Oxidation during racking question

WaltHouston7 · 11-23-2011, 03:49 AM

I inherited a bunch of wine making stuff and have made 5 decent batches. There's so much info/recipes on the Internet I've kinda been winging it.
I was racking my Raspberry and Strawberry wine today and just poured it through cheese cloth into a secondary bucket. I definitely oxidized the hell outta it. Should I just throw out these batches and start from scratch? I'd rather lose my investment thus far then spend the next 10 months nursing something that won't be great.

I've poured in the past with decent results.

**Yooper** · 11-23-2011, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WaltHouston7

I inherited a bunch of wine making stuff and have made 5 decent batches. There's so much info/recipes on the Internet I've kinda been winging it.
I was racking my Raspberry and Strawberry wine today and just poured it through cheese cloth into a secondary bucket. I definitely oxidized the hell outta it. Should I just throw out these batches and start from scratch? I'd rather lose my investment thus far then spend the next 10 months nursing something that won't be great.

I've poured in the past with decent results.

It might be ok, if you had lots of co2 still in the wine and especially if you had some sulfites in there. You may get a "sherry" type flavor if the wine is oxidized. If you do, drink it fast before it gets worse. From now on, do all that you can to protect your wines from oxidation. Rack (siphon) your wine, never pour, once the SG is below about 1.010-1.020 to protect it from oxidation. Make sure you top up with more must or water (or a similar wine) in the carboy after racking to reduce any headspace. You can use campden tablets (potassium metabisulfite) at every other racking to help protect the wine- as sulfites work as antioxidants as well as preservatives.

WaltHouston7 · 11-23-2011, 02:12 PM

Thanks! This was my first "racking"

WaltHouston7 · 11-23-2011, 02:22 PM

Whoops accidentally hit send
Anyway my local brew shop doesn't carry straining bags to remove fruit from my bucket so originally I felt like this was the only way. The wine fizzed a decent amount when poured so I assume this was the co2. It is only 6 days old. Not sure if that changes anything. I use racking tubes the whole rest of the way and typically fill the carboy up to the top.
*This is my first post on here and it sure is nice to think I got help when I need it. (on my phone app, at that!) More than anything I love to share my wine and I just want that reaction of "Damn that's great!"

WaltHouston7 · 11-23-2011, 02:27 PM

I used Campden tablets 6 days prior to the pouring

**Yooper** · 11-23-2011, 02:27 PM

Since it was full of c02, my bet is that it's just fine!

You can buy paint strainer bags for about $5 for two of them, that fit the ale pail buckets. I found that they don't last quite as long as the mesh bags at the brewstore, but it's ok. I just sanitize them when I mix up the must, and line the bucket with them. They have a stretchy top. Then, I tie them up once the must is made up. It makes it LOTS easier to pull out the fruit pulp, squeeze it or strain it, and then rack the wine over to the carboy. The straining bags are reusable, just rinse them well and put them in the laundry.