Since I am a newbie at wine making and was constantly sucking up lees when racking I thought to myself there has to be a better way to do this and not discard one ounce more than necessary of that precious nectar of the Gods. Being an analytical chemist by trade I came up with this idea and have used it twice now with excellent results. I rack and stop with a good inch or two above the lees thus ensuring a clean initial transfer, then pour off the lees and extra wine into a 2 liter sep funnel. Allow to rest for 24 hours and settle to the bottom. Drain off the lees from the bottom by carefully opening the valve and metering the flow. Then transfer the pure wine back to the carboy. May not be for everybody but it sure works for this Chemist!
Sep funnels can be had on ebay etc. You might get by with a 1 liter but the 2 liter seems to be working really well and you don't have to be quite as careful when racking.
Sep funnels can be had on ebay etc. You might get by with a 1 liter but the 2 liter seems to be working really well and you don't have to be quite as careful when racking.