Skeeter Pee question

[tonyt]

I am fermenting a Misti Bourg Royal Blanc and want to use the must to start my first batch of SP. The Mosti instructions say to stir and rack after 3-5 days sg of 1.03 or so and to transfer most of the must. Do I use whatever little must there will be from this first racking or from the next racking. Or do y'all recommend fermenting in primary till dry and skipping the in between racking. That is how I do my reds but since this is my first white my initial plan was to follow the instructions closely (even though I have added white grapes and may add a tiny bit of oak later).

 

[rob]

That is a good question, I have been making kits for 3 years and have never stirred, I know it says to.... I just never have

 

[Minnesotamaker]

Interesting instructions. Usually, the word "racking" is used when they want you to remove wine from the settled deposits. If they want to retain the deposits in the wine, they'll usually use the word "transfer". By stirring and then racking, I wonder what the purpose of the racking is? If the idea of stirring is to make sure you carry plenty of yeast over to the secondary, I wonder why you couldn't just leave it in the primary with the yeast for a while longer and then rack off the sediment when it's closer to finishing? Maybe someone with knowledge of this kit will give more insight. Does this kit have fruit, skins, or oak additions that they might be trying to seperate off with this early transfer?

I'd be tempted to wait until the SG dropped to 1.010 and then rack into the carboy leaving the sediment behind.

 

[DrJerryrigger]

That is odd. If you where to rack w/o stirring, you'd get a good cake for your SP, and the wine will likely have enough yeast suspended to keep it going, though this may slow down the rate of fermentation dramatically.
I guess the stir may give a kind of half racking thing, leaving behind only the largest particles. If you want to stick to the directions, and want to make some pee, I'd suggest your stir it up good, but rack it an hour or two later.

 

[Wade E]

Id veer from those instructions and either ferment dry in bucket or rack around 1.010 and use the lees then. Racking that early unless you have a big carboy like 6.5 or bigger as at that sg you are very likely to have an "Eruption"! Many people who follow these instructions have big messes to clean up when doing such.

 

[tonyt]

Instructions says "once the SG reaches 1.040-1.050 the grape must is ready for it's first racking. Mix the grape must within the primary fermenter thoroughly ..." then it says to add yeast nutrient to the primary, stir. Then "rack the wine" says oak chips and raisins (if any) will be left behind. "Insure that all the contents of the primary are transferred to the carboy including the sediment"

How about if at SG 1.04 or so I scoop out the raisins, stir, add yeast nutrient and leave in primary until 1.010. then rack off lees (reserving for Pee) into carboy and let continue to dry. I think splash racking at 1.010 will kick start fermentation again to be able to finish.

What do y'all think?

 

[Minnesotamaker]

Instructions says "once the SG reaches 1.040-1.050 the grape must is ready for it's first racking. Mix the grape must within the primary fermenter thoroughly ..." then it says to add yeast nutrient to the primary, stir. Then "rack the wine" says oak chips and raisins (if any) will be left behind. "Insure that all the contents of the primary are transferred to the carboy including the sediment"

How about if at SG 1.04 or so I scoop out the raisins, stir, add yeast nutrient and leave in primary until 1.010. then rack off lees (reserving for Pee) into carboy and let continue to dry. I think splash racking at 1.010 will kick start fermentation again to be able to finish.

What do y'all think?

Makes sense to me.

 

[John Prince]

I start and finish in the primary bucket.

 

[cimbaliw]

Started my first batch of pee last night. At the same time, my wife and I jump started some EC-1118 in about a cup of preservative free apple juice and a pinch each of yeast nutrient and energizer.

Interestingly, we started this journey in late November 2012 with a couple of WE kits both of which had us rack to secondary after 5-7 days, when the SG hit 1.010, leaving the heavy stuff behind.

As of now I've made six batches of wine and have to say that the pee and apfelwein are more fun than the kits.