag in the mixture. But some pips have escaped. Am I ok to put all the liquid through a sieve or a nylon bag to catch the pips or will it also catch the yeast that is still fermenting. I am on day 3 so my instructions tell me to remove the bag today. Thank you.
When and how to strain for redcurrant wine?
- Thread starter Alison
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- currant wine straining
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Your currants should remain in your wine until your hydrometer reads 1.010 or lower. It’s not about time, it’s about fermentation progress, which we measure with a hydrometer. Glad to hear that your fermentation started.
HI John- yes it did! thank you. However I popped in on day 2 on a heat pad for a hour as it was dropping to 18 and forgot to take it off so it did get up to 36+ for over 5 hours. But the yeast still is bubbling so hoping it is ok. My recipe says to remove after 3 days and then transfer to the primary fermentor to complete the fermentation - as at the moment it is a plastic bucket - which is why I am concerned to not strain if it is going to affect the yeast. If I leave it until fermentation stops that means leaving it in the bucket and not transferring it?
Yeast are very small (~5 micrometers, or 0.005 mm). They will not be strained out by a sieve or nylon bag.
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I think you might mean that the specific gravity is 1.080?
You asked if your reading was normal. Remember, we don't know what value you started with. I would say that if you started at, say, 1.095, then reading 1.080 after 3 days would be reasonable.
Here is a good video to help you with reading the hydrometer:
You asked if your reading was normal. Remember, we don't know what value you started with. I would say that if you started at, say, 1.095, then reading 1.080 after 3 days would be reasonable.
Here is a good video to help you with reading the hydrometer:
Scooter68
Fruit "Wine" Maker
For me I use two conditions to determine when to rack.
1) When the SG is at 1.010 or lower
AND
2) If foaming activity has died down - the surface is not fully covered with foam and a light stirring doesn't 'provoke' a rapid foam build up.
If BOTH conditions are not met, I wait. The racking process is very likely going to produce the same result as a light stirring of the fermentation bucket so if you rack and fill that carboy you can expect a foam fountain within seconds or a few minutes.
(Apparently the little yeasties get all excited when moved into a new 'home.' )
At least that's what seems to work best for me.
1) When the SG is at 1.010 or lower
AND
2) If foaming activity has died down - the surface is not fully covered with foam and a light stirring doesn't 'provoke' a rapid foam build up.
If BOTH conditions are not met, I wait. The racking process is very likely going to produce the same result as a light stirring of the fermentation bucket so if you rack and fill that carboy you can expect a foam fountain within seconds or a few minutes.
(Apparently the little yeasties get all excited when moved into a new 'home.' )
At least that's what seems to work best for me.
