Alternative to racking?

Forget it. It'll plug up within a liter or two - if you're _lucky_. Less if you're not.

There simply is no good substitute for racking. It's the primary means for separating liquid from solids - even at commercial wineries.

If you're having trouble doing it yourself, get an "apprentice" to help you. You should be able to draft someone who will work _cheap_ -

- but you shouldn't ask them to work _dry_! :^D

Tom S

If this is the first time you are racking your wine, Tom's right; your filter will plug up very quickly. Besides, some light sediment may not get caught in the coffee filter. Racking is something you will get better at the more you do it. Tom has a good idea, get some help. Another option might be to siphon as much as you can yourself, until you feel you're disturbing the sediment, then stop the siphon. Most of the sediment is in the bottom of the carboy to begin with, the last inch or so is where is gets tricky. Then try to pour what liquid is left (hopefully not a lot) into another container and then try putting that through a coffee filter. Make sure though that this doesn't take a long time, you don't want your wine exposed to too much air. Darlene

Try clipping a clothes pin onto your racking wand and rest the clothes pin against the lip of the carboy. The wand will remain steady and you can move the wand downward by gently pressing on it so it slides through the clothes pin. HTH

AND - reward them for their help - AFTER your racking chores are complete :)

They make a special clip that will pob onto the racking wand and can be slipped up and down the wand. You can clip it so that it only reachs half way down the carboy. Start the racking and then you can slid it down to the bottom as the racking progresses. Another trick that can help even more is to tape the tube to the side of the table so that moving the discharge end will not effect the intake end.

Ray