Rule of thumb racking wine

[Welshwitch]

First of all we have Wurzels Orange Wine merrily fermenting in the utility room, along with Beetroot, Plum, Damson oh and some Tom Caxton Real Dark Ale and 5 gallon of cider (our own pressed apples) Rhubarb has now been confined to the garage. Think we may have too much on the go as getting confused now although Mr Witch has got little charts for all of them.
My question today is I read somewhere think it was Moley that general rule of thumb is rack at about one month, three months and then is it bottle or rack again (depending on how clear) six months.We are real amateurs as you will have guessed our first season at wine making. Also theres to be conflicting info on the amount of campden tablets used at various stages.

Must say whenever we come into the house now the first thing that we smell is a brewery smell ha ha Mr W thinks it is wonderful. :rofl:

 

[Aleman]

I tend to agree with Moley, Rack at 1 month . . . add 1 Campden Tablet per gallon . . . then Rack at 3 months OR if it throws a Heavy Sediment rack earlier . . . adding 1 Campden Tablet per gallon. . . . Generally those two rackings should be sufficient to deliver crystal clear wine . . . . you then have two options . . Bottle, or store for a period of time (Wine stores/improves better in bulk) and then bottle.

 

[Moley]

Hi Welshwitch,

There aren't any particularly hard and fast rules for racking, do it when you think it's necessary. I offered that 1, 3 & 6 months as a guideline, but it depends on your individual brews. Some wines (such as a Wurzel) might only need one racking, then bottle a couple of weeks later.

Subject to temperatures, original gravity and a whole host of other factors, most wines will have usually have fermented out after 2 or 3 weeks and will then start droping their sediment. Generally, I will ‘first rack’ about a week after airlock activity seems to have finished.

It is a mistake to leave wine sitting for too long on its sediment. However, it can also be a mistake to rack too soon, or too often. Use your common sense, backed up by your hydrometer. If it looks like it's still working, leave it alone. If it looks like it's finished and you've got a reasonable quantity of sediment, rack it off.

 

[lazydog]

my 5Gall of fruity Tbag and raisin is still bubbling like a good un starting to clear but still very active should i check taste and stop ferment or let it ferment out :wha:
edit to add its been going since 13/08/09 and i have racked it off into demijohns i would like a dry strong % tasty wine!

 

[Moley]

Have you got a hydrometer?
If so, what does it say?

My personal preference would be to let it ferment all the way out, rack, stabilise, and then back-sweeten to taste if necessary.


Edit: 6.5 weeks and still working? :shock: How much sugar did you start with?

 

[lazydog]

well i thought i would give this a go after reading loads of different recipies i sort of muddled em up and came out with this lets see how it goes:-
40 blueberry & blackberry teabags
1kg raisins
1Lt Blueberry Juice
juice from 1/2 lemon
Muntons wine yeast
3Kg suger
heated 5Lt water to melt suger
heated 5lt water to soak teabags for an hour
squashed raisins using a rolling pin soaked in 5lt hot water
transfered everything to FV
added juice started of yeast
added yeast after temp droped
added airlock
will update when i know more 24hrs later it is bubbling like a train
1064 starting og

[quote:pjisujo8]

[/quote:pjisujo8]

plus another kg of suger as you suggested moley
Hydro reading 1.032 and a quick taste is like sweet fizzy fruit juice

 

[Moley]

Ah yes, not paying attention, sorry Lazydog

Just checked your “started this” post.
Started 13/09/09
That makes more sense.

Been going 2 weeks, not 6.5. - leave it alone.

 

[lazydog]

Ah yes, not paying attention, sorry Lazydog

Just checked your “started this” post.
Started 13/09/09
That makes more sense.

Been going 2 weeks, not 6.5. - leave it alone.

You are right moley i thought it had been going longer than that!

 

[princesspopup]

so Moley, after you rack and add the campden tablet, does that mean that you leave the airlock on?
How long should you expect to leave the airlock on for?
I started Rhubarb wine in last April and not sure if I should leave without airlock at this stage..Should I bottle it, or should I leave it stay in demijohn

Thanks
:hmm:

 

[Moley]

Hi Princess,

When a wine has been racked and stabilised, I know of a few people who then just bung or cork their demijohns. However, I also know of at least one who has had a bung blown out and fruit flies got in.

If you look in your LHBS (Local HomeBrew Shop - you'll see that abbreviation used quite a lot around the forum) or around the various online suppliers, you can find ‘safety bungs’.

Personally, I leave all of mine under airlock, but the traps are filled with either a weak sulphite solution or neat vodka.

As for your rhubarb, at around 6 months, I'd probably bottle it now.

 

[Wez]

I seen the pics of your wine Moley, it must cost you a fortune in Vodka

:thumb: :lol:

 

[Moley]

I seen the pics of your wine Moley, it must cost you a fortune in Vodka

:thumb: :lol:

Not a penny, that's the wife's tipple.

Anyway, an airlock doesn't hold very much, and it's only the long-term wines (like anything with Elderberry) which have the vodka traps.


Edit: Reason for the vodka; No nasties can live in it, and it doesn't matter if you ever get a suck-back.