Too much head space in secondary?

[paddyb2]

I had one demijohn of cider + 1.5 litters in another container. I thought this would rack nicely into a 1 gallon demijohn for secondary, but because of sediment and some spillage, it turns out there a fair bit of headspace.

Is this going to cause oxygenation? Should I consider bottling now rather than leaving in secondary?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

How long do you plan to leave it before bottling?

 

[paddyb2]

No sure, maybe two or three weeks? Could do with clearing a bit more.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

No sure, maybe two or three weeks? Could do with clearing a bit more.

When i used to make Supermarket Juice Wine i would rack then top up to the neck after degassing and adding fining the extra water didnt spoil the end product.

Did you degas and use finings?

 

[paddyb2]

No, I didn't do either of those.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Degassing aids clearing finings speeds it up a lot.

This video is from the supermarket juice wine thread i linked to above he tried letting it clear naturally but gave up degassed and added finings.

He said it took a week mine always cleared in 48 hours

 

[paddyb2]

Thanks. I decided to bottle in the end. Sediment be damned!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Thanks. I decided to bottle in the end. Sediment be damned!

Leave them upright in the fridge the sediment will settle then pour gently into another bottle when you are about to drink a bottle you should get most of the wine out without disturbing the sediment, we have done it lots of times.
Don't try to pour a glass or two from the original bottle do the bottle trick above or when you tip the bottle back the sediment will come off the bottom and you will be drinking something that looks like dish water