Struggling with some of the terms used in wine making ?

[sbond10]

So my mother in law has moved into a new cottage and there's a huge elderflower bush in the garden and naturally suggested I try brewing abit of wine but I'm struggling with the terms the last wine I made I took it from an Fv in bottles nothing in between....

So the basic Racipe is here
http://www.whyteshomewineequipment.co.u ... c-113.html

So after the 4-6 week ferment then what can I drop it straight into 5 clean screw cap wine bottles all the way to the top to stop bactaria growing and forget it and drink at Christmas ? (Brew day would mid August bottling mid to late September)

Because on that recipe it wants you to move it from one demijohn to another every couple of months using the term racking which frankly haven't got a clue what that entails other than moving it ?

[barney]

http://www.eckraus.com/wine-making-glossary/

That link covers most things including racking.

[sbond10]

So would I need to shift it from one bottle to another or could I just stick into the bottles and a 1/4 of a Camden tablet in and leave it be ?

[danbrew]

I imagine that this wine will throw a bit of sediment after it's done, hence the need for the second racking. Don't you have a second vessel you can rack into whilst you clean then dj out then transfer back into dj? With elderberry, you'll get loads of crud settling in the bottle (and hence in your glass) if you bottle it too early!

[sbond10]

Yeah suppose I could just get a 5 litre water bottle then transfer from one to another then bottle up in December ?

[boingy]

Yeah wine continues to throw sediment for quite a while so racking is just moving the wine and leaving the sediment behind.
It's also a good opportunity to clean out the airlock plus wIne matures better in bulk.

[bobsbeer]

5lt PET water bottles are great for racking or using as a fermenter. They can be a pain to clean properly if using as a primary fermenter, but as a clearing DJ they are great. And cheap.

[sbond10]

So to clear this up I'm primary fermenting with an air lock then into anther demijohn to clear without an airlock just sealed up with a 1/4 Camden tab then repeat every month or so using a 1/4 of a Camden tab every time I move it into a new demijohn ?

[Geezah]

Last time I made elderberry wine it went a bit like this.

Mash berries in a fermenting bucket and added 2l boiling water + 8l of cold water, added yeast nutrient & yeast & left tor 5 days.
Strained liquid off the fruit in to 2 x 5l water bottles + added sugar and airlocked them and allowed to ferment for 3-4 weeks.
(I then added another 5l of water and 1/2 bag of sugar to the strained fruit to get a second run of a lighter wine)
After the 3-4 week ferment (gravity @ .998) I racked the 2 water bottles in to 2 new sanitised water bottles and added fermentation stopper & 1/2 a crushed campdem.
After a month, I racked them again......continuing to do this every month until no more sediment was being left behind (I didn't add any more campdem)
Once wine was sediment free, I bottled and left for 18 months to mature.

[bobsbeer]

It's normal to use 1 campden tablet per gallon or 5lt. If using sodium metabisulfite (often called sod met) to stop the wine you must also use 1 campden tablet or you will get off tastes. Campden is often added when racking to prevent oxidation, but if you syphon carefully there is no need to add it. Also there is no need to rack every month. Once it is off the worst of the sediment leave it alone for a few months then bottle. If you use finings this can be speeded up to a few days or a week or so.

[oldbloke]

Tsk Bob, not like you to slip up like that. Sod Met _is_ Campden. You meant to write "If using potassium sorbate to stop the wine you must also use 1 Campden or you will get off tastes"

[sbond10]

But surly if the gravity has been stable there's no need for potassium sorb ate ?

[danbrew]

Unless it's 0.997 or below then I wouldn't take the chance of bottling. I've had spontaneous fermented in the bottle resulting in blown corks... Besides, you might choose to backsweeten a few so better safe than sorry!

[bobsbeer]

Tsk Bob, not like you to slip up like that. Sod Met _is_ Campden. You meant to write "If using potassium sorbate to stop the wine you must also use 1 Campden or you will get off tastes"

Ooooops. That should read Pot Sorb.

But surly if the gravity has been stable there's no need for potassium sorb ate ?

To an extent you are right. But as both chemicals are changed chemically after you add them there is nothing left in the brew that is harmful. When added to wine pot sorb produces sorbic acid. Sod Met or Campden has no side effects; it is oxidised in the liver to harmless sulfate and excreted in urine . So why take the chance. And they also help reduce oxidation as you bottle.