I just started my 2nd 6 monthly experimental recipe for 'dried elderberry & frozen black forest fruits' a 10 gallon affair using two primaries. Slightly annoyingly one of the straining bags full of fruit split after defrosting and before water additions. I managed to shift the berries into another large straining bag and tied it off. As fermentation began, I saw that the string had slipped on my other straining bag and some (now hydrated) elderberries had managed to escape to freedom inside one primary fermenter.
I am not massively concerned and have retied the bag, but I wondered if there are some clever ways to rack to secondary fermenter without syphoning the free fruit as well as the must?
The best idea I have so far is tieing some muslin over the end of the racking cane. With some heavy primary sediments though, this can result in frequent clearing of the cloth and subsequent extra clouding of the must.
Any clues?
Jim