Racking to Secondary - how to handle solids?

[malweth]

I'm making the Blueberry Melomel and am about to rack to secondary... there are lots of solids in the primary buckets (I didn't use a bag) and I want to know how to siphon / filter these out. I have some cheesecloth I can use - it's more of a logistical problem.

1. get the wine out w/o too many solids
2. squeeze the solids
3. get the rest of the juice out

It seems the siphon would be prone to clogging... even if I put a cheesecloth filter over one end.

S.G. is at 1.000!

 

[Julie]

I'm making the Blueberry Melomel and am about to rack to secondary... there are lots of solids in the primary buckets (I didn't use a bag) and I want to know how to siphon / filter these out. I have some cheesecloth I can use - it's more of a logistical problem.

1. get the wine out w/o too many solids
2. squeeze the solids
3. get the rest of the juice out

It seems the siphon would be prone to clogging... even if I put a cheesecloth filter over one end.

S.G. is at 1.000!

Hold your siphonning hose up out of the solids and you can till your primary prior to racking to get the solids to move to one side of the pirmary, then place your hose on the opposite side

 

[Wade E]

Your racking cane should have a black tip on the bottom, this is an anti sediment tip which prevents it from bringing too much solids over and also preevents it from clogging much due to its design. Yes I would use the cheese cloth to get most of the juice out of the fruit.

 

[Tom]

I hope you did the primary in a bucket. Now for the next time use a straining bag. Makes it alot easier.

 

[BobF]

Other than clogging, I wouldn't worry about too clean of a xfer. Get it the best you can this time, then as soon as another layer forms, rack again. It will be easier the second time.

 

[malweth]

With pictures!

Thanks! I have an autosiphon, which also has a tip to stop sediment.
I just finished and it went just about perfectly. There's a little fruit at the top of the carboy (not a ton) and only a bit of sediment (except in the last couple gallon jugs). It all came out to 8.5 gallons!

Pictures after racking:


Carboys in the basement by malweth, on Flickr


Carboys filled by malweth, on Flickr


Top layer by malweth, on Flickr


A temporary workaround... by malweth, on Flickr

 

[Wade E]

Looks good at this point. Just remember that at this pint to make sure to get all your moneys worth out of the primary and any sludge trasferred will settle out. Leaving wine behind is a sin so if you did so run to Church and confess my son!

 

[JohnT]

Hard to tell if your wine is actively fermenting. If it is NOT, then you need to get rid of the big voids you have in your jugs. You need to raise the level of the wine to about 1 inch below your stoppers.

 

[malweth]

I haven't tested S.G. since I racked, but I racked at 1.000, so it's probably got a little left.

I may need to increase temps a bit, though. It's colder there than I thought (high 60s during the day and right around 60 overnight). 2-zone heat and well insulated furnaces don't help here!