I'm relatively new to winemaking from grapes and I am only now getting a handle on all the major concepts.
The more I read about racking off lees the more questions I seem to raise.
So, for red wine, is it best to rack off gross lees after 24 Hrs or 1 - 2 weeks after pressing. Are there circumstancers when you could leave the racking off gross lees for an extended period, and if so what are the benefits.
In undertaking a racking schedule, what are the rules ?. After you rack off gross lees, can you leave the wine sitting for say 6 months before the next racking. Are there set periods between racking cycles. How many times should you rack before bottling or is it just when the wine have sufficiently cleared.
For a white wine, is the general rule to rack off gross lees after 24 Hrs. Are there situatiions or varietals where it is beneficial to rack a little later.
Maybe a basic concept but some insight into tried and proven strategies would be helpful.
The more I read about racking off lees the more questions I seem to raise.
So, for red wine, is it best to rack off gross lees after 24 Hrs or 1 - 2 weeks after pressing. Are there circumstancers when you could leave the racking off gross lees for an extended period, and if so what are the benefits.
In undertaking a racking schedule, what are the rules ?. After you rack off gross lees, can you leave the wine sitting for say 6 months before the next racking. Are there set periods between racking cycles. How many times should you rack before bottling or is it just when the wine have sufficiently cleared.
For a white wine, is the general rule to rack off gross lees after 24 Hrs. Are there situatiions or varietals where it is beneficial to rack a little later.
Maybe a basic concept but some insight into tried and proven strategies would be helpful.