How to Rack Wine

By eHow Food & Drink Editor

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"Racking" wine is the process of separating wine from its sediment, or lees, and transferring the wine into another container using a siphon.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Clamps For Wine Bottling
Clean Containers Such As Gallon Jugs Or Barrels
Siphon Hoses

Step1

Place the container of wine on a table.

Step2

Place an empty container below the table, such as on the floor or on a lower table.

Step3

Place the notched end of the siphon tube into the container of wine. Be sure the tube is in the wine but does not touch the layer of sediment. (The sediment should be at the bottom of the container.)

Step4

Suck on the other end of the tube until wine begins to flow.

Step5

When the wine begins to flow, insert the tube into the lower container.

Step6

Fill the container.

Step7

When the container is full, or if sediment starts to travel with the wine, stop the flow by holding the hose in a downward position and pinching a section of it. Clamp if necessary.

Tips & Warnings

Practice siphoning with water before you try it with wine.

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Comments

Imker said

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on 1/6/2008 This will get the wine from one bottle to another. If you're making wine for the first time, this is okay, but there are more sanitary ways to do this. Ask your wine & beer supplier.