Bulk aging question

[brushwood24]

Does it matter when I de-gas the wine if I am going to be bulk aging it? I was thinking that I should do it as soon as the fermentation is done and I have topped it off but I'm not sure. Also, just generally speaking for bulk aging, is this how you want to do it?

1. Fermentation is done, add k-meta
2. degas and top off
3. age for however long and add 1/4 tsp k-meta every 3 months
4. when almost ready to bottle add the fining agents
5. let the sediment settle for a week, rack and add the potassium sorbate
6. bottle

Or do you want to add the fining agents earlier to give them more time to do their job?

 

[Runningwolf]

After the secondary fermentation I let the wine sit for several weeks to ensure fermentation is complete and then I rack to a primary add the sorbate, k-meta and degas with the drill. I then splash rack back tosanitized carboy and add the fining agents if needed and hit it withthe vacuum pump one more time to degas. I then let it sit however long to clear or age. If aging I add 1/4 tsp of k-meta every three months.

 

[djrockinsteve]

After complete fermentation for juices I splash rack, clear 6 weeks then rack and bulk age 6 to 10 months. (whites/reds). What little co2 is left disapates over time.


Fruit wines I rack prior to complete fermentation to avoid the fruit oxidizing. After fermentation is finished I'll transfer and degass a good bit. The remaining will be gone by bottling.

 

[Bartman]

As a rough rule of thumb, when I ferment to dry in the primary (allowing much of the CO2 to escape immediately) and bulk age for 6 months+, I rarely have any fizziness or gas left in the wine at all when I bottle. Consequently, I only degas about 10% of my wines. Blasphemy, I know, but I'm lazy and it seems to be ok.

 

[Tom]

I would degas after secondary and BEFORE adding clearing agents. Degassing will speed up clearing. I can also help with stuck fermentation as you will wake up the yeast.

 

[ibglowin]

I agree with Tepe, degas before adding the fining agents. CO2 will keep your wine from properly clearing in a timely fashion

 

[Runningwolf]

I agree with glowin Mike! At this point I rack to a primary, stabilize, stir with drill to degas, splash rack back to carboy and then hit it with the vacuum pump. After this is completed I add the fining agents.

 

[ibglowin]

Brilliant minds think alike!

 

[Tom]

OMG
Time to put on my boots

 

[JimCook]

Brushwood,


I'm in the same boat as Bart and Dr. Rockin' Steve - I don't degas with my drill stirrer unless there is some kind of crazy quick time constraint. Bulk aging will cause the wine to degas as it sits as the CO2 gradually comes out of solution. While I test the wines before bottling to verify that the gas has come out, I have had very good success letting time do its thing. For the purpose of comparison, my wines sit in my basement where the temperature is generally between 65-68 F, I use airlocks instead of hard stoppers, and the wine would have been racked twice (primary to secondary and then pre-stabilization racking) before bulk aging.


The schedule you have detailed seems to match the Mosti Mondiale kit winemaking steps and should work fine. Matteo Meglioli (technical manager at Mosti) had noted at Winestock 2009 that the fining agents should be added later rather than sooner. His reasoning behind this was a longer amount of time for molecules to 'bump' into one another and potentially form more complex, aromatic compounds during this time.


I personally don't add fining agents and let time do its thing, but this is definitely up to the individual winemaker.


- Jim

 

[Wade E]

Im another for degassing after fermentation as it lets the wine drop sediment easier and faster. I rarely use a fining agent any more so anything to help the wine clear easier makes my job easier later. Ive had wines not degas after 1 year of bulk aging in temps around 73* the whole time. Yes some if not most will degas on their own but there are those that just want to hold on to the gas, they are usually the more viscous wines like Meads, Ice wines, and Ports though.

 

[Goodfella]

My vote goes to degassing.


Until I see a reason not to anymore......

 

[AlFulchino]

like others..i have gotten away from fining agents more and more.....time usually does what is needed....

 

[Runningwolf]

Im another for degassing after fermentation. Yes some if not most will degas on theirbutt. There are those that just want to hold on to the gas, they are usually the more viscous though.