Another clearing/racking question

[RotGut76]

Sorry this topic probably has been covered thousands of times. However, I couldn't find a thread that answered my question.

Mostly I've been using kits and I have also started a DB Skeeter pee.

As per the kits instructions I added my clearing additives. As usual the wine gets clear. However there is heavy sediment left at the bottom of the carboy.

The last time I tried to bottle with the sediment in the carboy I disturbed it and it became suspended in the wine and wouldn't clear back out. I was told by my local wine shop to add more clearing additive and let it sit a few more days. Which I did and it came out perfect.

Every time I rack from one carboy to the next do I have to add clearing agent?

The kit instructions state "Do NOT rack the wine before stabilizing and fining. Winexpert kits require you stir the sediment back into suspension. Racking the wine off the sediment prior to fining may permanently prevent clearing."

Is there a time when I can completely rack off all the sediment to ensure a clear bottling? Or do I just have to be REALLY careful on bottling day to not disturb the sediment?

For some reason I'm missing something on this part of the process.

 

[Enologo]

Usually best to keep racking periodically till there are no more lees. Helps with the aging and clearing. I would not attempt to bottle if there was visible sediment. Just my $.02.

 

[Loner]

Some kit instructions do have you stir the lee's back into suspension HOWEVER once you add clearing agents and your wine is dropping sediment you can transfer to a clean and sanitized Carboy.

 

[bkisel]

I've only gotten two kits to the bottling stage but both times, as per RJS kit instructions, I rack from carboy to a clean and sanitized primary bucket (I guess a clean carboy would work as well) and bottle from there. point being one last rack just before bottling.

 

[Loner]

I'm sure most of us were in a rush to bottle at first. Now even on kits I age a few months in a Carboy before going to bottle. You will be surprised how long your seemingly clear wine will continue to drop sediment.

 

[Scott]

Should just have to add anything to help clear once ,then when settled rack and wait some more. Or be careful if bottling and keep the last bottle for yourself.

Good Luck

 

[midnightsolace]

I've only gotten two kits to the bottling stage but both times, as per RJS kit instructions, I rack from carboy to a clean and sanitized primary bucket (I guess a clean carboy would work as well) and bottle from there. point being one last rack just before bottling.

This right here. Bkisel has the right of it. Doesn't matter what wine kit you are using; if it's ready to bottle, at THAT point, rack it into a clean container and bottle from there. There's nothing that the extra rack will do that bottling wouldn't do itself. So if it's safe to bottle, get the wine off of that sediment first, then bottle right away. =) Look at it as part of the bottling process.

 

[jamesngalveston]

i am not a kit maker at all, but once the wine is clear, and not dropping sediment...i bottle..and let the sediment thats in the bottom stay there.
occasionally i will get a little sediment in the last bottle....that bottle goes in the fridge...

 

[closetwine]

I rack one last time before bottling... Then the last bottle gets marked as such b/c it MAY have a little sediment. Then I know that it is for me to use and not to gift. No need to hurry it, you'd rather give it time than end up with sediment in all the bottles.

 

[RotGut76]

OK. Please forgive my stupidity here.

So I have a batch going right now. I've added clearing agent about a week and a half ago. It looks pretty clear at the moment.

Technically I can rack it again into another clean carboy leaving the sediment behind and it will continue to clear for another week or so? Without adding more clearing agents?

 

[midnightsolace]

Most wine will clear without fining agents, but it takes a heck of a lot longer. Fining agents clear out of the wine along with the sediment they precipitate. So really it just depends on how your wine is doing and how long you want to let it sit in the carboy. If it's really clear right now, I wouldn't bother with more fining agents. That doesn't mean you can't re-rack it and let it sit for bulk aging though... But if there's still sediment in the wine, then yeah, definitely rack it again and let it clear some more. The kind of sediment left in the wine will determine whether or not you should use more fining vs. letting it just sit and settle.

At the end of the day, though, when you properly rack your wine after clearing, you are also leaving behind the fining agent you added in.