On Apr 16, 11:01*am, AxisOfBeagles > wrote:
> IMHO, the terms 'primary and secondary fermentation' are somewhat
> misleading. There is only one sugar fermentation and, if desired, a
> separate malolactic fermentation. Everyhting else is protcol, and
> subject to the practices of the winemaker.
>
> For still red wine, I ferment on the skin until the most active sugar
> fermentation clows way down and there remains only a few percent sugar.
> Usually about 8 to 10 days. I then press, settle, and begin bulk aging.
> Somewhere in there the sugar fermentation truly finishes. And somewhere
> in there mlf begins - but usually doesn't complete for some time. I
> have found it more accurate, in my winemaking logs, to record 'sugar
> fermentation' and track it as Brix or SG (and later as residual sugar
> as tested by Clinitest), and separately record and track malolactic
> fermentation. I do not refer to primary and secondary, as those are not
> hard and fast definitions, in my mind.
>
> On 2008-04-16 05:34:47 -0700, Wayne Harris > said:
>
>
>
> > I thought I understood this. *But, *in my infinte dumbness, *I have
> > discovered that i truly do not.
>
> > I am trying to gain a better understanding of the definition of
> > primary and secondary fermentation. *Specifically, what defines the
> > seperation between the two. I have read some, and in the last year, i
> > have made 5 5-gallon batches. *All of these were with different
> > recipes.
> > So, I understand the basics. *Primary fermentation is open to the air,
> > and yeast converts sugar to alcohol. *After some period of time, or
> > some measurement, the wine is racked off the lees into an airtight
> > container to continue for several weeks.
> > I am specifically leaving MLF out of this for right now.
> > I guess my question is this, what to most of you use as an indicator
> > for when to transfer wine wine from primary to secondary.
>
> > * *A fixed period of time?
> > * *A Specific gravity reading?
> > * *A leveling out of the SG at a certain level?
>
> > What are we looking for here?
>
> > Sorry for the newbie question, but this has been bugging me for a bit
> > now.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

You said it better than i could. It has been the mapping of the terms
"Primary and Secondary fermentations" to "Alcoholic / Malolactic
fermenation" that has been bugging me.


Thanks.