Cellar Craft bulk aging or aging in bottle

[shrive22]

I have a few high end kits(cellar craft red mountain cab, lodi old zin, and eclipse pinot noir) that I am trying to decide if I should bulk age or bottle and just let age. What are the benefits of bulk aging in carboy vs bottle. How long do you usually let bulk age?

I haven't really ever bulk aged anything yet since I just started making wine in 11/2013. So I want to try to bulk age some wines. But I have 11 juice buckets on order and it would be nice if I had some free carboys to use for those.

 

[Boatboy24]

The big advantage of bulk aging in a carboy is it allows you to make adjustments after the wine has had a chance to mellow a bit. Once it is in the bottle, you can't do that. The disadvantage is you are taking up space in a carboy that could potentially be used for a new batch. This is the dilemna faced by many new winemakers. You want to make more so you can let it age, but you have young wines tying up your carboys. I started out by making kits according to the insructions and bottling after only a month or two of bulk aging, so I could free up the carboy for a new batch. I'm at a point where I'm bottling at 6-9 months of age, then bottle aging for another 6-9. Early on though, I was bottling at closer to 4 months. But the more I make, the more I can let things sit in the carboy for a while.

You've got a few really nice kits going there. How old are they now?

 

[shrive22]

Thanks, the red mountain cab and zin I started back in early May. I just got the pinot noir in mail yesterday. I may just have to buy a few more carboys and let these age.

 

[Boatboy24]

I may just have to buy a few more carboys and let these age.

That's the spirit!!



Let that RMC get at least 18 months on it. You'll be rewarded for your patience.

 

[AZ_Sky]

That's the spirit!!



Let that RMC get at least 18 months on it. You'll be rewarded for your patience.

Amen!
So far I have bottle aged all my wines.
I have several batches including a RMC that are now aged a little over four years and they are great!
I think they'll safely age even a few more years...

 

[peaches9324]

Thanks, the red mountain cab and zin I started back in early May. I just got the pinot noir in mail yesterday. I may just have to buy a few more carboys and let these age.

yes buy more carboys, one more advantage of aging in carboy is the clearing, it will clear on its own, it will sparkle without even using the clearing agent!

 

[Brian55]

yes buy more carboys, one more advantage of aging in carboy is the clearing, it will clear on its own, it will sparkle without even using the clearing agent!

Another advantage to bulk aging is for those who feel the need to try a sample bottle at four, six or eight months, just to see how it's coming along. It forces you to wait at least until the one year point (eight to ten in bulk, then a couple months to overcome bottle shock) before you open that first bottle.
Prior to this practice, We killed many potentially nice bottles way before their prime. We're now to the point where we won't bottle until a very minimum of eight months, typically ten to twelve, and the difference is well worth the wait.

 

[greyday]

I've left things in bulk aging for two years plus (accidentally, but still). By my figuring, if anything it will age slower in bulk, and as has been already said you can continue to tweak flavor and acidity.

I also ALWAYS bulk age at least two months after backsweetening just to make sure that a second ferment doesn't occur. There are mixed opinions on this as well, but I've never had an exploding bottle and I usually end up with the product I want, so I let the metaphoric miles vary.

 

[bkisel]

AZ-Sky... Very artistic photo. Thanks for sharing

"Living vicariously through myself..." I'm trying to get my mind around that signature.

 

[SouthernChemist]

That's the spirit!!



Let that RMC get at least 18 months on it. You'll be rewarded for your patience.

Ditto for the Red Mountain. Coincidently, I have a friend who I got into drinking wine, and his favorite out of everything I've made is the Red Mountain Cab (@ about 2.5 years old). Even better with barrel time, I'm sure.