The Racking Process

[WillG3]

Could some kind expert please explain the process of racking a cider or point me to a thread which does so?

Its my first time attempting it and so would like to make sure I have a clear understanding before I attempt it

 

[RobWalker]

It's simple but like you I couldn't find any clear advice on it either! It's weird.

Anyway, it's just a matter of moving your cider off the ****, basically. I do it after the major fermentation is over and the solids are well on their way to being at the bottom. In the next vessel you'll get a very thin layer of sediment but it avoids any issues arising from sitting on the initial fermentation leftovers for too long.

Each time you'll want to top up too, particularly if you want to age for a long time. You can do so with cider, apple juice (which will ferment again, but won't kick out much gunk) or water.

If you're doing wines meads etc, forum wine nutcase oldbloke recommends just racking monthly until it's ready to sit and age :thumb:

 

[WillG3]

Thanks very much :

Is it a good idea to let the vessel sit in the the cold for a while to "put the yeast to sleep" so that it sinks?

 

[oldbloke]

If you reckon it's done, yeh, a bit of cold helps quieten the yeast and get the solids to drop out.
I never rack cider, but then I only do TC which really doesn't need it if you're bottling rather than kegging. I just wait until it clears then bottle.

Monthly racking (of wine) is more a default if you can't decide what to do than a preferred method.
If a wine's been going that long it'll usually have a fair amount of crud on the bottom and it's nice to move the wine off it.
OTOH, my golden syrup notMead has been going 5 weeks now and I've not racked as it looks like it'll be almost clear in another week, so I'll leave it to then (and I've been busy with RealLife(TM)).
As long as the yeast has sugar to eat it won't start eating the dead yeast and other crud so it shouldn't generate off flavours.
With me it's more a "maybe racking will help it clear" kind of thing, and with some I've had that took ages, like 6 months, I'd only rack maybe 3 times altogether.
I ought to just shell out for some finings really!

Moley's the real wine expert.

 

[Jonny69]

Could some kind expert please explain the process of racking a cider or point me to a thread which does so?

Its my first time attempting it and so would like to make sure I have a clear understanding before I attempt it

Where your cider has been fermenting it's been producing yeast. When it ferments itself out of sugar, the yeast drops to the bottom (along with any other fruit solids) and forms a sediment. Racking is simply syphoning the liquid off the sediment and into a new container.

You need a syphon tube from your local brew shop or Wilkinsons. The container you're syphoning into must be lower than the one you're syphoning from. Stick the syphon tube into the cider about half way down, suck the cider up the pipe making sure you get a nice tasty mouthful of your deadly brew and point the pipe into the new demijohn. Hold the syphon tube as steady as you can so as not to disturb the sediment at the bottom, and lower the tube as you need to so you get as much of the liquid out as you can. Don't worry about sucking a bit into the new container because it will drop to the bottom and you can always rack again at a later date for a perfectly clear brew.

I made a little angled stand for the demijohn so I could get every last little drop out:

 

[oldbloke]

I so need one of those. I have plenty of spare wood... What's the angle of the base triangle?

 

[Jonny69]

Hmm, now you're asking!

I think I tilted a full demijohn until it just tipped, measured the height and made it a bit less than that so I got the maximum angle :thumb:

 

[GeorgeSalt]

Hmm, now you're asking!

I think I tilted a full demijohn until it just tipped, measured the height and made it a bit less than that so I got the maximum angle :thumb:

As the base appears to be two right-angle triangles.. what's the length of the side the bottle shelf is attached to and the length of the side at right-angles to it? (the two shortest sides, not the diagonal). Knowing those would make it very easy to copy - if I knew the dimensions I coulf prepare plans with sketch-up.

 

[oldbloke]

Hmm, now you're asking!

I think I tilted a full demijohn until it just tipped, measured the height and made it a bit less than that so I got the maximum angle :thumb:

I'll get an empty demi and see what angle it needs to get the bottom edge directly under the neck, I think.
Do you stick it on the stand for a few days before siphoning to get all the trub down there?
Maybe we should do the whole fermentation on one of those stands....

 

[critty]

Could some kind expert please explain the process of racking a cider or point me to a thread which does so?

Its my first time attempting it and so would like to make sure I have a clear understanding before I attempt it

Where your cider has been fermenting it's been producing yeast. When it ferments itself out of sugar, the yeast drops to the bottom (along with any other fruit solids) and forms a sediment. Racking is simply syphoning the liquid off the sediment and into a new container.

You need a syphon tube from your local brew shop or Wilkinsons. The container you're syphoning into must be lower than the one you're syphoning from. Stick the syphon tube into the cider about half way down, suck the cider up the pipe making sure you get a nice tasty mouthful of your deadly brew and point the pipe into the new demijohn. Hold the syphon tube as steady as you can so as not to disturb the sediment at the bottom, and lower the tube as you need to so you get as much of the liquid out as you can. Don't worry about sucking a bit into the new container because it will drop to the bottom and you can always rack again at a later date for a perfectly clear brew.

I made a little angled stand for the demijohn so I could get every last little drop out:

That it just fan-flaming-tastic! I am gonna build one of them for myself.

 

[Jonny69]

Do you stick it on the stand for a few days before siphoning to get all the trub down there?

I haven't needed to. That Young's yeast seems to sit at the bottom quite happily even when I've moved the demijohn from the back room to the kitchen. I've noticed when I'm syphoning, the last bit of liquid just runs over the surface of the sediment and doesn't seem to pick any of it up. I'm only using a Wilkinson syphon as well, nothing fancy :thumb:

I'll did it out and have measure later :thumb: