Racked sediment to secondary

[bpowell88]

Ok guys I think I may have accidentally racked most of the sediment from the primary to the secondary. Will this be an issue?

Thanks,

Billy

 

[BobF]

The only downside is that you'll need to rack again sooner. The benefits outweigh this minor inconvenience

Was the wine dry, or did it still have a bit to go?

 

[bpowell88]

It still has a bit to go, I racked just over 1.00 and it is still bubbling in the secondary. My kit says to wait 10 days in the secondary then add clearing agents. Once the 10 days are up should I just rack to the primary bucket then clean the carboy then re rack to the carboy then add the fining agents?

 

[andy123]

Yes.Most kits require you to stir up the lees b4 transfer to secondary. It is fine, you'll get them out at the next racking.

 

[BobF]

You should let your hydrometer determine the schedule rather than numbers of days. Numbers of days are a guideline. Hydrometers tell the real story.

 

[bpowell88]

Thanks Bob so once the hydrometer reaches .092 or whatever the kit recommends then should I rack to bucked then re rack to the carboy?

 

[bpowell88]

Thanks Andy, this is a WE kit and it doesn't have me re rack again before bottling.

 

[BobF]

What kit is this? You should post the details and see if cpfan will chime in.

As Andy pointed out, whether or not to leave lees behind depends on the kit.

 

[TonyP]

Billy, I once forgot to put the tip on my auto siphon and accidentally racked sediment. My suggestion is wait until all the sediment drops before doing the racking. Also, if you're somewhat new to racking, consider putting a piece of cheesecloth or fine nylon mesh on the tip of your siphon. If you do so, make certain everything is clean and sanitized, perhaps boiling.

Tony P.

 

[BobF]

Something I learned from Wade:

Don't get too anal about perfection in early rackings. If you get some lees, so what. You'll have fewer top-up problems if you rack deeply.

Get those lees on the next racking!

 

[Dugger]

bpowell88 - what you have done is not a problem; there is nothing in the sediment that will hurt your wine in the short term. In fact bringing over the sediment means you have left less wine behind in the bucket, so you will have less topping up later. Personally, I would leave the wine in the carboy for a week and then check the SG for 2-3 days and if it hasn't changed, stabilize it as directed. This would be about 10 days.
WE kits want you to stir up the sediment when you add the clearing agent so that it works properly, so add your packets as directed, stir, degas, etc. and everything will drop out again quickly. When it looks clear you would be wise to rack off the sediment ( you can rack to the bucket and back to your carboy) before bottling. Bulk aging and filtering are options that you may want to ask about when you get to this stage.
As suggested, it is helpful to identify your specific kit, as some things are done differently for various kits. For instance, if this is a white wine you want to keep your rackings to a minimum to avoid oxidation.

 

[loumik]

Yes.Most kits require you to stir up the lees b4 transfer to secondary. It is fine, you'll get them out at the next racking.

Most wine kits I have done require you to leave the lees in the primary, the exception being Wine Experts.
LOUMIK

 

[bpowell88]

Thanks guys for all the help! Looks like I'll be alright afterall!

 

[ryandavey]

I have found that many kits do not tell you rack before bottling but I do it just to make sure we get out any left over sediment. Just make sure you get as much liquid as possible!

 

[andy123]

Most wine kits I have done require you to leave the lees in the primary, the exception being Wine Experts.
LOUMIK

#6 Mix the grape must within the PRIMARY FERMENTER thoroughly in order to resuspend the sediment currently found in the bottom of your primary fermenter. MOSTI MONDIALE.COM