First wine in secondary w/ picture

[davelochner]

So we racked my wine for the first time last night. I am using a WE Mosel valley Gewürztraminer kit. Smells great, I don't know anything about what it is supposed to look like though. I am sure it is fine but I am posting this pic just to make sure!

 

[Runningwolf]

Dave you're looking good. Does this come with an f-pac? If not you are going to be a little short after you stabilize and rack next time. Consider buying an inexpensive Gewürztraminer to top up your carboy at that time when you rack off the lees.

 

[Runningwolf]

You could even use a Riesling for topping off if you had one around.

 

[ibglowin]

Looks perfect. Its amazing how that will become perfectly clear after your final racking and adding of the fining agents!

 

[davelochner]

Dave you're looking good. Does this come with an f-pac? If not you are going to be a little short after you stabilize and rack next time. Consider buying an inexpensive Gewürztraminer to top up your carboy at that time when you rack off the lees.

Yes it came with a juice pack "Susse Reserve" I believe is what they called it. Plus small bag of liquid which I think is clarifier? There are also two small dry packages of metabisulfate and sorbate.

It look as if the cardboy will over flow when I add all these things, but the instructions say to remove some wine, add ingredients, and then top off with reserved wine so I know I'll be okay. I'd just hate to have to throw any of the wine out at this step!

Which brings me to a question, does any evaporation take place during secondary fermentation?

 

[ibglowin]

No, you should not lose any to evaporation, looks like you will have plenty of room for everything at the end of secondary fermentation. SInce you are adding sugar back in (Susse Reserve) you will for sure need the Sorbate. Don't forget to keep it warm all the way through the degassing phase. If you do not degas properly the wine will not clear. Once you have it degassed and all the stabilizing and fining agents added you can then top if off with a similar wine and wait for it to clear.

 

[Flem]

Yes it came with a juice pack "Susse Reserve" I believe is what they called it. Plus small bag of liquid which I think is clarifier? There are also two small dry packages of metabisulfate and sorbate.

It look as if the cardboy will over flow when I add all these things, but the instructions say to remove some wine, add ingredients, and then top off with reserved wine so I know I'll be okay. I'd just hate to have to throw any of the wine out at this step!

Which brings me to a question, does any evaporation take place during secondary fermentation?

+1 to what Mike just said
However, if you should happen to have any extra, put it in a small container, maybe a 375ml bottle, under airlock and you can use that for any subsequent rackings.

 

[Runningwolf]

In addition to the two above posts, make sure you remove about 1/2 gallon before trying to degas. If you don't you will end up with a volcano. Start slow as the wine can foam up real quick when you first start to degas. Being your first wine I would also suggest you get a stir mix for your drill to assist in degassing. Later on if you decide to make many more wines you'll want to invest in a vacuum pump but for now the stir mix will work fine.

 

[Dugger]

When I do a wine with an F-pack and it's time to stabilize I will rack back to my bucket to do it. I mix Kmeta with a little water and put in bucket, rack the wine from the carboy into it, add the sorbate, F-pack, and clearing agents all as directed and then rack back to the carboy, saving whatever may be left in a bottle under airlock. This way the leftover wine, if any, is good to go for topping up. Also I find stir degassing easier in the bucket ( I actually use a vacuum pump but still stir some at this stage).

 

[Flem]

Dugger, I do the same thing by racking back into the bucket to degas with my drill stirrer. It's a couple of extra steps but I've never had the dreaded "wine volcano" (knock on wood).

 

[davelochner]

Dugger, I do the same thing by racking back into the bucket to degas with my drill stirrer. It's a couple of extra steps but I've never had the dreaded "wine volcano" (knock on wood).

I planned on racking into my bottling bucket and then degasing from there anyway. I tried swirling the wand around and I just knew it wouldn't cut it.