Do some winemakers really ferment 'dry' before moving to an airlock?

[CaptainProg]

I'm confused by what some winemakers mean when they say that wines are fermented 'dry' during primary fermentation (by 'primary' I mean open to air). How can they be fermented 'dry' in primary if the wines are moved to airlock vessels when the SG is still 1.020-1.030?

Is it the case that some winemakers really do ferment dry in primary (< 0.998) and just transfer to an airlock vessel for MLF/aging? This was recently discussed on this YouTube channel, which is where I first heard the claim that winemakers ferment 'dry' in primary, but I'm struggling to understand whether this means he really would wait until the SG is < 0.998 before racking to a carboy.

 

[lumpher]

"Ferment dry" means fermenting in primary till it's below 1.000. Some winemakers do open-air ferment, because it allows for a more vigorous, quicker, and complete fermentation. They move it to an airlock while there is still a light layer of co2 left. e.g. moving it when it's at 0.998 and fg will be 0.996.

 

[CaptainProg]

Thanks @lumpher. So I guess the trick with this is that you need to be there at the right moment to move it to an airlock in order that it doesn't begin oxidising? I'm thinking of investing in a Float device though so this should be fairly easy to stay on top of.

If this means the whole winemaking process completes more quickly then this seems great to me.

 

[Homebrew Harry]

I don't use an airlock at all when using 1 gallon jugs. I just crack the lid a little to let CO2 escape.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I just use an old towel as a lid so bugs and dust and such don't get in there. It gets moved to a corboy with airlock after a few weeks.

 

[JAReeves]

Folded handkerchief for glass jugs, rubber bands. Works great for kombucha, probably be great for other fermentation as well.

 

[Raptor99]

Practice varies quit a bit with different wine makers. I ferment in a bucket covered by a towel until the SG is below 1.010. Then I rack to a carboy with airlock to let he fermentation is almost finish there. That way there is a little more fermentation to create CO2 and push out O2. Since it might still foam up a bit, I keep back part of the wine in a wine bottle with an airlock and use that to top off after a few days.

Sometimes I am busy and it ferments completely dry before I get a chance to rack it.

 

[jerrylotto]

I saw a commercial brewer with a roomful of open buckets fermenting. The important thing other than sanitary (filtered) air is no air movement.. And you wouldn't want to enter that space without a breathing apparatus!

 

[TheBluePhantom]

I start in a bucket with a bandana held on by a thin bungie cord. (Bandanas are easy to sanitize) At about 1.030 to 1.020 I move to a 6.5 gallon glass carboy and leave it to finish and drop. At 3 to4 weeks, I move to a 5 gallon carboy for aging. That late move lets me leave most of the yeast behind. Since I start with about 5.25 gallons, it leaves the aging carboy with very little headroom. The 6.5 gallon step is to allow the yeast to finish guarded from oxygen yet with enough time. To be fair, many of my ferments are 64 degrees, so they are slow. I leave some of the meads for 6 weeks in primary. I consider both the bucket and 6.5 primary fermentation. The 5 gallons will routinely sit for several years aging.

 

[TheBluePhantom]

I saw a commercial brewer with a roomful of open buckets fermenting. The important thing other than sanitary (filtered) air is no air movement.. And you wouldn't want to enter that space without a breathing apparatus!

A good method, allows access and blocks oxygen. But is it really "open to air" when the surrounding atmosphere is 90% CO2? I think that answers the original question best. Is it open bucket? Yes. Is it open to air? Heck no!

 

[D the Catastrophist]

I ferment to dry (1.00) in the primary (5 gallon food grade bucket with muslin cloth rubber banded over the top. This makes it easy to punch down the mat from the fruit, and I never saw the reason for racking to secondary before that. I have the fruit in a brew bag so if I want I can pull that at any time.