Mosti Mondiale Bulk Aginig

[seminarian]

I have a MM All Juice Cab Sauvignon. It was started on January 1. I was going to bottle in March but a friend suggested that I bulk age it for 1 year. That's fine, but a couple of questions - how often would I need to rack it? 2- would I need to add K-Meta on a regular basis? What is the advantage of aging in the carboy vs bottle aging? And I want to sweeten this wine a tad, when would I do that?

 

[PeterZ]

Rack and add 1/4 tsp k-meta every 3 - 4 months. Check the airlock weekly to be sure it is still topped up.


Because the temperature of 6 gallons of wine changes more slowly than the temperature of 750 ml of wine, bulk aging offers more temperature stability. It also ensures the wine is fully degassed and all sediment has settled out.


Sweeten about 3 months before bottling.

 

[Tom]

Peter,

Sweeten Cab Sav? Sounds interesting as I have never done that. How much should you sweeten it and what will it do to the flavor profile?

 

[grapeman]

The wine may seem just a bit tart because it is new and young. If you age it the year, this will lessen and unless you really like sweet wine, I wouldn't sweeten it at all. Like Tepe says, it will change the flavor profile. Instead of sweetening, unless it has a ton of oak already, I would add 3 ounces of a nice French medium toast oak while aging. Rack that off after a month and add 1/4 tsp k-meta. Then continue to bulk age. The oak will add a touch of vanilla and will tend to smooth the tartness of the wine.


Also if you do sweeten it at all, be sure to add k sorbate as well as k-meta- but just once. Then sweeten a few days later. That will prevent a renewed fermentation of the added sugars.

 

[Wade E]

Dont rack it every 3 months unless it is sitting on sediment and needs to get off of it, After awhile it wont drop anymore sediment and you wont have to rack anymore but you will still need to add meta to protect it. i would take applemans advice on not sweetening this wine at least for a few months and then if you decide you still want to sweeten it then do so. This is not a wine that is typicaly sweetened but to each their own.

 

[Rocky_Top]

Ibelieve that PeterZ was stating a general rule for all wine. That is if you are going to sweeten, Do it at least 3 months before bottling.

 

[seminarian]

thanks for the advice. My wife and i do like our wines on the sweeter side, this cab fermented out way to dry for our taste. I racked off the sediment several weeks ago and added the kmeta that was in the kit. It has been sitting nicely. So I should just let it stay in the carboy for a year then sweeten in bottle say around september. When would I add the siligel and the liquigel to it?

 

[K&GB]

Seminarian, if you bulk age this wine, it shouldn't need the siligel/liquigel. It will clear on its own in that length of time.

 

[jcasaccio]

If bulk aging, do I need to add kmet after an aging 'cycle', right before bottling, or just bottle it? Meaning, if I age for 6 mos (3 mos, rack with kmet, age 3 more mos) do I add kmet again right before bottling or just bottle without?


Thanks!


Jack

 

[grapeman]

Welcome jcasaccio.


The best thing would be to check the free S02 level before bottling, but if you can't, you probably should add 1/4 teaspoon of k-meta before bottling.

 

[Mark]

Why wait 3 months after backsweetening before bottling?(I usually wait 2 weeks just to make sure there's no renewed fermentation.)

 

[Tom]

Why wait 3 months after backsweetening before bottling?(I usually wait 2 weeks just to make sure there's no renewed fermentation.)

Who said wait 3 months after backsweetening?
After back sweeteningyou need to reclairify if needed but, I cant see where you see wait 3 months after backsweeting. I see someone talking about bulk aging and adding K-Met.

 

[jcasaccio]

I don't know what backsweetening is, but I don't think it has to do with what my question was. I just don't want to mess up the wine by adding kmet right before bottling (after it's been aging for 3-4 mos)


Jack

 

[cb_Sadie]

If I'm going to bulk age my wine (Spanish Rioja) do I need to add my package #4, chitosan/isinglass clarifier?

 

[grapeman]

I would add it per directions to let the wine clear. It will age better once the sediment is out of it. It would clear on it's own eventually, but you will speed the process up 1-2 months by adding it.

 

[cb_Sadie]

Thanks appleman.. I'll go add it..