I just started my 2nd 6 monthly experimental recipe for 'dried
elderberry & frozen black forest fruits' a 10 gallon affair using two
primaries. Slightly annoyingly one of the straining bags full of
fruit split after defrosting and before water additions. I managed to
shift the berries into another large straining bag and tied it off.
As fermentation began, I saw that the string had slipped on my other
straining bag and some (now hydrated) elderberries had managed to
escape to freedom inside one primary fermenter.

I am not massively concerned and have retied the bag, but I wondered
if there are some clever ways to rack to secondary fermenter without
syphoning the free fruit as well as the must?

The best idea I have so far is tieing some muslin over the end of the
racking cane. With some heavy primary sediments though, this can
result in frequent clearing of the cloth and subsequent extra clouding
of the must.

Any clues?

Jim

On Jun 8, 5:00*pm, jim c > wrote:
> I just started my 2nd 6 monthly experimental recipe for 'dried
> elderberry & frozen black forest fruits' a 10 gallon affair using two
> primaries. *Slightly annoyingly one of the straining bags full of
> fruit split after defrosting and before water additions. *I managed to
> shift the berries into another large straining bag and tied it off.
> As fermentation began, I saw that the string had slipped on my other
> straining bag and some (now hydrated) elderberries had managed to
> escape to freedom inside one primary fermenter.
>
> I am not massively concerned and have retied the bag, but I wondered
> if there are some clever ways to rack to secondary fermenter without
> syphoning the free fruit as well as the must?
>
> The best idea I have so far is tieing some muslin over the end of the
> racking cane. *With some heavy primary sediments though, this can
> result in frequent clearing of the cloth and subsequent extra clouding
> of the must.
>
> Any clues?
>
> Jim

Some air exposuure at this stage is not an issue, so just use a funnel
in the carboy and put some muslin over it to catch the solids. Then
move the must from the primary using a saucepan, Pyrex measuring cup
or something similar. When you're done with the liquid, you can
squeeze the muslin "filter".

Pp

On Jun 9, 11:37*pm, pp > wrote:
> On Jun 8, 5:00*pm, jim c > wrote:
>
>
>
> > I just started my 2nd 6 monthly experimental recipe for 'dried
> > elderberry & frozen black forest fruits' a 10 gallon affair using two
> > primaries. *Slightly annoyingly one of the straining bags full of
> > fruit split after defrosting and before water additions. *I managed to
> > shift the berries into another large straining bag and tied it off.
> > As fermentation began, I saw that the string had slipped on my other
> > straining bag and some (now hydrated) elderberries had managed to
> > escape to freedom inside one primary fermenter.
>
> > I am not massively concerned and have retied the bag, but I wondered
> > if there are some clever ways to rack to secondary fermenter without
> > syphoning the free fruit as well as the must?
>
> > The best idea I have so far is tieing some muslin over the end of the
> > racking cane. *With some heavy primary sediments though, this can
> > result in frequent clearing of the cloth and subsequent extra clouding
> > of the must.
>
> > Any clues?
>
> > Jim
>
> Some air exposuure at this stage is not an issue, so just use a funnel
> in the carboy and put some muslin over it to catch the solids. Then
> move the must from the primary using a saucepan, Pyrex measuring cup
> or something similar. When you're done with the liquid, you can
> squeeze the muslin "filter".
>
> Pp

Thanks for the reply Pp. Do you mean I should do this when I move it
to secondary fermenter or do it now and move it to another primary?

Cheers, Jim

On Jun 10, 3:04*am, jim c > wrote:
> On Jun 9, 11:37*pm, pp > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jun 8, 5:00*pm, jim c > wrote:
>
> > > I just started my 2nd 6 monthly experimental recipe for 'dried
> > > elderberry & frozen black forest fruits' a 10 gallon affair using two
> > > primaries. *Slightly annoyingly one of the straining bags full of
> > > fruit split after defrosting and before water additions. *I managed to
> > > shift the berries into another large straining bag and tied it off.
> > > As fermentation began, I saw that the string had slipped on my other
> > > straining bag and some (now hydrated) elderberries had managed to
> > > escape to freedom inside one primary fermenter.
>
> > > I am not massively concerned and have retied the bag, but I wondered
> > > if there are some clever ways to rack to secondary fermenter without
> > > syphoning the free fruit as well as the must?
>
> > > The best idea I have so far is tieing some muslin over the end of the
> > > racking cane. *With some heavy primary sediments though, this can
> > > result in frequent clearing of the cloth and subsequent extra clouding
> > > of the must.
>
> > > Any clues?
>
> > > Jim
>
> > Some air exposuure at this stage is not an issue, so just use a funnel
> > in the carboy and put some muslin over it to catch the solids. Then
> > move the must from the primary using a saucepan, Pyrex measuring cup
> > or something similar. When you're done with the liquid, you can
> > squeeze the muslin "filter".
>
> > Pp
>
> Thanks for the reply Pp. *Do you mean I should do this when I move it
> to secondary fermenter or do it now and move it to another primary?
>
> Cheers, Jim- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Up to you, Jim, depends on how much pulp contact you want. If you
follow a recipe, just go with it. I wouldn't let it go completely dry
before doing this so that the CO2 generated by the ferment compensates
for the increased air exposure.

Pp

On Jun 10, 5:43*pm, pp > wrote:
> On Jun 10, 3:04*am, jim c > wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Jun 9, 11:37*pm, pp > wrote:
>
> > > On Jun 8, 5:00*pm, jim c > wrote:
>
> > > > I just started my 2nd 6 monthly experimental recipe for 'dried
> > > > elderberry & frozen black forest fruits' a 10 gallon affair using two
> > > > primaries. *Slightly annoyingly one of the straining bags full of
> > > > fruit split after defrosting and before water additions. *I managed to
> > > > shift the berries into another large straining bag and tied it off.
> > > > As fermentation began, I saw that the string had slipped on my other
> > > > straining bag and some (now hydrated) elderberries had managed to
> > > > escape to freedom inside one primary fermenter.
>
> > > > I am not massively concerned and have retied the bag, but I wondered
> > > > if there are some clever ways to rack to secondary fermenter without
> > > > syphoning the free fruit as well as the must?
>
> > > > The best idea I have so far is tieing some muslin over the end of the
> > > > racking cane. *With some heavy primary sediments though, this can
> > > > result in frequent clearing of the cloth and subsequent extra clouding
> > > > of the must.
>
> > > > Any clues?
>
> > > > Jim
>
> > > Some air exposuure at this stage is not an issue, so just use a funnel
> > > in the carboy and put some muslin over it to catch the solids. Then
> > > move the must from the primary using a saucepan, Pyrex measuring cup
> > > or something similar. When you're done with the liquid, you can
> > > squeeze the muslin "filter".
>
> > > Pp
>
> > Thanks for the reply Pp. *Do you mean I should do this when I move it
> > to secondary fermenter or do it now and move it to another primary?
>
> > Cheers, Jim- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Up to you, Jim, depends on how much pulp contact you want. If you
> follow a recipe, just go with it. I wouldn't let it go completely dry
> before doing this so that the CO2 generated by the ferment compensates
> for the increased air exposure.
>
> Pp

Thanks Pp, thats what I thought. It is my own recipe. I think what I
will do is transfer to the secondary just a touch before I was
planning to. The free fruit is almost all floating. I plan to rack
with a muslin filter on the end of the cane until I get to the last
portion which I will bail through a muslin lined funnel. I reckon I
might get the best of both worlds that way. Then it's time to buy 2
new straining bags!

Jim