Hi All

First batch. Started with home pressed apple juice.

Moved it from primary fermentation to a glass jug when SG was about 1.02.
Then moved it to another glass jug with it hit about 0.99.
Is clearing nicely.
Book we are following says to wait about 2 months, then rack again to
continue clearing.

Any benefit/detriment to doing it sooner?

It seemed to have a bit of yeasty smell when we moved it, and am
getting a nice coating of dead beasties on the bottom. So in my
inexperienced line of thinking; it would seem to me to rack sooner than
2 months to get it away from the yeasties.

What say you experienced folk?
Thanks
Mark

pheasant wrote:
> Hi All
>
> First batch. Started with home pressed apple juice.
>
> Moved it from primary fermentation to a glass jug when SG was about 1.02.
> Then moved it to another glass jug with it hit about 0.99.
> Is clearing nicely.
> Book we are following says to wait about 2 months, then rack again to
> continue clearing.
>
> Any benefit/detriment to doing it sooner?
>
> It seemed to have a bit of yeasty smell when we moved it, and am
> getting a nice coating of dead beasties on the bottom. So in my
> inexperienced line of thinking; it would seem to me to rack sooner than
> 2 months to get it away from the yeasties.
>
> What say you experienced folk?
> Thanks
> Mark

It's fine. I rack mine after one month then leave it up to 3 months
between rackings. Any more than 3 months and you risk the yeast rotting
and imparting flavours. You'll be racking a lot if you do it every time
you see a bit of sediment. But I've heard people say "if in doubt
rack". There's little harm in it.

"alien" > wrote in message
...
> pheasant wrote:
>> Hi All
>>
>> First batch. Started with home pressed apple juice.
>>
>> Moved it from primary fermentation to a glass jug when SG was about 1.02.
>> Then moved it to another glass jug with it hit about 0.99.
>> Is clearing nicely.
>> Book we are following says to wait about 2 months, then rack again to
>> continue clearing.
>>
>> Any benefit/detriment to doing it sooner?
>>
>> It seemed to have a bit of yeasty smell when we moved it, and am getting
>> a nice coating of dead beasties on the bottom. So in my inexperienced
>> line of thinking; it would seem to me to rack sooner than 2 months to get
>> it away from the yeasties.
>>
>> What say you experienced folk?
>> Thanks
>> Mark
>
> It's fine. I rack mine after one month then leave it up to 3 months
> between rackings. Any more than 3 months and you risk the yeast rotting
> and imparting flavours.

It's not "rotting"; it's going through autolysis. Autolysis products in
wine impart a roundness and improved palate feel - albeit perhaps at the
expense of some of the fruit. Not a bad trade, really.

You'll be racking a lot if you do it every time
> you see a bit of sediment. But I've heard people say "if in doubt rack".
> There's little harm in it.

As others have posted, there is risk in the extra exposure to air -
particularly in white wines. It doesn't pay to be too busy with the wine
once it has finished fermantation and become stable. Give it some time.

Tom S