Bulk Aging Question

[HenryMae]

I'd love to hear some opinions on bulk aging in glass carboy vs better bottle (plastic) carboy? Also, do you seal or continue with airlock?

Started with WineExpert Cabernet kit. I fermented in bucket, racked to better bottle carboy for secondary fermentation. My plan is to bulk age at least 6 months in carboy before bottling. After all the reading I've done and opinions I've seen, I figured id rack to glass carboy for the bulk aging.

And go...

 

[lawrstin]

An advantage over glass over plastic is cleanliness. The glass is easier cleaned then plastic. So you will have less risk involved. The only disadvantage of glass is weight and cost.

 

[lawrstin]

Get rid of the airlock, top off and plug when it stops bubbling out CO2.

 

[Pumpkinman]

There is still the ongoing issue of oxygen permeating through the plastic.

 

[lawrstin]

How much gets through?

 

[Pumpkinman]

The better bottles are supposed to be superior, but I'm really not sure, I've never used plastic other than fermenting in a plastic fermentor and a bottling bucket for my home brews.

 

[cmason1957]

I have used plastic for the past two years for my wines from grapes that I pick locally. I do this since I always do an Mlf on these grapes (Norton and Chambourcin). That keeps my risk of mlf cross contanination getting to a kit wine down. ( or at least i think it does) These never see glass, kits never see plastic.

I do age these for at least a year. I have seen no indications of permeability to air problems in the better bottles.

 

[wildvines]

What temp do you guys have for bulk aging in carboys? Us it the same as the 55 degrees for bottles etc

 

[mmadmikes1]

Get rid of the airlock, top off and plug when it stops bubbling out CO2.

Better get one tough plug that wont blow out when weather changes and the barometric pressure goes up.(been there twice) I say keep the airlock

 

[Paulc]

+1 on the airlock. I've not had good luck with solid bungs staying put for assorted reasons. I've gotten tired of taping solid bungs to my carboys. Fwiw

 

[lawrstin]

I use plugs without fail. I have very little fluctuation of temperature change while I age my wine. Keeping in mind that I am (nearly) topped off or about 1" from the top of the carboy and this allows expansion and compression and nearly eliminates a chance of oxidation.

 

[Pumpkinman]

As soon as fermentation , MLF on my reds is complete, I put a solid stopper/bung in, there is no reason to have an airlock on if it is aging. As far as the bung popping off when the pressure changes, if I have it happen once, I add a strip of packing tape over the bung, problem solved!

 

[mmadmikes1]

Never thought of that I'll give it a try

 

[Pumpkinman]

Mike, the first time I heard the telltale *POP* and saw a bung take flight, I had to do something...LOL, the next course of action was going to be duct tape...they say it's good for anything...he he (Joke)

 

[ShawnDTurner]

I assume you are degassing before bulk aging, otherwise how does the co2 escape? Cheers!

 

[Pumpkinman]

Absolutely, I use the All In One Wine Pump to rack, it degasses for me, not to mention that all of my reds see between 4-6 months in a barrel.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Most of my aging is now done in Corney keg and I no long worry about it but I dfo have a batch of strawberry mead sitting in a carboy right now. De-gassing is always a pain with mead so yes de-gas first

 

[Pumpkinman]

Mike,
I've been tossing around the idea of Kegging my wine as well, I know that you don't like to add chemicals to stabilize your wine and mead, but have you ever test the SO2 of the wine in the Corney keg? I'm interested in finding out if the SO2 levels fluctuate, or dissipate as fast as when barrel aging.