Final touch & bottling

[PricklyPear]

Hi,
I have a few batches of wine that have been aging in demijohns 2-3 months and I am considering bottling them (I already racked twice). I have a few related questions:
1. Is there a difference between aging the wine in bottles or in demijohns? (in other words is it better to let the wine age as a bulk in the demijohn)
2. How long do you usually let the wine age in the demijohn before bottling?
3. How do you decide how much sugar to add when you sweeten the wine before bottling? the "problem" is that the wine hasn't gotten its real taste yet so adding sugar and tasting the wine won't give me a true indication.

Thanks.

 

[oxeye]

I'm still a newbie myself, but everything I've read indicates that bulk aging (six to twelve months) is more desirable than bottle aging, but the aging/conditioning process does continue even when in the bottle.

For a lot of people, it is the need to start another batch with the fermentor, that determines when to bottle.

It's one ounce of sugar per gallon of wine/beer for bottle carbing.

oxeye

 

[m_lapaglia]

It's one ounce of sugar per gallon of wine/beer for bottle carbing.

However thats going to require champagne bottles. If you try to bottle carb in a wine bottle the cork will pop out.

I believe you are talking about stopping the yeast and adding sugar for sweetness and bottling a still, not sparkling wine. The easiest way is to take a glass of the wine and add sugar to it until you like the taste then measure the SG of the wine and add sugar to your wine to equal the SG level. A lot of people tend to use a little less than what they liked in the glass. I know there are other ways but this is one of them.

Just make sure you stabilize with Campden and potassium sorbate first or the sugar will ferment and at the least blow out the corks

 

[PricklyPear]

Thanks.
I usually bottle when I want to start a new batch, I was just wondering if there is a "preferred" way to age the wine.

I was referring to sweetening the wine after adding k-meta and sorbate.
I am trying to get more consistent results between batches and this is why I am looking for some guidelines (e.g. for sweet wine you need S.G of X). So far I only found definitions for residual sugar but the range is quite wide. I think I will have to taste and decide what is good for me.

 

[m_lapaglia]

how about this? I think its what you are looking for.

 

[PricklyPear]

how about this? I think its what you are looking for.

Thanks this looks helpful.