snoopthulhu
Junior
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2016
- Messages
- 25
- Reaction score
- 6
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!
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!