Aging

[Peterock]

I haven't done so yet but I just want to be prepared. After taking 3 SG readings that are all the same. I should rack and add Sorbate? or Sulfite? with little to no head space in carboy with airlock?
I plan on bulk aging so how long do I leave them topped off with airlock?
Do I need to bottle them and seal them and then age them longer in sealed bottle or can I just leave them in bulk storage with airlock untill bottling for consumption? Thanks all
Pete

 

[Wade E]

If you are not going to sweeten this wine then you dont need to add sorbate but should add sulfite. Use 1/4 tsp per 6 gallon. You can bulk age as long as you want but will need to add another 1/4 tsp about every 4 months when using an airlock. I dont recommend using a solid bung as temp and barometric changes can actually pop a solid bung right out of the carboy exposing your wine to critters or bacteria. Just keep the wine in bulk until ready to bottle. Once you bottle it you should give it about 2 months before opening due to whats called bottle shock.

 

[Peterock]

Thanks Wade, you The man.
I hoping to buy one of those pumps from you after the holidays when I can free up some $$ and that you have one for sale.

 

[Lurker]

2 months is long time. Did you mean 2 weeks or 2 days Wade E?

Merry Christmas

 

[Wade E]

Richard, The numbers can vary so much. I have experienced bottle shock a few times and Ive seen it go that long unless it was just that particular wine going through a stage at that time. I wait at least that long before cracking one open byt I know that people will crack them open the next day. All Im trying to say here is that if you taste something funny and it has recently been bottled then chalk it up as that until you give it some time in the bottle. If its still there after 2 months then you most lilely have a different problem.

 

[Lurker]

Richard, The numbers can vary so much. I have experienced bottle shock a few times and Ive seen it go that long unless it was just that particular wine going through a stage at that time. I wait at least that long before cracking one open byt I know that people will crack them open the next day. All Im trying to say here is that if you taste something funny and it has recently been bottled then chalk it up as that until you give it some time in the bottle. If its still there after 2 months then you most lilely have a different problem.

I usually wait a week.

 

[rocket man]

Wade, do you think that you still get bottle shock if you use screw caps? Is it the compression of air in the bottle that gives it shock or just from the wine being transfered that shocks it? I usually use about 3 or 4 bottles with screw caps 'cause I have a hard time waiting a month or so.

 

[Peterock]

This is the first I've ever heard/ read about bottle shock. I find it very interesting thou. About 2 months ago I transfered my Shiraz from 5 gal carboy into 4 1gal jugs along with 5 750ml bottles. The first 5 bottles seemed fine. I think they sat for about 2 weeks before drinking. Just last week I transfered 1 of the gallons into 750ml bottles and drank the remaining glass full that did not fit into bottles. When I drank it, I found it to have a bitter finish. Me being me I was nervous that the batch went bad or picked up wild yeast or some bacteria or something. I had my friend (fellow wine maker) over last night and wanted him to try it to see what he thought. His first impression was that it was fine but I had him try few times and I'm not sure if I talked him into thinking it was bitter or he actually tasted it. After it decanted a little longer I tried it again and it seemed better than my first taste. So now bottle shock makes some sense to me. Is Shiraz maybe a more delicate wine and more acceptable to shock?

 

[JohnT]

Guys,

Wade's nailed it right on the head!

Bottle shock is caused by agitation. Think of this much like shaking up a beer. You would not want to open it right away, but wait a while.

This is much like what happens to wine. Much like a lady, wine likes to be handled softly and gently. (I KNOW someone out there is thinking "that depends on the lady").

Typically, transported wine needs 1 to 2 months to "settle" back down.

When I gift a wine, I ask that it be put away for two months. The only time I actually taste wine with my friends is when they are in my cellar.