Bulk aging In detail

[unclejigz]

Hey Everyone,


So I am still on the first kit and will possibly start secondary fermentation tonight. I have read a lot on these boards about bulk aging and I think I would lik eto try that with this wine. I read on someones post that when you bulk age at secondary fermentation (with sediment and oak) it makes the wine more complex. Well this is what I want to try, however being new I am confused.


Does anyone have step by step instructions on what to do in order to bulk age at this point. I will probably only bulk age 1-2 months.





My questions I guess are, How do I or am I supposed to stop fermentation? Do I degass during this phase or what till the next rack? Do I have to completeley seal the carboy (airtight) to not let oxygen in? How much K_meta do I add and can it be the same that I used for sanatizing?





Any help would be great.


Thanks, Link

 

[Wade E]

Bulk aging is aging in bulk after it is done fermenting. What I would do is wait until your wine is finished fermenting and add the k-meta then let it bulk age. Beware that you may want to taste it before bulk aging to see if you really want more oak flavor as leaving it on the oak that long may be more oak flavor then you want. When you have bulk aged as long as you want then it will be time to add more k-meta and the sorbate that came with your kit and degas very well then add your fining agent and stir this in well as most fining agents require the sediment to work properly. Also to degas and clear properly the temp should be around 72*. Let the wine clear for 2-3 weeks and rack to clean vessel and bottle or bulk age more.

 

[joeswine]

bulk ageing is just like wade stated however,if you really don't let it set for 6mos. or longer then i would recommend ageing in the bottle,two advantages,first you can grab a taste any time to see progression second you can give a taste to your friends when neededand really find out if you liked what you've created,follow the same process in the kit and stablize let it settle a couple of weeks and bottle,not rocket science but at times i've had my share of valcanos

 

[redwineleo]

So, does it hurt to leave it longer than 6 months, assuming the airlock is on and the wine is topped up? Also, how much lees do you let it have before racking it off again?

 

[Wade E]

I rack after 1/4" of sediment at that stage cause it usually has taken quite awhile to do that. You can bulk age for up to 2 years if you want just make sure to check the S02 levels for doing this and not to forget to watch the airlock to make sure it doesnt dry up from evaporation.

 

[atacama23]

I want to spark a little more conversation about when to bulk age. Specifically what are peoples views on bulk aging prior to stabilization and clarification and after? And why do people think one is better than the other? Also I have read most of the posts about how long people are bulk aging in carboyl vs bottle. Is there data available regarding any benefits of bulk aging in carboyl after 6 months. I think in my situation it would be for temperature reasons to remain in carboyl. But other than that what are the benefits past six months.

Thanks