Noob question

[snoopthulhu]

Hi all. I started my first batch a few weeks ago, a WinExpert Vintners Reserve Blush mix. I'm in the clarifying/fining stage now, and want to validate and verify my next steps before I get too close to my next step: bottling.

It seems that it may be better to bulk age in the carboy before bottling. If I do this, should I be racking into a new carboy to get away from the must at the bottom?

Since it looks like an inch or so of sediment, racking will leave a more significant gap of air at the top of the carboy. How much air is too much? I had already made an error in the beginning, I couldn't keep the airlocked-plug in the carboy while it was still fermenting (step 2 of the directions), so I'd removed some, close to a liter. It was basically at the top of the top-most glass ridge around the carboy. When I started step 3, I realized the error and added a bottle of a purchased blush to my mix to top off, so right now I have about only 2 inches of air in the neck of the bottle. I don't know if this was the right thing to do or not, and if I should do the same with the added volume of air by racking away from the must.

Lastly, should I use a solid plug, or is an airlocked plug ok, for a 3 month carboy age before bottling?

Thanks in advance!

 

[jgmann67]

What did you do with the liter of wine?? Next time, bottle the extra and throw it in the fridge.

Maybe it's me, but you would do well to make sure you're properly degassed during the 3 months in the carboy. If it's not, you'll need to make an alternative plan before bottling (like degassing in a vacuum, or moving your wine to a warmer spot for another 3 months).

Use an airlock. Just keep track of the level inside the bubbler. I use vodka in mine, others use KMeta solution. But check it ever few days.

Adding a bit of similar wine to top off is common. You didn't do anything bad. But, next time, when you need to top off - go to the fridge and pull out that bottle you put in there... Yeah, use that first.

You can rack it off (what should be) the fine lees. But at the end of the three months, you'll need to dose w/KMeta before you bottle (dose and rack every three months seems to be the rule of thumb).

Finally - relax. You're going to be fine.

 

[salcoco]

you should definitely rack off any lees left in bottom of carboy before doing anything else.

 

[snoopthulhu]

What did you do with the liter of wine?? Next time, bottle the extra and throw it in the fridge.

...

But, next time, when you need to top off - go to the fridge and pull out that bottle you put in there... Yeah, use that first.

I'll remember to do that next time, thanks!

 

[jgmann67]

When you're bulk aging your wine, your wine should be a few inches from the bottom of the plug (or end of the airlock if that extends past the plug into the carboy). The wine should be somewhere in the neck of your carboy.