straining when racking

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Jctwaan

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so does anyone have any good methods of straining their wine when racking from one carboy to the other? I currently use cheese cloth, but I need to get this sediment off the bottom.

thanks,
 
Best method is to let sit for a while and allow sediment to drop. You then carefully siphon the liquid from the top down - leaving the sediment behind. Depending on the stage you may have less or more sediment and you can expect to lose some volume in the earlier stages of racking. So-called "Fining Additives" are added at a particular stage and aid in dropping of sediment.

"Straining" may generally be limited to the stage of "Pressing" skins after alcoholic fermentation. In this case there is more particulate and material that is caught by strainers - like seeds and maybe some skin material that escaped.

Siphoning, splash racking, and vacuum racking as transfer methods - opposed to pouring and "straining" also help minimize contact with oxygen which is home winemakers public enemy #1.

Cheers!
jb
 
If you have a plastic siphon clip you should be able to keep that siphon tip up high enough to stop it from picking up sediment. I normally keep mine at least 2-3 inchs from the sediment until the level is almost down to the tip then i gently slide it down until it starts to pull sediment off the bottom.

Of course waiting until it compacts is the first step but still the siphon will pull up sediment if you get it too close too soon. Depending on how you rack..... I use gravity racking and if you minimize the height difference the process will go slower but the draw won't be as strong and won't suck sediment up as easily. It's all a learning process. I don't worry about sediment much for the first couple of rackings - Some is going to pull in there unless you are willing to sacrifice a lot of good wine. Of course being a cheap-charlie I also have been known to take the sediment from the 2nd/3rd rackings and put it in a jar in a cold fridge. That way it settles out more and I can have a little extra to add back to the main batch for topping off. Just make sure you pick a jar that can be filled brim-full to reduce headspace - even in a cold fridge.
 
Scooter, I don't consider that being cheap I consider it being FRUGAL! :mny
 
You can also get a Vinbrite Mark Iii Wine Filter from Amazon for about $40. It's a gravity feed system that works best for 1-2 gallon batches. For the first few racks, I use patience (and a wine thief lol). For the really fine, minute sediment left, I use the filer and syphon into a big wine glass and drink to a finished batch.
 
You can also get a Vinbrite Mark Iii Wine Filter from Amazon for about $40. It's a gravity feed system that works best for 1-2 gallon batches. For the first few racks, I use patience (and a wine thief lol). For the really fine, minute sediment left, I use the filer and syphon into a big wine glass and drink to a finished batch.

YES To the big glass of filtered 'leftovers' !
I've used coffee filters, fine mesh strainers etc. Over all just letting that leftover sediment set a week or two in the fridge does the trick. It's nice to get some tasting samples along the way to compare as it ages. I don't resort to the VinBrite until it's aged and ready to polish up for bottling.
 
I just got the vinbrite so it's kinda like a new toy to me. Cold crash works for settling sediment and a 1/4 tube (while super slow) works to drain to glass for drinking
 
I just got the vinbrite so it's kinda like a new toy to me. Cold crash works for settling sediment and a 1/4 tube (while super slow) works to drain to glass for drinking

Yup. I need to find a tall slender jar that I can use my wine thief in - let the sediment fall to bottom and pull of the clear. standard quart and pint jars stir up too easy when I take them out to pull off the sediment. Guess I have somethng to look for in the glass bins at our recycling center now.
 
So I have a question for all, I just started a 5 gal batch of Apple from the Vintners concentrate (pulled off 1pt for back sweetening if needed) and after it finishes fermenting (started at 1.12), I want to pull off maybe 2 gal and add cinnamon sticks and end up with like an apple pie flavor. My question is: for 2 gal, how much cinnamon do I add, when, for how long? Any suggestions, comments would be most welcome. Oh and I also found a coffee recipe I started too here http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=421497
 
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I never "strain" when racking because I use a All In One vacuum pump to transfer and never even pick up the full carboys.:h

Use the same pump to filter. I plan on losing some wine in the racking process....that is what you are doing, getting rid of the crap. Just get rid of it. I have found, it is not really worth messing with trying save a cup full of very yeasty wine must...and I just make a bigger mess trying to re-claim it.
 

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