Gewurztraminer from juice

[froeschli]

DH bought me a bucket of Gewürztraminer must. The instructions are: take off lid, wait till SG is .990, then put it into a carboy with airlock, in a cool room.
I've been stirring it daily when I measure the SG. Started at 1.093, now it's approaching 1.03.
I'm thinking of racking it into the carboy now, since I am chicken about too much oxygen.
What do you guys think?

 

[Arne]

It's kinda up to you. Some folks ferment to dry in the primary, when it gets to 1.010 to1.020 or so they snap the lid on and airlock it. Others rack it to secondary at 1.010 to 1.020. Same thing, it gets a bung and airlock. I have done it both ways, doesn't seem to make much difference. Arne.

 

[froeschli]

Thanks, i only realized after posting that i could just plop the air lock on the bucket instead of racking right away...
blonde moment

 

[cpfan]

I won't move a wine to carboy until it is 1.005 or below. When I have done it higher, the ferment has always (I've only done it 2 or 3 times) foamed up and attacked the air lock. Heck I have had wine spritzing out of an air-lock when I racked at 1.005. Created messes that I do not want to deal with.

Steve

 

[saddlebronze]

As long as you have a few inches below the knuckle of the carbon, you can rack the Gew at 1.03. I do it all the time, since I don't like excess headspace oxygen and neither does my wine.