"seconds" wine

[countrygirl]

as i'm learning, racking has become my nemesis.
i'm pretty sure i need to look into an auto siphon. i hate leaving that little bit of wine behind. there is always about an inch that looks sooo good!
so this is what i've done recently. when i racked my peach and blueberry and placed them in the aging closet, i couldn't part with that little bit left, so i sucked up that good along with the sediment you know i couldn't help but get. i put this in a seperate jug and let it sit to clear. of course there is a ton of sediment, but i've gotten four bottles off that combination! i just sweetened it this morning and it's good!
anyone else ever done this?

 

[Tom]

Wait a minute...
How big a batch is this? Now fruit wines do throw alot of sediment but 4 bottles? How long has it been before racking?

 

[JasonH]

I filter what I can of that little bit and drink it. Helps me get a good idea of what the wine will be like.

 

[Julie]

I filter what I can of that little bit and drink it. Helps me get a good idea of what the wine will be like.

Ditto, I use a mason jar and a coffee filter, run it through that and usually get a glass sweeten it slightly and drink it.

 

[Wade E]

I think lots of us do this country girl unless we are making a huge batch where that little bit is just a hassle. I use this small amount for topping up later either in this batch or another that is similiar.

 

[countrygirl]

I think lots of us do this country girl unless we are making a huge batch where that little bit is just a hassle. I use this small amount for topping up later either in this batch or another that is similiar.

well, i'm glad i didn't throw it away, sounds like no one else does either, lol. i combined them into a gallon jug. i had 1.5 gal. over with the apple spice and used that to top up, so the blueberry and peach has been the only ones that had the little left over. i did have to top up the blackberry, no extra.
i think the patience ingredient would also be a key factor in letting the sediment compact, if i could just add that to my winemaking more often, lol lol

 

[mmadmikes1]

If you take the leftovers and put them in tall skinny bottles the and let settle what is left is easy to pour off when it clears. I use co2 from my kegger and top them to prevent oxidation.. It is what I let all the "buds" try when the come over. It is also great for blending in small amount to see how it will taste

 

[djrockinsteve]

Country Girl that's what I've said all along. Sediment and left over wine pour into a smaller carboy or magnum, airlock and I refer it due to usually having more than normal headroom.

In about 2 days you can use it to top off, bottle a few 375ml bottles or sample.

 

[countrygirl]

sometimes it's difficult to image the things you read until you actually experience them. so many things make more sense now that i've made several batches! having this forum is like having winemaker house calls, lol!
thanks for all the support and advice!
new mantra..."three p's, three p's, three p's...

 

[Tom]

Dont forget the 3 "T's"
Taste
Taste
Taste
LOL...

 

[xanxer82]

I have some stoppers that fit into 750 ml bottles and airlock them until the sediments compacts more. I save a good amount of wine that way. Normally 3 bottles. It's good enough to top off with.

 

[1ChuckGauthier]

ok, probablly not thinking but what are the 3 P's........got to agree that just reading these posts gives knowledge, last one I picked up was fruit wine to 1.085 sg, I have been booting my wines up higher to be sure my alcohol was around 12 percent since we need 10 percent at least to age. My wife, bless her taste buds has been telling me the alcohol was overpowering. It did make me feel good though. As I have found out though, getting wine to age is a real problem around here. My first one, huckleberri, I have one bottle left, second one, strawberri, three bottles, Plum 3 bottles, all from five gal batches. Dang this hobby has turned into lots of fun....tryed out some peach snapps tonight, maybe another thing to try out.......have a great day all.

 

[Runningwolf]

ok, probablly not thinking but what are the 3 P's........ As I have found out though, getting wine to age is a real problem around here. My first one, huckleberri, I have one bottle left, second one, strawberri, three bottles, Plum 3 bottles, all from five gal batches.

Patience
Patience
Patience

 

[myakkagldwngr]

Yep, wine bottles with the bung to fit an airlock back on them is the trick. Then I use it to top off the next time I rack.
What kills me is when I try to rack to last little bit, I can watch that small tornado of sediment being sucked up by the racking tube just a second of so before I stop.
But then the next racking has very little in the bottom.

 

[djrockinsteve]

What kills me is when I try to rack to last little bit, I can watch that small tornado of sediment being sucked up by the racking tube just a second of so before I stop.

or as you are holding the carboy at an angle and everything is perfect then the carboy slips and now all the liquid is rocking along with the sediment. NNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[countrygirl]

or as you are holding the carboy at an angle and everything is perfect then the carboy slips and now all the liquid is rocking along with the sediment. NNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yep, been there, doing that...ya'll make me feel better! thought it was just me, lol.
btw, racked my chardonnel at 1.010 tonight. boy is it cloudy! knew it was pretty murky each time i stirred it, but didn't expect this much cloudiness. it's 5 solid gallons, so maybe i'll wind up with 3-4 good gallons!

 

[robie]

I can watch that small tornado of sediment being sucked up by the racking tube just a second of so before I stop.
But then the next racking has very little in the bottom.

True, so every time you rack you have less and less sediment with which to contend until finally, no more sediment!

I know that sounds easy, but even after saving and settling out the bottom slurry each time, it always seems to be a pain (for me) to get rid of that last bit of sediment. I hate to waste any wine!