Racking is a term used quite often by cider makers. It simply means to siphon off the clearer juice or cider from the sediment or lees that accumulate on the bottom of the container. The origin may be related to the old French word arracar, which meant to drain. A racking cane or tube is often used. This will be a long tube with a 90-degree elbow at the top. A hose is attach near the elbow. Racking usually refers to a process that involves using gravity to pull the fluid from one container that is placed at a higher elevation than the receiving container. You can purchase an auto-siphon that makes starting the process much easier. These consist of a racking cane with a seal on the end inserted into a tube. Pumping the cane in the tube will force the liquid through the cane and start the flow. Gravity maintains the flow. Some people use electric pumps but still call the process of moving liquid from one container to another as racking.
There are several reasons you rack your cider.
- Clarification: Racking for clarification can be done to juice before fermentation or to cider after fermentation. A clearer juice will reduce the amount of apple solids resulting in the development of fruitier aromas. During fermentation and aging, solids flocculate and precipitate to the bottom of the container. This is called lees and after primary fermentation completes, this layer is usually called the gross lees. It contains apples solids as well as yeast. The lees that forms after this first rack and during aging are called fine lees, because it is mostly yeast. Racking is used to help clarify a cider.
- Oxidation: Racking exposes the cider to oxygen, which can facilitate certain processes. In small amounts, oxygen helps stabilize the wine or cider, enhance flavor development, and encourage the growth of desirable microorganisms. However, excessive oxygen exposure can lead to oxidation and off-flavors, so proper care must be taken during racking to avoid excessive aeration. You usually avoid splashing during racking unless you are trying to remove a sulfur compound.
- Aging/Maturation: The lees, gross or fine, will contribute to the aging process of cider. Gross lees are usually less desirable because they contain larger amounts of apple solids like pulp and pectin. These usually encourage undesirable bitterness and vegetable flavors by harboring lactic and acetic acid bacteria. Fine lees usually contain more yeast, which supports polymerization of tannins and the development of astringency and richer aromas. Yeast that goes through autolysis can also support malolactic fermentation and other acid reducing reactions, making the cider smoother.
- Sweetness: Racking is also a tool in the quest to make sweet cider. The lees or sediment that form and even yeast caps contain nutrients and organisms that are needed to process available sugars. Encouraging the formations of this sediment or caps and racking off the clearer juice is a method to cause a stuck fermentation, meaning there is residual sugars remaining in the cider. The keeving process is an example. Racking doesn’t guarantee success. It also usually requires numerous racks.
Racking is often performed multiple times but will depend on the type of cider your are producing. Some ciders may be better served earlier but cloudier while others might benefit from multiple rackings. The apples and yeast you use will impact how you want to utilize the racking process.
Impact of Juice Clarity
V.K. Joshi and associates assessed the impacts of juice clarity on hard cider. They found that similarly to wine, clarifying juice by filtering and pectic enzyme treatment resulted in higher…
Nutrient Deprivation: Keeving
Keeving is a process that seeks to remove nutrients needed for fermentation in order to create residual sweetness. Yeast need nutrients and vitamins to ferment and while they are good…
Non-Saccharomyces Yeast: Complexity & Sweetness
This is the second article in my series on non-Saccharomyces yeast. In the first, I challenged the concept that Saccharomyces yeast is ideal for cider. While yeast is a critical…
Understanding how yeast create great cider will help you make better cider. Knowledge and sharing it is why I wrote my book, launched this website, and provide products and recommendations on The Shop page. It is why I started offering non-Saccharomyces yeast strains in the Cider Yeast section of the shop. If you are interested in supporting PricklyCider.com, check out the shop. As with everything, my goal even with the shop is to help you make better cider.
PricklyCider.com 