Why Is Each Botttle Different?

[willne1]

I made a WE Cabernet kit. It's been aging for 3 yrs now and some bottles are really good and some are just o.k. until I let them set for a couple of days after opening. When I open these they pop a little like they have gas in them and taste gassy at first. It all came from the same carboy. How could one bottle be different from the next?

Thanks
William

 

[southlake333]

I assume you did not stabilize with sorbate? It sounds like a few of your bottles had some yeast left that did some fermentation in the bottle. Good to hear that letting them sit out makes them taste good.

In terms of how one bottle can be different from the next, that's easy. As with anything, when you get to the bottom, anything undissolved in the liquid could be pooling there. So the last few bottles will have more of the undissolved stuff than the first few bottles. Its difficult to get perfectly uniform results like commercial wineries.

 

[JohnT]

I would also ask about how you cleaned your bottles and if the bottles were storred differently.

 

[willne1]

Thanks for the replies...I made the wine according to the kit but I can't remember if I added sorbate or not, but I doubt if I did. I cleaned the bottles with easy clean using a vinator.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Just sound as if the wine was not de gassed completly. It happens. If you want uniform bottles bulk age a year or 2 in carboy of barrel. Each bottle will age different. Also the temps are not as drastic when bulk aging as an entire batch.