WineXpert Lees On The Sides Of The Carboy

[davek]

So I have finished the second fermentation, and I have racked the wine (Eclipse Zin) over to a carboy and aded all the clarifying compounds and the sulfites.

I checked on it today, and a lot of fine matter has fallen to the bottom, and the wine looks crystal clear. I think, cant quite tell- it is so dark, when I try and shine a flashlight through it, I can't even see it!

Anyway, not all the "fallout" went to the bottom. There is a good portion that stuck to the sides- that is, within the "ribs" that go around the carboy. Its like a fine, light dusting of snow.

So I will probably be racking again in 3 weeks (it has been a week since I racked). Should I stir it up now to get that stuff to the bottom, or just leave it? Or should I rack and rack again?

I am afraid i will come off the sides and flow into the next carboy.My next step is to age it a while in a carboy, so I want as clean a wine as I can get!

 

[Boatboy24]

Give the carboy a quick 'twist' back and forth. It'll jar that stuff loose without stirring up too much from the bottom. You may have to do this a couple times over the course of a week or two.

 

[bkisel]

Exactly as Boatboy has posted above. I've had to do it several times myself. I seem to remember a post by one of our members about her placing her carboys on a Lazy Susan for just the purpose of getting the dust off the ribs.

 

[ShaunDanz]

Yep. Do as Boatboy says. You are making a really nice kit, I would highly recommend aging that one in the carboy for longer than the instructions state. I ended up with about a full teaspoon of sediment in each of my bottles by following the directions on that wine.

 

[davek]

Thanks! Glad that there is a lot of experience here to help!

 

[richmke]

You have a few more rackings to go. I wouldn't disturb it too much (don't go wild with the twisting). When you rack, some may stick to the side, some may drop, and some may get sucked up. What gets sucked up will settle in the next carboy.

No reason to disturb what is on the bottom and risk sucking it up.

 

[scram]

From my experience what has settled in the ribs will stay there for you to clean once emptied. I'd leave it alone and just rack when ready. My 2¢

 

[DoctorCAD]

Dont rack so quickly. Give it 3 months, the wine will clear and most fluff will fall to the bottom.

Gravity, its not just a good idea, its a law.

 

[heatherd]

I agree on giving this one extra time at every step, including racking and aging. It will be a great wine.

In regards to the sediment, I worry about it less at the beginning and am increasingly careful as the wine gets more clear. What I mean is that I don't try too hard to get zero sediment on the first rack because its just going into a carboy. At the end I am super careful because it will be going into a bottle soon.

Heather

 

[Dhaynes]

I agree with heatherd. In the early stages I worry more about maximizing the amount of wine I keep and less about picking up a little of the sediment. I figure it has already coagulated and settled out once so it likely settle out pretty quick in the new carboy. Then on the last racking I try to be really careful to avoid sediment even if it means sacrificing a little wine.


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[cimbaliw]

Here is a repost of Rocky's slew-er. It's post #5

BC