WineXpert Vacuum Racked before clearing, whoops?

[RiderEh]

Hi All, been lurking for a while but decided I'd finally post.

New to the game and have 2 kits bottled, 5 in carboys, and one waiting to start.

Doing my 3rd kit, a Selection Pinot Grigio, I accidently racked right before clearing. It cleared within a day and I racked with a vcuum pump setup I built. The manual says not to do this as it may not clear, and you are supposed to stir up the leese and clear without racking.

Will I lose flavor due to this?

Also I made the mistake of using the vacuum pump when racking off primary with a grape skin kit, it still has fine SG, but I was initially worried I wouldn't get a secondary fermentation. I guess I am still ok?

When is the best time to vacuum rack? After clearing?

I am trying to follow this logic:

7 days in primary then rack
clear after 21 days
rack after 21 days off lease
bottle after 49 days.

Should I only rack after it has cleared? Should I add an additional rack before bottling?

One more question, do I stir in the oak or just sprinkle on top? Right now we have just been sprinkling.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Part of the clearing process involves the sediment dropping and racking off of it. You did fine, I rack every few months or if I see significant lees/sediment in the carboy. I don't have a schedule for racking, I let the wine decide when I'm going to rack it, and as far as clearing, I let time do the clearing, the less chemicals that I have to use, the better I feel. My whites get filtered after they clear, before bottling.
The next time that you have a grape skin pack, get yourself a muslin bag usually used for making beer, this keeps the skins from getting caught up when racking, easier clean up.

 

[DoctorCAD]

P.S. There really isn't a "secondary" ferment, but rather one long ferment that is violent at first and calms down at around 1.010 or so.

I only vacuum rack since I got an All-In-One wine pump, mostly what it does is splash rack without oxidizing the wine.

The oak will settle either way, as long as it is in the wine, it is working.

That schedule is kit manufacturer based and allows for you to buy a kit every 30 days or so. It is not based on any real winemaking experience. I like the 180 day extended kit instructions found here...http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/extended.asp The wine will be much better IMO.