A question about lees

This question concerns how often to rack. I'm referring to making grape wine from fresh red grapes, in carboys.

My routine is to do the primary fermentation in an open tub. I'll often innoculate with ML just prior to the completion of the primary. Once the primary is completed, I'll press, let the wine settle, and then rack after a day or so. But once the ML is completed, which usually takes about a month, I'll be left with a filled carboy with about 1/2 to 1 inch of debri on the bottom. Do you all rack at that point? Or do you let the wine age on its lees? I usually cold stabilize in my garage over the winter (in Maryland, we can count on 3 weeks or so of consistently cold weather). Then I usually rack at the end of winter.

Does this sound about right? I'm wondering what the effect of letting the wine sit on 1 inch of dead yeast cells for 3-4 months does.

Also, I'm not sure if the debri in the bottom of the carboy can accurately be called "lees". It's really not old grape skins or stems...it's just dead yeast.

Any thoughts?

Lee

Reply to
Lee
Loading thread data ...

This post may get a few opposing points of view in reply.

I used to rack more frequently than I do now. Like you, I ferment in open tops; press off and let primary finish (more or less), and the gross lees settle, for a few days then innoculate with ML bacteria and rack off the gross lees. I used to then rack every 3 months or so but these last 2 years have backed off of those subsequent rackings and don't likely rack until blending or to change oak. In other words, I do let the wine sit on some of the fine lees for an extended period. I am becoming convinced, right or wrong, that there is an appreciable improvement in mouthfeel of the wine.

Reply to
AxisOfBeagles

Lee, your procedure is the same as mine. I also live in Maryland (Brunswick), how about you?

Paul

Reply to
Paul E. Lehmann

Lee wrote

Only three weeks? I also live in Maryland - just west of Ballmer The City that Slurs - and I get 10 to 12 weeks of consistently cold weather.

I make Mead, not wine. My experience with letting the must sit on the dead yeast cells is called "autolysis". Call it "auto lee sis" or "auto ly sis". It is still a foul odor and a foul taste.

It's still garbage by any other name.

I rack when primary fermentation is complete. My Meads do not need an ML fermentation. I rack again two months later.

Dick

Reply to
Dick Adams

Mead is a lot different than wine, as I am finding out by making my first meads. I value your input on meads and I have no reason to doubt that you are correct about the racking issue with meads - I defer to your experience.

However, with wines, I think it is a different story. The French have an expression "The Lees Feed the Wine". It is a good idea to periodically stir and smell but the wine will benefit from clean lees contact.

Reply to
Paul E. Lehmann

Lee,

I made a "sur lie" batch of Concord wine several years ago, leaving the lees in the carboy and stirring it up every few days for a while and less frequently after the first month. I let it age in the cellar over the winter and bottled in the spring. I didn't notice any major difference from the regularly racked wines. Maybe Concord doesn't react the same way to lees as "real" grapes.

Maryland seems to be a popular spot for wine makers; I'm up in Harford County.

Paul

Reply to
Pavel314

I'm having problems, please help me !!!!

Reply to
Jim

What are your problems?

========

Reply to
Dick Adams

DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.