Comments on: Racking Wine For Clarity http://winemakersacademy.com/racking-wine-clarity/ Your Winemaking Educational Source Mon, 25 Jun 2018 19:33:04 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 By: Matt Williams http://winemakersacademy.com/racking-wine-clarity/#comment-447 Fri, 12 Jun 2015 03:10:00 +0000 http://winemakersacademy.org/?p=2596#comment-447 In reply to John Gallivan.

Hi John, great question. The point of the first racking is two fold. First, as you said, to get off of the gross lees if you have fermented on the fruit. Even if you use traditional racking methods as opposed to the funnel method the yeast will still be there. As they are single cell micro-organisms you’d have to pass the wine through a sterile filter to remove the yeast.

The second purpose is to reduce the airspace. During primary fermentation the wine can foam up and you need space to accommodate that.

Getting off the fine lees is only a small concern in the beginning. Usually it takes two to three months before you’re at risk of off flavors due to yeast decaying which is why the second racking happens at 1-2 months.

I do like your funnel method John. The last time I bottled I did something similar to fill the bottles and it was nice and quick.

]]> By: John Gallivan http://winemakersacademy.com/racking-wine-clarity/#comment-446 Fri, 12 Jun 2015 00:27:00 +0000 http://winemakersacademy.org/?p=2596#comment-446 Matt, I have heard different opinions as to when to do the first racking. One opinion is that when moving the must from the primary fernenter, the process is not racking it is pouring it while preventing the gross lees from transferring to the carboy by straining it through a coarse strainer using a hose attached to the funnel so the carboy it fills from the bottom . This method preserves the yeast so it can continue the secondary ferment. I have also heard that you rack as you do at later racking and leave fine lees behind as much as possible. Which approach do you subscribe to?

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