I just finished racking a carboy and wanted to share a few things I’ve learned with other newbies like myself. I am a small time winemaker, a few carboys a year, so this is for small-timers like me.
For sanitizing before racking, I fill my new carboy with about an inch of starsan solution and swish it around so all surfaces are coated. I then use the racking cane and tubing to siphon the starsan out of the carboy and into the wallpapering trough that i use to sanitize my spoon, wine thief etc. I put the cane and tubing in the trough when done to sanitize the exteriors.
When I’m done and have everything cleaned up, I pour the sanitizer into the old carboy, swish and drain.
Finally, if you have a bottle drying rack like mine, put on one level of the rack you can drain your carboy by sticking in the middle hole and your thief and cane can drain on a bottle prong.
For sanitizing before racking, I fill my new carboy with about an inch of starsan solution and swish it around so all surfaces are coated. I then use the racking cane and tubing to siphon the starsan out of the carboy and into the wallpapering trough that i use to sanitize my spoon, wine thief etc. I put the cane and tubing in the trough when done to sanitize the exteriors.
When I’m done and have everything cleaned up, I pour the sanitizer into the old carboy, swish and drain.
Finally, if you have a bottle drying rack like mine, put on one level of the rack you can drain your carboy by sticking in the middle hole and your thief and cane can drain on a bottle prong.
