FWIW, I like to rack before it gets too close to 1.00 or less.. Towards the
end of the ferment, less and less CO2 is getting produced, which makes the
wine more vulnerable. The CO2 wards off nasties and protects the wine.
Racking a bit early is usually the way to go. I determine when to rack by
the amount of CO2 coming off the wine, not by the SG, anyways. If your
primary has a bit of airspace on the top, you should definately avoid
letting it get down to 1.00 before racking it into a regular topped-up
carboy.

LG

>I started the Brew King International Series Australian Cabernet 6 days ago.
>The initial SG reading was 1.11. Last night I measured it for the first
>time and it was 1.04. It's still fermenting, though quite slowly as I am
>fermenting it at the lower end of the suggested range.
>
>Right after measuring I dropped the hydrometer and now its gone. It could
>easily take me a couple of weeks to get another. It's a busy season. The
>truly embarassing thing is that this is the second one I've lost in the last
>couple of months.
>
>I'd like to ferment it down to about 1.00 before racking.
>
>My guess based on what I've seen so far is that I should give it a couple of
>more days and go ahead and rack it. Does this seem about right to you?
>
>Dave
>