How long
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dangerdave
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Ferment down to about 1.010, then rack to carboy under airlock.
The typical sequence has been referred to as the 5-20-40-90 Schedule. That's five days in primary (time is arbitrary here, as the SG should be below 1.010 before racking to carboy). WineMakerMag.com then suggests the following:
"Fifteen days after racking to the secondary test the gravity, rack, fine and stabilize, then leave the wine 20 days to finish settling. Test the gravity, rack again and leave a further 50 days before bottling or bulk aging. (Bulk aging is holding the wine in the carboy for an extended period. This replicates bottle age, with the side benefit that it gives a very long period for the wine to finish clearing on it’s own.) Conscientious topping up and careful attention to sulfite levels will prevent oxidation in the carboy over this period. Once the 90 days has passed, you can go to a solid rubber or silicone bung instead of a bung and airlock, to further reduce the chances of oxidation. Most white kit wines will be ready to bottle after 90 days, but the heavier reds will improve for at least a further 90 days."
This is a good habit to get into, especially for red wines.
The typical sequence has been referred to as the 5-20-40-90 Schedule. That's five days in primary (time is arbitrary here, as the SG should be below 1.010 before racking to carboy). WineMakerMag.com then suggests the following:
"Fifteen days after racking to the secondary test the gravity, rack, fine and stabilize, then leave the wine 20 days to finish settling. Test the gravity, rack again and leave a further 50 days before bottling or bulk aging. (Bulk aging is holding the wine in the carboy for an extended period. This replicates bottle age, with the side benefit that it gives a very long period for the wine to finish clearing on it’s own.) Conscientious topping up and careful attention to sulfite levels will prevent oxidation in the carboy over this period. Once the 90 days has passed, you can go to a solid rubber or silicone bung instead of a bung and airlock, to further reduce the chances of oxidation. Most white kit wines will be ready to bottle after 90 days, but the heavier reds will improve for at least a further 90 days."
This is a good habit to get into, especially for red wines.
aryoung1980
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That's some good info. Thanks for that post.
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