How do I get the wine out of a five gallon carboy sans sludge?

[honeybadgerman]

I've got some sterile surgical tubing that I've been using as a siphon, but it just doesn't work very well. I always seem to have nasty wasted wine at the bottom.

Thanks!

 

[NashChic]

I love my auto-siphon! Very simple & affordable way to rack.

 

[novalou]

I've got some sterile surgical tubing that I've been using as a siphon, but it just doesn't work very well. I always seem to have nasty wasted wine at the bottom.

Thanks!

I use tubing as well. But if you want to siphon without sucking the muck, get an auto siphon or a racking cane. Both have a fitting on the bottom that sucks in wine above the sediment on the bottom of your carboy.

 

[jamesngalveston]

welcome to the sediment gunck.
as novalou said, racking cane with fitting and auto syphon.
you will get to see this crap every time you rack your wine, until the end where this is none.

 

[saramc]

To salvage the wine left with the lees, transfer the final bit, sans pulp, etc., into the most appropriate sized container you can, seal it and put in refrig until it settles out. Then transfer the wine into the carboy or wine bottle with airlock, use it for topping up, etc. I actually have 1L-2L-3L cheap PET soda bottles that I use expressly for the clearing in the refrig. The lees fill and settle into the feet. But you can use mason jars, wine bottles, whatever.
As far as racking with minimal loss, you really get better at it as you get more experience.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Not sure if it was mentioned or not ? But I would start with a racking cane with the (black) sediment tip on. it can literally sit in approx 3/8 - 1/2 of sediment and it pulls all the liquid from above the sediment so it does not get disturbed.

 

[Julie]

Like others have suggested an racking cane would work for you, then take the slurry and make a skeeter pee.

 

[jamesngalveston]

sediment ole sediment

 

[olusteebus]

Not sure if it was mentioned or not ? But I would start with a racking cane with the (black) sediment tip on. it can literally sit in approx 3/8 - 1/2 of sediment and it pulls all the liquid from above the sediment so it does not get disturbed.

Yeah, don't fret over the wine you leave behind when being reasonably careful with a racking cane ti. It is just a swallow or two.

 

[Duster]

I would also like to add that one should keep in mind that your finished product will only be about 70% to 80% of starting volume

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I believe that his main problem - as discussed in his first thread was that he used surgical tubing rather than a racking cane. If that is the case he would be pulling up alot more sediment.

 

[cimbaliw]

Honey Badger... I feel your pain. A couple of suggestions:
1. tip your carboy. I use an old piece of 2x4 probably 2-7 days before racking. It doesn't move the lees/sediment but it gives you a deeper pool at the end of racking that, at least for me, helps.

2. I use a carboy cap to hold the racking cane in place. I start racking with cane about 1/2 way down the must level. I advance to the bottom of the carboy keeping ahead of the wine level. I use a simple spring clamp steadied against the bucket top when racking from the primary.

These two ideas along with the fore mentioned second, small container have really helped me to mitigate loss. I learned these tips from a video that I sure can't find now.

BC
(ps, I think a real Honey Badger would be so bad a$$, he wouldn't care about sediment