HOW DO YOU BOTTLE YOUR WINE

[Waldo]

The wine is ready to bottle, you have your bottles cleaned, sanitized and ready to receive the fruits of your labor. So you begin bottling and wonder

Do I need to cork each bottle as it is filled? Can I fill 5-6 bottles before corking or can I just go ahead and fill all the bottles and then cork them ?

 

[Pepere]

Okay, I'll bite.

I fill and cork one bottle at a time. I keep reading about air and oxidation, so I hesitate to fill multiple bottles and let them set. I know; as the carboy empties don't I have air in the void? I suppose I do just call me "chicken little."

Waldo, you're making my head hurt this early in the morning.

 

[masta]

Filling all your bottles then corking them should not be an issue becausethe time your bottles are exposed to the air is really not that long.


The wine should have plenty of sulfites to protect it for this time and the surface area exposed to the air is small due to fact it is just the neck of the bottle.

 

[maize]

I always fill all my bottles - at least a full batch - and cork them all together. I think there is very little exposure with the narrow diameter of the neck of the bottle and probably more in the emptying carboy. Besides, 6 months later, I feel most of these wines are best decanted or at least opened for a bit to release their aroma and flavors.

 

[pkcook]

Full batch and then cork for me.

 

[PolishWineP]

When we bottle together we cork as we go, sometimes having as many as 6 bottles ready for corks. This allows the person running the corker to do other chores along with corking. Otherwise we fill then cork.

 

[grapeman]

Waldo,


You are missing one step in the process-at least mine.


1)Fill the first bottle.


2)Fill a wine glass.


3)Have a sip to see if it's any good.


4)Fill another bottle.


5)Repeat step 3.


By the way the above steps should be performed in a seated position if at all possible.


6) Continue as above until the glass is empty.


7)Repeat steps 2 and 3 and continue on.


8)When all the bottles are full or the carboy is about empty, you probably have part of a bottle left.


9)Carefully try to stand up and cork those suckers.


10)That part of a bottle probably won't keep, so it should be immediately consumed.


11) You are probably in trouble if you have 3 or 4 batches to bottle- Better recruit some help, they bottle while you drink the samples.


Good Luck!

 

[smurfe]

I fill the bottle and then cork it while the next bottle is filling with the bottle filler.


Smurfe

 

[Angell Wine]

I'm with Appleman. Repeat step 3.

 

[Waldo]

I would have to agree with Appleman too Angell. Myself, I bottle all of my wine and then cork it. Insofar as I can determine it has been without any negative results. I just thought it intruiging that no where can I recall reading about proper procedure concerning this process and thought it would be interesting to see how everyone else approaches this task. Seems the concensus would be to bottle it all then cork it but then everyone has to do what they feel comfortable with. Thanks everyone for your input.


And Pepere, I apologize for the headache buddy

Edited by: Waldo

 

[daveb50]

I bottle the contents of a carboy, then cork, if I'm doing it alone. If I have help,we fill and cork at the same time. After we are done bottling there isalways a partial bottle (even if we have to make two partial bottles)

to enjoy while relaxing. Oversampling during bottling can lead to spilled Wine.

 

[rgecaprock]

Well, since I'm to weak to cork with the hand corker(hoping for a floor corker soon) andmy corker-man is still sleeping on a Sunday morning when I'm bottling I just line the bottles up in rows and cover with a big sheet of Saran Wrap until he gets up and around and sometimes that is half a day......no problems leaving them uncorked that long.


RamonaEdited by: rgecaprock

 

[Vaughn]

I fill all the bottles, then cork all the bottles. My space is limited so I do better, time wise, if I stick to one step at a time.

 

[Wade E]

I bottle a few and then cork and repeat in between the infamous #3. I'm
afraid I'm going to knock one over and it would be like a game of
Dominoes. That would be the end of the world as we know it!!!!!
Edited by: wadewade

 

[redwineleo]

Just got done bottling a batch. I use the vino bottle filler and floor corker. If I don't take breaks for sampling I can cork one bottle while the next one is filling. With the bottle filler automatically shutting off when a bottle is full, I rarely have problems. The only problem I have bottling is the patience to let the stuff age for a while before consuming.

 

[Lenore]

If I am feeling skilled I will cork one while filling the next. Otherwise, I will fill a few, cork a few and repeat until I am done. I agree that sampling while filling could be dangerous, so I save the taste test until after all are filled and corked!!

 

[Curt]

When I have a batch ready to bottle I usually recruit three or four people to help with the process. Rarely do I have a refusal as they know that after the bottling is done we will have a tasting and a BBQ.

 

[PolishWineP]

Curt,


Don't hesitate to post an invitation here on the forum when you need help! I'm sure that someone would be glad to drive a couple hours for a treat like that!

 

[TNFISHRMAN]

I use a mini-jet filter and filterto a 7 gallon sterilizedfermenting bucket then bottle through spigot and bottling wand. I will fill all the bottles then cork. I haven't seen any adverse effects of leaving the wine in the open bucket while bottling and setting in the bottles until finished. Maybe thisis a no-no but no problems here.

 

[MedPretzel]

I bottle in sizes, and cork the different sizes. Or I put the screw-caps on them. It breaks up the monotony of doing one thing at a time.


Then I let them sit (corked) for about a week, get the bottles wiped down during the week, and then put the labels on them (if I have them ready).


I get to enjoy my work for a whole week before they get put away for at least 6 months.


M.