Getting 6 bottles out of a gallon...

[Ben]

Yesterday I bottled my two batches of wine. I practised siphoning water first until I (sort of) got the hang of it and then went on to the real thing. Some wine went all over the kitchen floor because I didn't get the tube from my mouth to the first bottle quick enough. I can avoid this in future by simply siphoning into a jug instead of straight into the bottle.
After bottle 5 gets filled there isn't a lot of wine left. I ended up with a bit of good wine in the last bottle and was left with the task of getting the rest of wine off the lees. I gave up with the siphon and just poured into a jug and then filtered with coffee filter paper and put into the bottle. So overall, from a gallon of wine I got 5 bottles of pure wine and half a bottle of semi cloudy wine.

So how can I get 6 whole bottles of wine without disturbing the sediment?

[suefreck]

So how can I get 6 whole bottles of wine without disturbing the sediment?

If you calculate yor sugar /alco levels on 5 litres, you can rack off into a clean dj leaving the sediment behind, then top up with water and your alc level will still be OK. You demi should be full and be nice and clear. Then you can syphon 6 bottles and still have a mouthfull or two to taste. Incidentally the pump syphon system that clips onto the dj, and a bottle filling stick make it a no mess job and so easy. No sucking the syphon tube or missing the bottle tops or over/under filling.

[Ben]

There was a tap David, but when I tried to turn it off after getting the wine round the bend (if you know what I mean) it decided to do an about turn back into the demijohn.

I've been using kits so they have the alcohol/sugar levels already calculated for 4.5 litres so I don't really want to either add more sugar at the start or water to the end.

Would getting a cheapish wine filter and just filtering the dregs be ok?

[suefreck]

Or simply stick a tap on the end of yer tube

Doesn't do the job half as good as the bottle filling stick. That had the wine flowing while the stick touches the bottom of the bottle, but as soon as you lift it the wine stops flowing and you can go on the the next bottle without turning taps etc. one of winemakings best inventions.

[Mamgiowl]

If you've racked it off the lees and it is 100% clear syphon it into another DJ, then use a funnel and pour it into the bottles. I have filter but I use it for 'polishing' the wine only, and as I haven't got round to getting a bottling stick the funnel method works fine for me.

[Ben]

But when I rack/bottle off the lees the last inch or so doesnt want to go up the tube. If I then remove the sediment trap to use it like a straw all I ended up getting was a load of gunk up the tube. (admittedly I had employed the use of a sister to hold the tube while I messed around with bottles and they're not very reliable). So I had half a bottle left sitting on the lees (well, most of half a bottle - the rest is on the floor......) that I couldn't get to without disturbing sediment.

[Hippie]

Any contact with air such as pouring has a detrimental affect on the wine. You really need an autosiphon and bottle filler.

[Mamgiowl]

I thoroughly agree Hippie, but needs must, as they say. If you don't have the equipment you have to improvise. So far I have been lucky and not had any problems.

(Touch wood)

[jcnoren]

. Some wine went all over the kitchen floor because I didn't get the tube from my mouth to the first bottle quick enough.?

To make getting your siphon started....fill the tubing with water, place your thumb over the tubing and there shouldn't be any messes.

JC

[Ben]

So, if the starting sg was 1.090 I would want to add 118g of sugar to the water I put in the kit anyway so it has as much sugar as 5L of 1.090. And then when it's all done, rack to another DJ and add 0.5L of water and mix.

Have you actually tried this and does it taste the same?

[Ben]

I don't really know what primary and secondary fermentation is. I just put everything in a demijohn at the start and take it out of it at the end so there wouldn't be room for 5.5L.

Even so, wouldn't the grape flavour be diluted even if the alcohol isn't?

[Mamgiowl]

The 'primary fermentation' is for when you first start. The yeast needs some oxygen to get it going so you need to keep everything covered, but not airtight. After a period of time take a reading with hydrometer and at around 1020, or when there is loads of gunk at the bottom syphon off into a DJ and fit an airlock. The wine is now under 'secondary fermentation'.

The best advice I can offer is for you to browse through the tutorials on this site and/or get yourself a good wine making book so you can become familiar with the process and jargon.

[Hippie]

Yep, I agree, you should read, read, read, and learn all the definitions and methods.

A secondary vessel is what we rack the wine into after the initial aerobic phase of fermentation has slowed down and we put the wine under airlock so to head off oxidation and nasties.

A secondary fermentation is a seperate fermentation than what originally started a given wine, whether it be yeast, bacterial, or microbial. (good or bad) example: malolactic bacterial fermentation.