Couple of questions

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

DrStrangeLove

Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2019
Messages
35
Reaction score
6
1. I've had my wine out in a back storage room kind of attachment to my house (no insulation) which gets pretty cold -- likely in the 40's on the coldest days. Should I leave it there or bring it inside where its a little warmer? I read that leaving wine out in the cold for a while is usually a good thing. It's been in the cold storage area for several days.

2. When do you folks typically know it's time to bottle? Is it just a matter of allowing a set amount of time to elapse, a few rackings, and seeing the wine is clear? Or are there other factors?
 
if the wine has completed fermentation best to store in 55 deg f or higher conditions. Temperatures that you suggest will cause acid to fall out and may cause a flabby wine. on other had if wine is acidic cold stabilizing is warranted which you storage conditions would provide.

if a white wine, if wine becomes clear and about three months have passed since fermentation has ended then bottling is okay. if a red wine 6 months or better may be the best aging timeline. some wine maker age for a year in carboy and longer in bottle before consumption.
 
1. I've had my wine out in a back storage room kind of attachment to my house (no insulation) which gets pretty cold -- likely in the 40's on the coldest days. Should I leave it there or bring it inside where its a little warmer? I read that leaving wine out in the cold for a while is usually a good thing. It's been in the cold storage area for several days.

You can drop some of the acid if you need by lowering the temperature down to even 30 degrees. Depends if your wine needs it (TA too high) or whether you plan to chill the wine prior to serving, such as for a white wine.

Otherwise I'd prefer to store and settle the wine at a constant temperature of say 55deg to room temp.

2. When do you folks typically know it's time to bottle? Is it just a matter of allowing a set amount of time to elapse, a few rackings, and seeing the wine is clear? Or are there other factors?

I bottle after the wine has cleared (I filter my wine), been aged in oak if desired, adjusted for acidity/sweetness, cold stabilized if needed and when i need my container back. Practically speaking, if you don't filter then the "aging" (aka settling) step is the longest and determines when you are ready to bottle. Just be sure to keep up on the Sulfites as it sits and keep the headspace minimized.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top