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

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

My neighbor racks after pressing: 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months.
Maybe or maybe not once more before bottling.

3 days for the thick yuck. 3 weeks for the settled yeast and MLF
culture, and 3 months for clearing, tartrate crystals, fine deposits,
etc. Seems to work...

Steve
Oregon


On Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:27:36 -0800 (PST), Joe Sallustio
> wrote:

>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