First of all new to the site and love it so far. Started wine making a year ago and would like opinions on whether to bottle when the wine is clear ( usually 8 weeks for me using winexpert kit which in the instructions states to bottle then) or leave it in carboy for extended period of time ( 4 - 6 months). My supplier had mixed feelings - indicated that it ages quicker in the bottle. Thoughts, reasoning & suggestions appreciated. Thanks.
Bottle or keep in carboy?
- Thread starter WinerBob1
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TonyP
Senior Member
Bob:
Yes, wine will age quicker in a bottle but not necessarily better. Wine is influenced by external (environmental) factors. As with any liquid, the smaller the quantity the quicker the reaction - think boiling a cup or gallon of water.
Bulk versus bottle aging is a matter of personal preference. I'm confident most wine makers believe, however, that bulk aging is at least as good as bottle and perhaps better. (I think only a small number believe bottle aging to be superior.) Bulk aging allows the wine to degas and clarify properly, permits you to more easily make corrections if a problem is encountered, and bulk wine is less influenced by environmental factors. Having said all that, sealing issues could be disastrous to bulk aged wine and should be monitored.
Yes, wine will age quicker in a bottle but not necessarily better. Wine is influenced by external (environmental) factors. As with any liquid, the smaller the quantity the quicker the reaction - think boiling a cup or gallon of water.
Bulk versus bottle aging is a matter of personal preference. I'm confident most wine makers believe, however, that bulk aging is at least as good as bottle and perhaps better. (I think only a small number believe bottle aging to be superior.) Bulk aging allows the wine to degas and clarify properly, permits you to more easily make corrections if a problem is encountered, and bulk wine is less influenced by environmental factors. Having said all that, sealing issues could be disastrous to bulk aged wine and should be monitored.
Gr8zins
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My vote is for bulk aging. However when you bottle, you want to do it at least a month ahead of serving the first bottle due to bottle shock. So a little planning may be in order. The difference the month makes is huge. The wine really improves.
tonyt
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Your wine will taste better at the one and two year mark than at only months of aging. If you bottle early you will be tempted to start drinking it. It's very hard to drink out of a carboy. So for me six or nine months in carboy is the self control I need.
tonyt said:
Thx tony - u must know me. My 1st batch of Cabernet was gone in 10 months. Boy did i learn. The winexpert kit said to wait 1 month after bottling ( I thought it would be done) . The last bottle wasn't done. I am currently making 2 carboys (12 gal) every 2-3 months so I have a good inventory for 2014. I currently have a carboy of cab & pino that's been sitting since Nov. - very clear & ready to bottle but I a going to wait until spring to bottle . thx again for the advice
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
I'm slowly learning that time in the carboy is more advantageous. When you bottle early/on time, you are finishing up and HOPING your wine will age out well. If it doesnt, there isnt much you can do, short of opening up all those bottles. If it is in a carboy, you can take and test small samples along the way and adjust accordingly. My early wines were bottled after a very short bulk aging time. Now when I open one of those, I know what I could have done to improve it and regret bottling when I did. So far, I've been too lazy to open them back up and adjust, but I'm getting close on one or two.
Julie
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I guess this would be a good time to say, whether you bottle age or carboy age, you should not be bottling until your wine is crystal clear and all you numbers are in line.
Rushing the process will cause you to have an inferior wine or a wine that you now have to uncork and place back in the carboy.
Rushing the process will cause you to have an inferior wine or a wine that you now have to uncork and place back in the carboy.
TonyP
Senior Member
Yes, good point Julie. Wine may improve in the bottle from a character perspective, but problems left unfixed when bottling will not go away in the bottle. (I describe it to my friends as the cork sealing the bad with the good.) Make certain the wine is clear and degassed satisfactorily, with fermentation permanently thwarted and fully prepared to combat oxidation.
Thanks Tony, Julie & Boatboy for your latest responses. I now intend to carboy age let's say for 6 months. I am using winexpert kits and in the past, right before I was ready to bottle (and the wine was only 7 weeks old), I would add a 1/2 teaspoon of sulfites to make the wine last longer in the bottles. Now that the wine will be in the carboy for a longer time, should I add sulfites after the last racking before it sits for 6 months or continue to add sulfites right before bottling? Thx again for all your help.
TonyP
Senior Member
Bob unless you're testing, I wouldn't go over 1/4 tsp of k-meta (not sodium metabisulfite), especially for reds. My suggestion is to age in the carboy 3-4 months without extra k-meta and add 1/4 tsp just prior to bottling.
GEM
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Another advantage of bulk aging is that you can add oak chips/cubes over time until you get the oakiness you want. Also, If you can't test for sulfite, you should check your airlock every couple of months to make sure it is tight and full of water/votka or whatever you use. I add about 1/8 teaspoon every couple of months. I do plan on getting a sulfite checker really soon, probably a Vinemetrica. Cheers!
