Process for Back Sweetening

[ttimmer]

I know this is an incredibly newbie kind of question, but here goes.
Since my carboy is full, in order to back sweeten, will the liquid be reduced enough during racking that my sugar will fit? Do you rack into a bucket to blend the sugar or into a sanitized carboy? On that note, do you stop half way full when racking (assuming into a carboy) so you can more easily stir the sugar so it is well blended? Worse case scenario, I will just drink wine to make enough room!

Can you tell this is my first time???
I will be an expert (not really) in no time!

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[Pumpkinman]

I usually rack off the sediment, (lees), and yes, you can rack into a bucket to back sweeten, first stabilize with meta and sorbate, I usually dissolve them in water and add to the bucket first, rack the must into that buckets and then back into a clean carboy.

 

[ttimmer]

Per dangerdave, I racked off the sediment into a secondary and stabilized. Instructions say to wait at least a week, that is tomorrow. Just not sure if I should back sweeten when I transfer to my new carboy, or if I should go to a bucket (which I would need to buy since I have a new wine already started) to sweeten and then to a carboy.

 

[Pumpkinman]

I usually back sweeten in a bucket, it is easier to use a tool to mix the sugar or honey and get it dissolved, but this is just how i prefer to do it, I'm sure others will add their personal experiences as well.

 

[Sammyk]

Not to butt in but I recently read of someone who racks to a bucket and lets the wine rest for a few hours so that more sediment drops to the bottom. They then bottle from the bucket.

What you all think of this practice?

 

[mkjennison]

Not to butt in but I recently read of someone who racks to a bucket and lets the wine rest for a few hours so that more sediment drops to the bottom. They then bottle from the bucket.

What you all think of this practice?

Hmm. If the wine's clear enough to be bottling, then just a few hours shouldn't throw any more sediment. A few weeks, maybe... but not a few hours.

 

[GreginND]

Hmm. If the wine's clear enough to be bottling, then just a few hours shouldn't throw any more sediment. A few weeks, maybe... but not a few hours.

If a wine is clear enough to bottle, it shouldn't ever throw any sediment!