Sediment/Racking question

[TMaxx]

I have an apple wine i made from an internet recipe with lots of sediment in the secondary. It has settled out fairly well but my question is how much should i rack off? I wont get a gallon if i leave all the sediment. I think i may have moved to the secondary a little premature and the yeast continued to grow. Any suggestions?

 

[roadwarriorsvt]

Ya gotta rack it sometime. When you do, just top up with a similar wine, use sanitized marbles, or a smaller container to minimize head space.

 

[cindy]

I had the same trouble with my strawberry wine so what I did was used a rubberband and a coffee filter attached to my syphon hose when I racked it, then anything left in the carboy I put in a sanitized jar and put it in the fridge, once that cleared I returned the clear wine back to the carboy. I still came up about 750ml short after racking several times so I topped off with strawberry margarita mix since my ABV was already @16.5
so far this strawberry is the best wine I ever made but it did give me more troubles then any of the other batches I've made so far. I sanitize everything that touches my wine coffee filter and rubberband included.

 

[Wade E]

This is a good learning experience for you, know you know why we say you need to both make a lot more then you intend on wanting in the end and also to have vessels of all sizes. I keep 3 liter, 1 gallon, 3 galon, 5 gallon and 6 gallon carboys and then various size wine bottles with all the bungs to fit all for circumstances like this.

 

[TMaxx]

I have read a lot online and on the forum, but does anyone know a good wine making book? I am still learning and would like to get all the basics embedded in my brain.

 

[TMaxx]

Also would it be wrong to add a clearing agent now to try and pack the sediments a little a maximize the wine I get or am I trying to hard to save to little?

 

[cknfrmr]

I have had several people tell me to get " The joy of Home Winemaking " by Terry Garey. I just got it this morning at Barnes & Nobel. Cost me $16. Have not read it yet so dont know if it is good or not. I too am having same things going on with my blackberry wine which is my 1st wine i am making.

 

[rhartwel41]

I bought that book a few months ago. It's has a lot of information and is a pretty quick read. I've actually got an apple wine going that I got from that book.

 

[SmallTown]

Also would it be wrong to add a clearing agent now to try and pack the sediments a little a maximize the wine I get or am I trying to hard to save to little?

No it's not time to clear yet. Rack to another carboy and let it sit for awhile.

 

[TMaxx]

Thanks guys

 

[saramc]

By the way, the agents you are referring to are called "FININGS"...most commonly used early on is BENTONITE. Will definitely be recommended reading because as you start to learn what fruit does, you will have the knowledge base to know that dosing with bentonite as you start your ferment will be beneficial when working with a certain fruit. But some people, like me, don't use finings, I just time do it all.

Don't rush it. You will be fine.

Here are some internet sites where you can access great info, it is recommended reading for the amateur group I belong to:

1. The Home Winemaking Book by Michiel Pesgens, http://www.homebrewit.com/winebook.pdf

2. Making Table Wine at Home by UC Davis, http://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/content.php?category=Winemaking
3. Home Winemaking Instructions and Information, from Lisa Shea, http://www.honeycreek.us/

4. First Steps in Winemaking by C. J. J. BERRY, http://www.scribd.com/doc/8235475/eBooks-Wine-and-Beer-Making

5. How To Make Wine at Home, by Mike Carraway, http://www.scribd.com/doc/37045332/How-to-Make-Wine

6. The Winemaking Home Page by Jack Keller http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/starting.asp

 

[TMaxx]

Thanks for the info. I got a book this weekend, every little bit helps.

 

[analog_kidd]

I've been making extra when I start. If I'm making a gallon of wine, I'll start it out as a 1.25 gallons. The excess goes into a wine bottle with a saran wrap and rubber band airlock. When I transfer and top up, I use the excess from the wine bottle. What ever is left over in the wine bottle gets transferred over to a beer bottle with the same airlock. When I transfer again, I use the beer bottle wine to top up.