Racking

Racking, often referred to as Soutirage or Soutirage traditionnel (meaning racking in French), also filtering or fining, is the process of moving wine or beer from one container to another using gravity rather than a pump, which can be disruptive to the beverage. The process is also known as Abstich in German and travaso in Italian.
Alexis Lichine's Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits defines racking as "siphoning <a href="/facts/Wine/przCrC98">wine</a> or <a href="/facts/Beer/t7qAGDfj">beer</a> off the <a href="/facts/Lees_(fermentation)/yDwslU1l">lees</a> (in the case of wine) or <a href="/facts/Trub_(brewing)/4VLaFfKM">trub</a> (in the case of beer), into a new, clean barrel or other vessel". Racking allows <a href="/facts/Clarification_(wine)/6ymTW7NS">clarification</a> and aids in <a href="/facts/Stabilization_(wine)/6ymTW7NS">stabilization</a>. Wine that is allowed to age on the lees often develops "off-tastes". A racking hose or tube is used and can be attached to a racking cane to make the task easier. The racking process is repeated several times during the <a href="/facts/Aging_of_wine/XbED9wLM">aging of wine</a>.

Racking open-in-new

Racking