Glen,
That brings up an interesting point. I decided a few years ago to be
very careful when racking. I add my sulfite into the fresh carboy
first, then I use two racking canes, one in the fresh carboy and one
in the one I'm racking from. That gets the wine into the fresh carboy
very gently, there is no turbulence or splashing.

The reason I bring it up is I have a lot more trouble with disolved CO2
now than I ever had before. (There is another thread going about
dissolved CO2 issues.)

I don't think this racking process has helped me at all since I did not
have oxidized wines before. I started it because I thought my whites
were too golden in color for young wines, I don't think they are any
lighter either.

Next year I will probably ferment my whites in carboys, I always say
I'm going to do that and never get around to it. My color problem, if
it is one, may be related to the way I ferment in open (covered) pails.
These are good wines, I'm not saying they are defective. If anything,
they are too thin. I think that is from overcropping though and I have
no control over that. I just blend in some northern varieties, it
usally fixes me up.

I'm probably not going to abandon this process but I may alter it.
Once I know the wine is dry by RS testing, I may do a syringe test for
dissolved CO2. (It bubbles like crazy when you pull the vacuum; it's
hokey but reproducable and free...) If I have dissolved CO2, I'll not
use the second cane; just route the hose so the wine splays off the
side of the carboy as it enters. It's not as violent as splashing, but
it does cause a little turbulence.

Joe


A reasonable number of rackings will not over-oxidize wine if the
racking is
done correctly (ie not pouring or splashing) and appropriate sulfite
levels
are maintained.

Joe,

I have the SAME problem. To much C02 YEARS after the primary is done.
WInemakers that use barrels don't seem to have the problem because
barrels "leak" air. It would be interesting to know what headspace in a
carboy is equivalent to barrel aging because there is no way the
standard 1/2" will let the wine age and breath like a barrel.

Bob


Joe Sallustio wrote:
Glen,
That brings up an interesting point. I decided a few years ago to be
very careful when racking. I add my sulfite into the fresh carboy
first, then I use two racking canes, one in the fresh carboy and one
in the one I'm racking from. That gets the wine into the fresh
carboy
very gently, there is no turbulence or splashing.

The reason I bring it up is I have a lot more trouble with disolved
CO2
now than I ever had before. (There is another thread going about
dissolved CO2 issues.)

I don't think this racking process has helped me at all since I did
not
have oxidized wines before. I started it because I thought my whites
were too golden in color for young wines, I don't think they are any
lighter either.

Next year I will probably ferment my whites in carboys, I always say
I'm going to do that and never get around to it. My color problem,
if
it is one, may be related to the way I ferment in open (covered)
pails.
These are good wines, I'm not saying they are defective. If
anything,
they are too thin. I think that is from overcropping though and I
have
no control over that. I just blend in some northern varieties, it
usally fixes me up.

I'm probably not going to abandon this process but I may alter it.
Once I know the wine is dry by RS testing, I may do a syringe test
for
dissolved CO2. (It bubbles like crazy when you pull the vacuum; it's
hokey but reproducable and free...) If I have dissolved CO2, I'll
not
use the second cane; just route the hose so the wine splays off the
side of the carboy as it enters. It's not as violent as splashing,
but
it does cause a little turbulence.

Joe


A reasonable number of rackings will not over-oxidize wine if the
racking is
done correctly (ie not pouring or splashing) and appropriate
sulfite
levels
are maintained.