On track to rack?

[jboyer]

Hey guys and gals. Just have a few questions before I rack my first wines after fermentation is over. The history.... I started concord grape wine from my own grape vines. At the time I had little knowledge of the whole process and the exact sciences of it. However the grapes were real ripe tasting and I went with what I thought was a reliable recipe. If only I had found this site earlier I would have known to use a hydrometer before beginning fermentation but thats done with now. So I do not have a starting s.g. reading but I hope the recipe was in the ballpark for the sugar that it called for. Anyway fermentation started about 5 weeks ago. I left in primary for 8 days and decided to transfer to secondary not knowing the s.g. but seeing that fermentation had slowed and also the presence of fruit flies buzzing around had me afraid and I wanted it under airlock. Thats when I found you guys and I decided to get a hydrometer like I should have before I started this wine. Secondary fermentation has been going for four weeks. For the first 3 1/2 weeks I kept it in my basement which had a cooler temp. of around 65. I'm hoping the slower ferm. at cool temp will bring out flavor and aroma. I read on here to bring it up to 75 to finish so the last 4 days it has been upstairs covered with old shirts to keep light off of it. I noticed that the ferementation seemed to speed back up after a couple days at 75 deg and now seems to be getting close to done. S.G. readings were 1.010 for two of the 6 gal. carboys and 1.000 for the other one. I understand that it should be lower so I will re-check in a couple days. Let me know if this method is correct - After it goes dry and is verified 3 cons. days of same s.g. I plan to dissolve 1 camp. tablet per gallon in a small amount of water and have it in my sterilized ale pale. I will siphon into the ale pale and leave the sediment layer behind. Wish I had a extra carboy but I don't. While in the ale pale can I degas by stirring or should I wait until it's back in the carboy. Will stirring to degas even work or should I try to find a drill attachment. Was thinking about sweetening atleast one carboy and I have sorbate. When and how would this be added during this process?

 

[closetwine]

. Let me know if this method is correct - After it goes dry and is verified 3 cons. days of same s.g. I plan to dissolve 1 camp. tablet per gallon in a small amount of water and have it in my sterilized ale pale. I will siphon into the ale pale and leave the sediment layer behind. Wish I had a extra carboy but I don't. While in the ale pale can I degas by stirring or should I wait until it's back in the carboy. Will stirring to degas even work or should I try to find a drill attachment. Was thinking about sweetening atleast one carboy and I have sorbate. When and how would this be added during this process?

Sounds like your doing great for your first time! Welcome to obsession. Good plan, I would wait until back in the carboy to degas. Stirring isn't effective at degassing, trust me I've tried. Sorbate when you add camden. And wait about a week to backsweeten. All this is IMO and everyone else will throw in their 2 cents shortly!

 

[jboyer]

Ok I will add my sorbate when racking into clean carboy after the sulfite has been added. I guess I will look for a drill attachment somewhere so I can degas once in the clean carboy. Degassing after these additions should serve to mix everything up well to. After the wine is degassed I plan to top up near bung and was also thinking I could backsweeten with simple syrup then. This sound right? Also anyone know where to find a drill attachment for degassing?

 

[Wade E]

Actually getting the gas out is much easier when its in the bucket and less chance of the dreaded volcano. When you add the sulfite you should also add the sorbate, as for a drill mounted stirrer I suggest this one from this place if you dont have a place locally.
http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=15262

 

[Runningwolf]

Believe Wade when he talks about volcano's in the carboy. I've been there too many times and its a pain in the *** cleaning up the wine table when you have to pick up all the other carboys. I also use the drill stirrer and then splash rack back to the carboy.

 

[jboyer]

Thanks for the replies Wade and Runningwolf. Going to put in a order for the stirrer asap. Looks like I'll be degassing in the bucket then racking back to clean carboy. The newly sorbated and sulfited wine will be topped up and backsweetened. (figured I may as well do everything at once) Then it's on to clearing. Not sure if I'm going to add any clearing agents or not, would you recommend? In any case they should be the last thing added correct? I will probably bulk age in the carboys racking about every 3-4 months, sound about right?