Racking is an essential part to making any sound wine.
It is a
process that, on average, should be performed 2 to 4
times
throughout the winemaking process. Doing so in a timely
manner
will aid in the clarification of the wine and help to
inhibit the
production of unwanted off-flavors.
- What Is Racking?
Many home winemakers that are new to the hobby are
sometimes
thrown off by the term, at times, confusing it with
meaning to
bottle the wine, or worse yet, interpreting it to mean
that
they need to seal up the fermentation vessel air-tight
in some
fashion. Both misinterpretations can lead to disastrous
results.
There are some variations on the definition of "racking"
that can
be found from one winemaking book to the next. But put
very
simply, racking means to siphon the wine must from one
container
to the next, so as to leave any sediment behind. In fact
that is
the sole purpose of racking, "to leave the sediment
behind."
- When To Rack
The First Racking:
The first racking should normally be done around 5 to 7
days into
the fermentation. This is an optimum time to rack a must
for
several reasons.
The first being, this is the time you will need to put
the
fermentation under the protection of an air-lock. And,
this
usually means moving the must to another container,
anyway. The
reason an air-lock is needed at this point is because
this is
when the fermentation will dramatically slow down. When
the yeast
becomes less active, the must is no longer able to
sufficiently
protect itself from the continuous, long-term threats
posed by
outside contaminants. The must needs the protection of
an air-
lock.
Secondly, it is at this slowing period that you will
usually find
that around 70 to 80 percent of the sediment will have
already
occurred. It will take much longer for the last 30
percent to
show up. So, racking the wine on the 5th to 7th day is a
good
idea from a timing standpoint--an optimum time to get
the bulk of
the sediment out of the way.
The third reason for racking a must at 5 to 7 days is to
remove
any pulp that may be present. If you are dealing with
fresh
fruits as opposed to packaged juices, you will want to
get the
pulp out of the must at this time. Leaving the pulp in
the must
for a longer period of time could result in a wine that
is too
harsh tasting; and any shorter period of time could
result in a
wine that has less body and character than you may
prefer.
The Second Racking:
The second racking should be done when the fermentation
activity
is complete. This could be just a few days after the
first
racking, or it could be up to 4 or 5 weeks after the
first
racking. It simply depends on how fast your fermentation
has come
along.
Once the racking has been done, you will want to put the
air-lock
right back on. The must will now need more time to
become
completely clear.
The Third Racking:
The third and--quite often--the last racking should be
done after
the wine has completely cleared up. Again, this is an
opportune
time to get the sediment away from the wine. It only
makes sense
to rack the wine away from the sediment as soon as all
of it has
occurred.
Other Rackings:
Other rackings may need to be performed in certain
situations,
such as when bulk aging a heavy red wine, for example.
Every 3 to
4 months it would be wise to rack the wine off any
sediment that
may have occurred over the coarse of long-term bulk
storage.
Sediment can occur throughout this storage time due to
instabilities that may exist in the wine.
Another time that an additional racking would be
required is if
you decide to use finings or clarifiers in your wine
such as Bentonite or
Kitosol 40. This would require you to do a
racking
once before treating the wine and once again after the
effects of
the fining or clarifying process are complete.
Too Many Rackings:
It is possible to rack a wine too many times. The
additional
disruptions to a resting wine can work as a negative by
way of
over oxidation and/or the general deterioration of the
wine's
flavor. So, please do not get the idea that more is
better when
it comes to racking your wine.
- Why Is Racking Necessary?
Why are we concerned about getting the sediment away
from the
must in such an timely manner?
With the exception of some solids that may have settled
from the
fruit, most of the sediment is the result of dead or
inactive
yeast cells falling out of the must. The yeast that is
initially
introduced into a must at the beginning of a
fermentation, will
multiply itself to anywhere from 100 to 200 times the
original
amount that was put in. Generation after generation of
dead yeast
cells is the bulk of what you see lying at the bottom of
the
fermenter.
Towards the end of fermentation there is a fairly
sizeable group
of healthy, active yeast cells floating throughout the
must that
are running out of food (sugar). Once all of the sugars
have been
consumed, this active, now-starving group of yeast will
start a
process that can only be described as cannibalization.
The active yeast will instinctively start producing an
enzyme
that will break-down the dead yeast cells that lay on
the bottom.
This is done so that dead yeast's nutrients can be
released and
utilized by the still-active yeast. This break-down
process is
known as "autolysis" and its effects can eventually ruin
a wine.
If given enough time--weeks, not days--this process can
produce
off-flavors in a wine that range from bitter, to rubber,
to even
metallic.
Another reason for racking a wine is to aid in the
clarification
process. If no rackings where ever performed, what you
would
eventually have is a container of wine that was clear on
top, but
with a thick, hazy layer at the bottom. In a typical
five gallon
batch, this hazy layer could be anywhere from 1 to 5
inches
thick. This would be in addition to the heavy layer of
sediment
that would lay solid on the bottom.
- How To Rack A Must
The process of racking your must is fairly straight
forward. You
simply start a siphon. The real trick is to do the
siphoning
without stirring up the sediment. You need to siphon the
must
"quietly," as I like to say.
You can rack your wine with nothing more than a length
of
food-
grade hose, but this can get a little tricky, especially
when you
get down to the end of the siphon. A hose will have a
tendency to
move around and draw from places you don't want it
to--like in
the sediment. Or worse yet, the hose may curl up out of
the
liquid causing you to loose your siphon all together.
This is why many people prefer using a "Racking Tube" on
the end
of their hose. A Racking Tube is simply a rigid piece of
clear
tubing around two feet long. It acts as a wand allowing
you to
point where you are drawing from within the container.
The end of
the Racking Tube has a diversion cap that helps you to
draw away
from the sediment, instead of in the sediment.
Starting the siphon can be done can be done by sucking
on the end
of the hose--the old fashion way. However, we do not
recommend
this for obvious reasons. But, another alternative to
this would
be to use
The Automatic Siphon.
The Auto Siphon is pretty slick to use. It is a Racking
Tube and
priming pump all in one. You simply put it into the
must. Slowly
pump the Auto Siphon up and down one time, like a
bicycle pump,
and your siphon is started.
We also offer Siphoning Kits that will work with either
1 gallon
jugs and 5 gallon glass carboys. These kits come with
all the
hoses and tubing you will need to complete a siphon.
With the
siphon kits you can easily start the siphon by puffing
into a
small tube to create pressure within the jug. This
pressure will
start the siphon for you.
- How To Rack Efficiently
When doing the first 2 or 3 racking, don't worry about
leaving
all of the sediment behind. Get as much of the liquid as
you can,
even if it some of the sediment comes with it. It is
when you do
your final racking that you will want to leave all of
the
sediment behind at the expense of some wine. By racking
your wine
in this way you will experience less loss of wine with
no
consequence to quality.
- Using Sulfites When Racking
After racking a must that has completed its
fermentation, it is
recommended that a 1/2 dose of either
Campden Tablets or
Sodium
Bisulfite be added to the wine. The sulfite gases that
are
released from these products will drive out any air that
may have
been introduced to the wine during racking. This will
help to
reduce the effects of oxidation on the wine.
During a fermentation this is not an issue. The CO2 gas
that is
produced by even a slow fermentation will quickly drive
out any
oxygen that may have gotten into the wine.
NOTE: Do not add sulfites to an active fermentation.
This will
cause the fermentation to slow down and become sluggish.
It may
possibly even stop the fermentation all together.
Racking is an essential part to making any sound wine.
It is a
process that, on average, should be performed 2 to 4
times
throughout the winemaking process. Doing so in a timely
manner
will aid in the clarification of the wine and help to
inhibit the
production of unwanted off-flavors.
- What Is Racking?
Many home winemakers that are new to the hobby are
sometimes
thrown off by the term, at times, confusing it with
meaning to
bottle the wine, or worse yet, interpreting it to mean
that
they need to seal up the fermentation vessel air-tight
in some
fashion. Both misinterpretations can lead to disastrous
results.
There are some variations on the definition of "racking"
that can
be found from one winemaking book to the next. But put
very
simply, racking means to siphon the wine must from one
container
to the next, so as to leave any sediment behind. In fact
that is
the sole purpose of racking, "to leave the sediment
behind."
- When To Rack
The First Racking:
The first racking should normally be done around 5 to 7
days into
the fermentation. This is an optimum time to rack a must
for
several reasons.
The first being, this is the time you will need to put
the
fermentation under the protection of an air-lock. And,
this
usually means moving the must to another container,
anyway. The
reason an air-lock is needed at this point is because
this is
when the fermentation will dramatically slow down. When
the yeast
becomes less active, the must is no longer able to
sufficiently
protect itself from the continuous, long-term threats
posed by
outside contaminants. The must needs the protection of
an air-
lock.
Secondly, it is at this slowing period that you will
usually find
that around 70 to 80 percent of the sediment will have
already
occurred. It will take much longer for the last 30
percent to
show up. So, racking the wine on the 5th to 7th day is a
good
idea from a timing standpoint--an optimum time to get
the bulk of
the sediment out of the way.
The third reason for racking a must at 5 to 7 days is to
remove
any pulp that may be present. If you are dealing with
fresh
fruits as opposed to packaged juices, you will want to
get the
pulp out of the must at this time. Leaving the pulp in
the must
for a longer period of time could result in a wine that
is too
harsh tasting; and any shorter period of time could
result in a
wine that has less body and character than you may
prefer.
The Second Racking:
The second racking should be done when the fermentation
activity
is complete. This could be just a few days after the
first
racking, or it could be up to 4 or 5 weeks after the
first
racking. It simply depends on how fast your fermentation
has come
along.
Once the racking has been done, you will want to put the
air-lock
right back on. The must will now need more time to
become
completely clear.
The Third Racking:
The third and--quite often--the last racking should be
done after
the wine has completely cleared up. Again, this is an
opportune
time to get the sediment away from the wine. It only
makes sense
to rack the wine away from the sediment as soon as all
of it has
occurred.
Other Rackings:
Other rackings may need to be performed in certain
situations,
such as when bulk aging a heavy red wine, for example.
Every 3 to
4 months it would be wise to rack the wine off any
sediment that
may have occurred over the coarse of long-term bulk
storage.
Sediment can occur throughout this storage time due to
instabilities that may exist in the wine.
Another time that an additional racking would be
required is if
you decide to use finings or clarifiers in your wine
such as Bentonite or
Kitosol 40. This would require you to do a
racking
once before treating the wine and once again after the
effects of
the fining or clarifying process are complete.
Too Many Rackings:
It is possible to rack a wine too many times. The
additional
disruptions to a resting wine can work as a negative by
way of
over oxidation and/or the general deterioration of the
wine's
flavor. So, please do not get the idea that more is
better when
it comes to racking your wine.
- Why Is Racking Necessary?
Why are we concerned about getting the sediment away
from the
must in such an timely manner?
With the exception of some solids that may have settled
from the
fruit, most of the sediment is the result of dead or
inactive
yeast cells falling out of the must. The yeast that is
initially
introduced into a must at the beginning of a
fermentation, will
multiply itself to anywhere from 100 to 200 times the
original
amount that was put in. Generation after generation of
dead yeast
cells is the bulk of what you see lying at the bottom of
the
fermenter.
Towards the end of fermentation there is a fairly
sizeable group
of healthy, active yeast cells floating throughout the
must that
are running out of food (sugar). Once all of the sugars
have been
consumed, this active, now-starving group of yeast will
start a
process that can only be described as cannibalization.
The active yeast will instinctively start producing an
enzyme
that will break-down the dead yeast cells that lay on
the bottom.
This is done so that dead yeast's nutrients can be
released and
utilized by the still-active yeast. This break-down
process is
known as "autolysis" and its effects can eventually ruin
a wine.
If given enough time--weeks, not days--this process can
produce
off-flavors in a wine that range from bitter, to rubber,
to even
metallic.
Another reason for racking a wine is to aid in the
clarification
process. If no rackings where ever performed, what you
would
eventually have is a container of wine that was clear on
top, but
with a thick, hazy layer at the bottom. In a typical
five gallon
batch, this hazy layer could be anywhere from 1 to 5
inches
thick. This would be in addition to the heavy layer of
sediment
that would lay solid on the bottom.
- How To Rack A Must
The process of racking your must is fairly straight
forward. You
simply start a siphon. The real trick is to do the
siphoning
without stirring up the sediment. You need to siphon the
must
"quietly," as I like to say.
You can rack your wine with nothing more than a length
of
food-
grade hose, but this can get a little tricky, especially
when you
get down to the end of the siphon. A hose will have a
tendency to
move around and draw from places you don't want it
to--like in
the sediment. Or worse yet, the hose may curl up out of
the
liquid causing you to loose your siphon all together.
This is why many people prefer using a "Racking Tube" on
the end
of their hose. A Racking Tube is simply a rigid piece of
clear
tubing around two feet long. It acts as a wand allowing
you to
point where you are drawing from within the container.
The end of
the Racking Tube has a diversion cap that helps you to
draw away
from the sediment, instead of in the sediment.
Starting the siphon can be done can be done by sucking
on the end
of the hose--the old fashion way. However, we do not
recommend
this for obvious reasons. But, another alternative to
this would
be to use
The Automatic Siphon.
The Auto Siphon is pretty slick to use. It is a Racking
Tube and
priming pump all in one. You simply put it into the
must. Slowly
pump the Auto Siphon up and down one time, like a
bicycle pump,
and your siphon is started.
We also offer Siphoning Kits that will work with either
1 gallon
jugs and 5 gallon glass carboys. These kits come with
all the
hoses and tubing you will need to complete a siphon.
With the
siphon kits you can easily start the siphon by puffing
into a
small tube to create pressure within the jug. This
pressure will
start the siphon for you.
- How To Rack Efficiently
When doing the first 2 or 3 racking, don't worry about
leaving
all of the sediment behind. Get as much of the liquid as
you can,
even if it some of the sediment comes with it. It is
when you do
your final racking that you will want to leave all of
the
sediment behind at the expense of some wine. By racking
your wine
in this way you will experience less loss of wine with
no
consequence to quality.
- Using Sulfites When Racking
After racking a must that has completed its
fermentation, it is
recommended that a 1/2 dose of either
Campden Tablets or
Sodium
Bisulfite be added to the wine. The sulfite gases that
are
released from these products will drive out any air that
may have
been introduced to the wine during racking. This will
help to
reduce the effects of oxidation on the wine.
During a fermentation this is not an issue. The CO2 gas
that is
produced by even a slow fermentation will quickly drive
out any
oxygen that may have gotten into the wine.
NOTE: Do not add sulfites to an active fermentation.
This will
cause the fermentation to slow down and become sluggish.
It may
possibly even stop the fermentation all together.
