On Dec 23, 3:36*pm, "Paul E. Lehmann" wrote:
Lee wrote:
This question concerns how often to rack. *I'm
referring to making grape wine from fresh red
grapes, in carboys.

My routine is to do the primary fermentation in
an open tub. *I'll often innoculate with ML just
prior to the completion of the primary. Once the
primary is completed, I'll press, let the wine
settle, and
then rack after a day or so. *But once the ML is
completed, which usually takes about a month,
I'll be left with a filled carboy with
about 1/2 to 1 inch of debri on the bottom. *Do
you all rack at that
point? *Or do you let the wine age on its lees?
I usually cold stabilize in my garage over the
winter (in Maryland, we can count on 3
weeks or so of consistently cold weather). *Then
I usually rack at the end of winter.

Does this sound about right? *I'm wondering what
the effect of letting the wine sit on 1 inch of
dead yeast cells for 3-4 months does.

Also, I'm not sure if the debri in the bottom of
the carboy can
accurately be called "lees". *It's really not
old grape skins or stems...it's just dead yeast.

Any thoughts?

Lee

Lee, your procedure is the same as mine. *I also
live in Maryland (Brunswick), how about you?

Paul- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I do pretty much what you do; in my experience these heavier lees have
to go. You can get some nasty H2S in them and it can come on in a
week. Tom S always stirred his lees regularly but he wanted that
buttery taste you get from yeast cells breaking down. I would say if
you want to try it on one carboy go for it but stir or at least smell
weekly.

Joe