I am following Keller's recipe for a light-bodied sweet blackberry wine (4 gallons). I pitched the starter (Lalvin rc212) on Sat., took hydro reading Sun. (1.130). This morning it was 1.050. Sound about right so far? I will pour (carefully)into a carboy tomorrow or Sat.
Blackberry wine gravity question
- Thread starter Pete08
- Start date
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Sure, it might be going at that speed. I wouldn't pour- I'd rack, though. I'd also wait until the SG was 1.020 or so before moving to secondary.
Pete08
Well-Known Member
Thanks for responding. I only said pour as that was what was stated on the wine-making page. Although he said to pour in order to get the sediments, he stated pour carefully to avoid excess oxygen. So if I rack, then add the sediments afterwards, does that sound better? And... you would leave it in the bucket until it hits 1.020?
No- you want to avoid the sediment. You want to leave the sediment behind. I don't think his recipe would instruct you to add the sediment back into the carboy- that would defeat the purpose behind moving to secondary.
Yes, leave it until it slows a bit more, then transfer to secondary.
Pete08
Well-Known Member
I should have used better terminology. I should have said lees, as in making sure that some finer lees make it into the secondary. Oxygen shouldn't be a problem yet, should it?
No, that's why you transfer it before it's finished- to prevent the possiblity of oxidation.
You don't want to transfer the lees. That is where there is dead yeast and other crud that makes wine taste bad. Transfer by either very carefully racking, or by gently pouring if you don't have a racking cane, and leave all of the gross lees behind. There are plenty of yeast still in suspension to finish fermentation. You don't want any lees in there. More will build up as fermentation progresses, and you'll want to rack every 30-45 days as long as you have 1/4" or so of lees.
Your OG was terribly high- I just noticed that. So, you may not finish much below 1.010 or so, so you can transfer at 1.030-1.020.
