Anyone just not rack?

[Safa]

About 9 days into the fermentation of my first wine (a red kit).

I was supposed to rack at 7 days according to instructions, but with all the talk about how autolysis is pretty much BS (at least in homebrewing, no need to go into the 'well actually....'), and with me being out of town, I just decided to leave the wine on the lees.

My plan is to wait the full two weeks, and then check my gravity Should be around 0.996.

Here's the question: My kit instructions say that it needs some sediment to be stirred up when adding the metabisulphate, the sorbate and the chitosan (the three packets that are meant to be added following the instructed secondary fermentation). What the hell for? The way I see it I have the following options:

Option 1 - add packets and stir hard. Bearing in mind this contains all the lees from primary.

Option 2 - rack to new carboy and add packets, and stir hard, bearing in mind this will be without the lees that the instructions say are important.

 

[WI_Wino]

Must be a WineXpert kit, they are the only ones I know of that include only chitosan and not Kieselsol (the second half of Super Kleer). I speak from experience that your wine will not clear in a timely fashion if you do not stir up the lees when adding the chitosan.

Are you fermenting in a pail or carboy? If in carboy, I would just add the stuff and stir up the lees, let it sit until it clears in 5 days or so then rack to a new carboy. If in a pail, I would rack to a carboy making sure you pick up a good amount of lees. Then add the stabilizers and chitosan.

Or you could buy super kleer for $3, rack to a carboy and then add it.

 

[lumpher]

i don't rack till 3 weeks. i don't swirl it around when racking, either. i add the chemicals when racking. had a sommelier from a local winery monitor my wine every step of the last gallon i made. he wants my recipe/steps.

 

[Safa]

Must be a WineXpert kit, they are the only ones I know of that include only chitosan and not Kieselsol (the second half of Super Kleer). I speak from experience that your wine will not clear in a timely fashion if you do not stir up the lees when adding the chitosan.

Are you fermenting in a pail or carboy? If in carboy, I would just add the stuff and stir up the lees, let it sit until it clears in 5 days or so then rack to a new carboy. If in a pail, I would rack to a carboy making sure you pick up a good amount of lees. Then add the stabilizers and chitosan.

Or you could buy super kleer for $3, rack to a carboy and then add it.

Thanks that sounds great. In a carboy right now. The swirl and add sounds like a good plan, way too lazy to go find superkleer. And yes, WineXpert kit!

Lumpher, Glad the sommelier likes your wine! Might be a chemical difference like WI_wino says.