Racking to often?

[montanaWineGuy]

I just racked for the 4th time in a month my Elderberry wine. If I see much green goo, I've been racking. I'm thinking green goo encourages more goo. And green goo is bad.

Q: What is the downside to frequent racking? Only thing I can think of is the possibility of contamination. Ain't green goo contamination or at least as bad?

 

[wineforfun]

You are racking from glass carboy to glass carboy? I never noticed the green goo in my carboys, only in the plastic primary.
I did notice my racking tube and cane would get some on it when racking.
I stuck to a more traditional racking regimen with mine.

 

[Julie]

Green goo does not encourage green goo! And yes you are racking way too much.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

Its pretty much done fermenting. I even put a bit of nutrient in, and the reaction was nothing. Sediment still collects on the bottom of the carboy, and its clearing up nicely. I'm going to bottle in 2 weeks.

 

[cmason1957]

Ooh my goodness. Bottling after 2 months. You are going to get stuff dropping in your bottles. I wouldn't even think about before 6 months and a year is even better. That wine needs time to develop.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

Ooh my goodness. Bottling after 2 months. You are going to get stuff dropping in your bottles. I wouldn't even think about before 6 months and a year is even better. That wine needs time to develop.

It can develop in bottles. I've Apple wine to move into a carboy in 2 weeks.

 

[JimmyT]

It can develop in bottles. I've Apple wine to move into a carboy in 2 weeks.

Time to expand your carboy collection. Even if you search Craigslist for used ones it'll be better than bottling to soon. I got 10 5 gal carboys on Craigslist for $120 once. Keep checking several times a day and do different search words. You'll be surprised at what you'll find. Also, the idiots that think they have a gold mine because they have a 5 gal water jug that's has an older date stamp on the bottom is rather plentiful on there as well.
I usually do 4 searches every time. The key words are carboy, carboys, home brewing and wine making. Searching random words different ways comes up with some different things.

 

[ffemt128]

My normal racking regime is as follows:

• ferment to dry in bucket
• rack to carboy
• 2-3 weeks later depending on heavy sediment rack again
• 30-60 days rack again depending on sediment
• 60-90 days rack again depending on other steps, back sweetening etc.
• allow to age several months.

 

[Floandgary]

It's never said enough and cannot be emphasized enough,,,, "Time is a winemaker's best friend and most important ingredient"

 

[montanaWineGuy]

So there is no benefit to getting the wine off the sediment? Or removing the goo? Just let it go, no matter?

Or is it BAD to rack often, and why is that?

 

[Floandgary]

There really is no urgency in getting it off the sediment. The harm may come in too much oxygen exposure if done too often. As noted, every 3 months, give-or-take, is the generally accepted timing..

 

[richmke]

So there is no benefit to getting the wine off the sediment? Or removing the goo? Just let it go, no matter?

The first racking is important to get it off the large amount of sediment. You don't want the yeast to start breaking down. IMHO: Second racking is important too, for the same reason. However, timing is not critical.

Or is it BAD to rack often, and why is that?

The slow settling stuff ... well settles slowly. Racking actually stirs it up, and whatever has not settled will take even more time to settle. Also, racking risks oxygenating the wine too much. So, racking once every 3 months is about right.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

From now, I'll leave it alone till clear. When clear, rack + stabilize, then sweeten and bottle. Should happen, hopefully, by Nov. before winter storms roll in.

 

[StartingLateAt49yo]

Fermenting to dry... Vs racking to secondary.

My normal racking regime is as follows:

• ferment to dry in bucket
• rack to carboy
• 2-3 weeks later depending on heavy sediment rack again
• 30-60 days rack again depending on sediment
• 60-90 days rack again depending on other steps, back sweetening etc.
• allow to age several months.

I keep reading about fermenting until dry in the primary bucket, by several people. Conversely, Then I also read the opposite, that it's important to rack from primary to secondary 5-7 days after the batch is first started, to avoid oxygen. The kits say to rack after 5-7 days but I know you guys n gals have lots of experience....

Does it make a difference if it's fruit must, grape must, or a kit? Doesn't ferment until dry in primary risk oxygenation, when the fermentation slows and co2 disperses?

I have 6 gallons of must in a 7.5 gallon plastic primary bucket, with airlock but of course the lid is on but doesn't snap tight.

 

[Julie]

if you rack within 7 a 10 days, you will need to rack again within another week when the must is done fermenting. So within a 2 to 3 week period you are racking twice. When I ferment to dry, I rack then and every three months there after. Also, when the must gets down to around 1.010 I snap down the lid and add an airlock.

The wine should have enough alcohol in it to protect it from oxygenation for the short period of time it takes to rack.

 

[garymc]

Back to the green goo. That is just a component of elderberries. I was told that one of my wine club members puts on latex gloves (wash them) and sloshes his gloved hands in the must. The green goo sticks to the latex and he peels the gloves off and throws them away. The other thing I have to suggest about green goo is that if it deposits on your bucket, tools, etc. there are a couple of ways to remove it. I smear warm vegetable oil like corn oil on it. It will dissolve in oil. Then wash the oil off with dish detergent and warm or hot water.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

Back to the green goo. That is just a component of elderberries. I was told that one of my wine club members puts on latex gloves (wash them) and sloshes his gloved hands in the must. The green goo sticks to the latex and he peels the gloves off and throws them away. The other thing I have to suggest about green goo is that if it deposits on your bucket, tools, etc. there are a couple of ways to remove it. I smear warm vegetable oil like corn oil on it. It will dissolve in oil. Then wash the oil off with dish detergent and warm or hot water.

I did another racking, sooner then I had planned, and I think my frequent racking has been a benefit. Last year, I rigidly followed the detailed directions on making Elderberry wine. In the end it came out good, but took a long long time. Now after 2 months, I feel that I am in a better place then I was after 6 months before.

My take away, rack Elderberry often. Green Goo is to be eradicated, or at least removed as it occurs. The wine looks good, smells good, and even before the sweetening, can be swallowed. Last year, (now exaggerating) you could barely get your nose over the stuff, and instantaneous death if I had been foolish enough to take a small taste test.