secondary

[nman13]

I am about to transfer my wine from the primary to the secondary fermentation and had 2 questions.

1. If my wine does not fill up the 6 gallon carboy and say there is 1-2 gallons of free space, what is the issue? I remember hearing that the less oxygen inside the better but why?

2. does the glass carboy need to be in a dark place when the wine is in it given the fact that it is clear?

 

[Deezil]

1 - Oxidation.. It'll ruin the wine. It'll turn an amber / rust color, the smells will go funky as well as the taste.. It could possibly even turn into vinegar if the bacteria were lucky enough to be present - a greater risk with increased headspace anyways

2 - During active fermentation & secondary, not usually... But when wines are cleared, and just bulk aging (sitting in the corner, in the carboy, for 6-18 months depending) then its smart to cover them with an old shirt, a towel or something to keep the light out as its not good for wine over a long period of time