Why bulk age in a carboy?

[stickman]

I agree, this is another one of those questions that has many different angles. It seems like the bulk aging concept has been around for many years, and the duration needed before bottling was probably determined by experience. All of the yeast and bacterial activity should be allowed to complete and consume all available nutrients before bottling, but without modern conveniences, special equipment, cultures, nutrients, so2, and other additives etc., this could easily take two years. For example, imagine waiting for a red wine at a pH of 3.5 to complete malolactic fermentation during the winter without temperature control and the latest cultures and nutrients. Then you have all of the other usual physical and chemical transformations that take place as others have commented above. These days I think wines can be made more quickly, but it is a question of the wine style desired and the techniques being used, the end result is what counts.

 

[Scooter68]

Actually I think there are more like 5382 of those questions cmason.

 

[cmason1957]

Actually I think there are more like 5382 of those questions cmason.

You might be correct. There are some I considered settled science that probably aren't.

 

[Scooter68]

Yeah, and some of my wine is still not settling out as fast as i would like. Well at least I have plenty of bottles to clean, and several batches that will be ready to bottle in the next 1-3 months.

 

[dcbrown73]

This question has come up multiple times on the site. There seem to be three tangible reasons, and a bunch of theoretical ones. The tangibles include:

* dropping of sediment and wine crystals.
* assuring complete degassing.
* keeping your hands off the wine until it's in its prime.

This.

At least six months in the carboy for whites to ensure all sediment is dropped.
Nine to twelve months for reds for both the sediment reason and a keep your damn hands off me reason.
Degassing completes within six months, so there is that.
Then I just bury the finished bottles so I forget about them. (except for a few of the whites that I start drinking at about 12-15 months.)