If you're new to homebrewing, racking sounds like a harsh word. It simply means transferring to a new vessel to rest. The process is pretty straight forward, but I'll outline it below.
You'll Need:
A mead that is finishing fermentation
A siphon or a wine thief (turkey baster is a great alternative) (Amazon Affiliate)
Another vessel or jug with a bung and airlock (Amazon Affiliate)
Sanitizer (Amazon Affiliate)
Why rack mead?
Racking mead helps to clarify it and get it off of dead yeast (which can cause nasty flavors). You can completely eliminate the need for clarifying chemicals if you use time. Things will fall to the bottom over time. As your mead sits, yeast will settle on the bottom and form the lees. It also helps to degas the mead.
Important Note: You want to transfer gently and splash as little as possible. Large amounts of oxygen can have a negative impact on your mead.
Process:
Clean and sanitize your empty vessel. You can use a rinse free sanitizer like I've listed above, or you can use your dishwasher sanitize setting.
Clean and sanitize your transfer equipment.
Use a siphon to transfer from a higher elevation to a lower one. Alternatively, you can use a wine thief, but make sure you don't splash the mead. Gentle transfer is the name of the game.
NOTE: Try not to move the fermentation vessel and shake up the yeast. The goal here is to transfer as little suspended yeast as possible.
If you get some yeast, don't worry too much. You'll get rid of it when you bottle.
Once the transfer is complete, add your bung and airlock to the new vessel.
Let this sit until clear or at least 2 more weeks before bottling.
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