WineXpert Transferring too early to secondary?

[tghalvorsen]

I'm on my fourth WE kit; making a Mist Shiraz/Wildberry.
First couple of times I "overshot" the 1.010 target point for racking to secondary; was closer to 1.000 when I transferred.

This time, I was determined not to overshoot. I got abit careless and didn't measure the S.G. before racking from primary to the secondary (after four days). After siphoning off, I finally measured it and realized it was 1.030 (and not the target 1.010 or less).
I'm assuming this is not a problem??. I left behind some of the lees. Of course the wine is still very actively fermenting.

What's the real reason for waiting until 1.010 while still in primary?

 

[Tom]

Reason is t get it off the gross lees. You will be fine. Have a glass of something LOL

 

[cpfan]

tghalvorsen:

I interpret the instructions to mean, transfer to carboy once the sg is below 1.010, not necessarily when it is AT 1.010. I usually end up transferring after the sg is below 1.000, frequently as low as .992. Actually, I won't transfer at 1.010 unless forced to by circumstances. On several occasions when I have transferred arouind 1.010, the CO2 has bubbled through the air-lock causing a mess. Red wine spray is not a good thing.

Steve

 

[Lurker]

I transfer at 0.9xx for exactly what CPFAN said, under airlock I want the wine to stay in the carboy. I'm also with Tom, have a drink, you're in good shape.

 

[Minnesotamaker]

If your ferment isn't real fast, you can certainly transfer earlier. If the ferment is really active, you run the risk of foam pushing into the airlock. Remember that when you transfer the wine, you'll introduce some oxygen and that will often give the yeast a surge of activity for a short while, so a dormant ferment could become more active than exected.

 

[Wade E]

I almost always ferment to dry in primary now and many people are warming up tp this. I made wine for many years and right about in the middle I changed from racking early to doing it this way and the only difference Ive seen is that its easier to degas the wine and you leave more sediement behind.

 

[jdeere5220]

If your ferment isn't real fast, you can certainly transfer earlier. If the ferment is really active, you run the risk of foam pushing into the airlock.

That's exactly what Tim at Wine Expert says. The 1.010 is just a ballpark number at which time the yeast are usually starting to slow a bit, so you shouldn't get an eruption into your airlock (although I did once, when making the Lodi Cab Sav which I racked at 1.005).

I would say the only other risk in racking too early is you might starve your yeast for air, and so your final SG might not go as low as you would like. It wouldn't hurt anything at all to rack again down closer to the 1.000 reading to add a little more air. Just my .02.