When and how to strain for redcurrant wine?

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Alison

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HI I am making red currant wine for the first time and I have a cheesecloth straining bag in the mixture. But some pips have escaped. Am I ok to put all the liquid through a sieve or a nylon bag to catch the pips or will it also catch the yeast that is still fermenting. I am on day 3 so my instructions tell me to remove the bag today. Thank you.
 
HI I am making red currant wine for the first time and I have a cheesecloth straining bag in the mixture. But some pips have escaped. Am I ok to put all the liquid through a sieve or a nylon bag to catch the pips or will it also catch the yeast that is still fermenting. I am on day 3 so my instructions tell me to remove the bag today. Thank you.

Your currants should remain in your wine until your hydrometer reads 1.010 or lower. It’s not about time, it’s about fermentation progress, which we measure with a hydrometer. Glad to hear that your fermentation started.
 
HI John- yes it did! thank you. However I popped in on day 2 on a heat pad for a hour as it was dropping to 18 and forgot to take it off so it did get up to 36+ for over 5 hours. But the yeast still is bubbling so hoping it is ok. My recipe says to remove after 3 days and then transfer to the primary fermentor to complete the fermentation - as at the moment it is a plastic bucket - which is why I am concerned to not strain if it is going to affect the yeast. If I leave it until fermentation stops that means leaving it in the bucket and not transferring it?
 
Thank you. I have taken out the bag but just taken reading and it is only 80. Do i just keep fermenting in the bucket?
 
I think you might mean that the specific gravity is 1.080?

You asked if your reading was normal. Remember, we don't know what value you started with. I would say that if you started at, say, 1.095, then reading 1.080 after 3 days would be reasonable.

Here is a good video to help you with reading the hydrometer:
 
For me I use two conditions to determine when to rack.
1) When the SG is at 1.010 or lower
AND
2) If foaming activity has died down - the surface is not fully covered with foam and a light stirring doesn't 'provoke' a rapid foam build up.

If BOTH conditions are not met, I wait. The racking process is very likely going to produce the same result as a light stirring of the fermentation bucket so if you rack and fill that carboy you can expect a foam fountain within seconds or a few minutes.

(Apparently the little yeasties get all excited when moved into a new 'home.' ) :f1

At least that's what seems to work best for me.
 

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