racking

[del torchio]

Hello
I have two questions actually but first some background info on my batch of wine.
Its in a 50ltr demijohn right now, been there since sunday with airlock on and bubbles have calmed down dramtically. This is my secondary fermentation obviosuly as its airtight right now.
1) Can i take the airlock of every now and then to take a hydrometer reading or will it spoil the wine?
2) Can i rack this wine to another 50ltr demijohn right now or should i holdoff on that.

It currently sitting in my garage at about 22 celsuis.

I have instructions and they do say to rack it but after about two eekd in the demijohn,im just concerned its gonna saty in with the sediment too long
Thank for the advice yall

 

[Ajmassa]

No worries. You can safely pop the airlock to check SG. After all- need to know the SG to make proper decisions!

Probably at least a month or longer after fermenting there’s so much co2 in the wine that it stays pretty well protected.

So definitely want to confirm that reading before making any other decisions. Good luck. (My backstory is very similar to yours. This forum will be a lifesaver for ya)

 

[user 36973]

1) Can i take the airlock of every now and then to take a hydrometer reading or will it spoil the wine?

Yes but why? Once it's done fermenting, it is ready to settle. It's always best to minimize oxygen exposure so you don't feed the bacteria that can spoil the wine.

2) Can i rack this wine to another 50ltr demijohn right now or should i holdoff on that.

It's ok to let settle for month and then rack. Longer or shorter time is a preference and goes along with the style of the wine you are making

 

[del torchio]

Yes but why? Once it's done fermenting, it is ready to settle. It's always best to minimize oxygen exposure so you don't feed the bacteria that can spoil the wine.



It's ok to let settle for month and then rack. Longer or shorter time is a preference and goes along with the style of the wine you are making

Gotcha, but isnt my hyrdometer reading whats going to tell me when fermentation is done? its clearing up quite nicely though

Itching to siphon it to a clean 50ltr demijohn(my dad has a spare one) to get it off the sediment thats along the bottom of the first demijohn, obviously some air exposure would be inevitable but it would be minimal and the wine can then continue to ferment in a clean demijohn...but i hear your point about letting it settle for a month, there will be more sediment on the bottom over the course of a month

n.b siphoning is fun lol

 

[del torchio]

No worries. You can safely pop the airlock to check SG. After all- need to know the SG to make proper decisions!

Probably at least a month or longer after fermenting there’s so much co2 in the wine that it stays pretty well protected.

So definitely want to confirm that reading before making any other decisions. Good luck. (My backstory is very similar to yours. This forum will be a lifesaver for ya)

very cool, i guess your dad was italian like mine? just a guess with you being from jersey

 

[salcoco]

I suggest wine racking follow the 3-3-3- rule. Observe and measure the fermentation once in the vicinity of 1.00 rack off the sediment. wait three days rack again off any gross sediment. add k-meta. rack again in three weeks off of any fine sediment. wait three months and rack again add K-meta wine should be clear by this time and bulk aging started.
with regards to measurements during fermentation. normally fermentation can be done with the fermentor covered with a cloth to allow oxygen to yeast provided by daily stirring. enough CO2 is developed during fermentation to protect the wine. airlock is used once fermentation is complete and first rack mentioned earlier.

 

[del torchio]

I suggest wine racking follow the 3-3-3- rule. Observe and measure the fermentation once in the vicinity of 1.00 rack off the sediment. wait three days rack again off any gross sediment. add k-meta. rack again in three weeks off of any fine sediment. wait three months and rack again add K-meta wine should be clear by this time and bulk aging started.
with regards to measurements during fermentation. normally fermentation can be done with the fermentor covered with a cloth to allow oxygen to yeast provided by daily stirring. enough CO2 is developed during fermentation to protect the wine. airlock is used once fermentation is complete and first rack mentioned earlier.

thanks for the advice!
just bough some sulfite and i am going to try adding some to 20ltr and doing the rest 'au natural' i really want to see and taste the difference , my dad being old school italian, never added anything to his wine BUT i can think of a couple years where i tasted his batch and thought ' this wine sucks' either tasted a bit spritzy or the taste was way off so his wine prob could of used some sulfites at some point or other.

 

[Ajmassa]

Yep. I’m a total stereotype. Lol
Family was very old school. No additives. No yeast. No Nutrients. No stem removal. Sometimes no corks. Just No regard!
I’m grateful I learned this way tho. Gave me an idea of just how much ya actually can get away with when straying from “accepted good practices”.
*Adding Sulphites and preventing prolonged o2 exposure = winemakers insurance*
Minimum headspace in vital. And the so2 protects from o2 plus microbial bacteria. You can’t taste it. Don’t listen to anyone saying they can. They can’t. It doesn’t cause headaches. That’s an old wives tale. At proper dosage rate- there’s no reason to NOT add. Depending on variables like ph, storage temp, length of aging planned etc you could end up with inferior wine to prove a point.
I did an ‘Au natural’ batch in 2018. No yeast,
Nutrient etc. but I still added so2. Never even contemplated not adding. Without lab equipment the accepted rule of thumb is 1/4tsp of potassium metabisulfite per 5-6gal every 3-4 months.