# HOW DO YOU BOTTLE YOUR WINE



## Waldo (Jun 9, 2006)

The wine is ready to bottle, you have your bottles cleaned, sanitized and ready to receive the fruits of your labor. So you begin bottling and wonder




Do I need to cork each bottle as it is filled? Can I fill 5-6 bottles before corking or can I just go ahead and fill all the bottles and then cork them ?


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## Pepere (Jun 9, 2006)

Okay, I'll bite.






I fill and cork one bottle at a time. I keep reading about air and oxidation, so I hesitate to fill multiple bottles and let them set. I know; as the carboy empties don't I have air in the void? I suppose I do just call me "chicken little."






Waldo, you're making my head hurt this early in the morning.


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## masta (Jun 9, 2006)

Filling all your bottles then corking them should not be an issue becausethe time your bottles are exposed to the air is really not that long. 


The wine should have plenty of sulfites to protect it for this time and the surface area exposed to the air is small due to fact it is just the neck of the bottle.


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## maize (Jun 9, 2006)

I always fill all my bottles - at least a full batch - and cork them all together. I think there is very little exposure with the narrow diameter of the neck of the bottle and probably more in the emptying carboy. Besides, 6 months later, I feel most of these wines are best decanted or at least opened for a bit to release their aroma and flavors.


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## pkcook (Jun 9, 2006)

Full batch and then cork for me.


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## PolishWineP (Jun 9, 2006)

When we bottle together we cork as we go, sometimes having as many as 6 bottles ready for corks. This allows the person running the corker to do other chores along with corking. Otherwise we fill then cork.


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## grapeman (Jun 9, 2006)

Waldo,


You are missing one step in the process-at least mine. 


1)Fill the first bottle.


2)Fill a wine glass.


3)Have a sip to see if it's any good.


4)Fill another bottle.


5)Repeat step 3.


By the way the above steps should be performed in a seated position if at all possible.


6) Continue as above until the glass is empty.


7)Repeat steps 2 and 3 and continue on.


8)When all the bottles are full or the carboy is about empty, you probably have part of a bottle left.


9)Carefully try to stand up and cork those suckers.


10)That part of a bottle probably won't keep, so it should be immediately consumed.


11) You are probably in trouble if you have 3 or 4 batches to bottle- Better recruit some help, they bottle while you drink the samples.


Good Luck!


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## smurfe (Jun 9, 2006)

I fill the bottle and then cork it while the next bottle is filling with the bottle filler. 


Smurfe


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## Angell Wine (Jun 9, 2006)

I'm with Appleman. Repeat step 3.


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## Waldo (Jun 10, 2006)

I would have to agree with Appleman too Angell. Myself, I bottle all of my wine and then cork it. Insofar as I can determine it has been without any negative results. I just thought it intruiging that no where can I recall reading about proper procedure concerning this process and thought it would be interesting to see how everyone else approaches this task. Seems the concensus would be to bottle it all then cork it but then everyone has to do what they feel comfortable with. Thanks everyone for your input. 


And Pepere, I apologize for the headache buddy



*Edited by: Waldo *


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## daveb50 (Jun 10, 2006)

I bottle the contents of a carboy, then cork, if I'm doing it alone. If I have help,we fill and cork at the same time. After we are done bottling there isalways a partial bottle (even if we have to make two partial bottles)



to enjoy while relaxing. Oversampling during bottling can lead to spilled Wine.


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## rgecaprock (Jul 8, 2006)

Well, since I'm to weak to cork with the hand corker(hoping for a floor corker soon) andmy corker-man is still sleeping on a Sunday morning when I'm bottling I just line the bottles up in rows and cover with a big sheet of Saran Wrap until he gets up and around and sometimes that is half a day......no problems leaving them uncorked that long.


Ramona*Edited by: rgecaprock *


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## Vaughn (Jul 10, 2006)

I fill all the bottles, then cork all the bottles. My space is limited so I do better, time wise, if I stick to one step at a time.


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## Wade E (Jul 10, 2006)

I bottle a few and then cork and repeat in between the infamous #3. I'm
afraid I'm going to knock one over and it would be like a game of
Dominoes. That would be the end of the world as we know it!!!!!
*Edited by: wadewade *


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## redwineleo (Jul 10, 2006)

Just got done bottling a batch. I use the vino bottle filler and floor corker. If I don't take breaks for sampling I can cork one bottle while the next one is filling. With the bottle filler automatically shutting off when a bottle is full, I rarely have problems. The only problem I have bottling is the patience to let the stuff age for a while before consuming.


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## Lenore (Jul 11, 2006)

If I am feeling skilled I will cork one while filling the next. Otherwise, I will fill a few, cork a few and repeat until I am done. I agree that sampling while filling could be dangerous, so I save the taste test until after all are filled and corked!!


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## Curt (Jul 11, 2006)

When I have a batch ready to bottle I usually recruit three or four people to help with the process. Rarely do I have a refusal as they know that after the bottling is done we will have a tasting and a BBQ.


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## PolishWineP (Jul 11, 2006)

Curt,


Don't hesitate to post an invitation here on the forum when you need help! I'm sure that _someone_ would be glad to drive a couple hours for a treat like that!


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## TNFISHRMAN (Aug 7, 2006)

I use a mini-jet filter and filterto a 7 gallon sterilizedfermenting bucket then bottle through spigot and bottling wand. I will fill all the bottles then cork. I haven't seen any adverse effects of leaving the wine in the open bucket while bottling and setting in the bottles until finished. Maybe thisis a no-no but no problems here.


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## MedPretzel (Aug 8, 2006)

I bottle in sizes, and cork the different sizes. Or I put the screw-caps on them. It breaks up the monotony of doing one thing at a time. 


Then I let them sit (corked) for about a week, get the bottles wiped down during the week, and then put the labels on them (if I have them ready).


I get to enjoy my work for a whole week before they get put away for at least 6 months. 


M.


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## NorthernWinos (Aug 8, 2006)

We are kind of Low Tech up here at Hamann Hills...
We rack from the carboy into a bucket with a spigot, attach a hose and gravity bottle filler [the one that doesn't have a spring]
I sit on a stool and fill the bottles....I have the bottles cleaned and sanitized in baskets next to where I sit, in arms reach.... I have about 3 bottles in a large cooking pot at a time as I fill them....As I fill the bottles I put them into another cooking pot...[saves knocking them over and spilling any onto the floor]
Jim has the corks ready and he does the plunging of the corks.....While the next bottle fills I hold the Gilda Corker on the center of the bottle and Jim drives the cork down, he then places the full bottle into a plastic crate sitting next to him...grabs another cork and is ready for the next bottle... 
It's like an assembly line. As fast as the bottles fill we have one corked. We can fill and cork 5-6 gallons of wine very quickly...as fast as it flows from the spigot.....We often do a whole batch without stopping....then we 'dispose' of any leftover wine in the appropriate manner...
Have heard a lot of grumbling about the Gilda Corker, it works great if you have 4 hands available, 2 to hold and center the hole, one person to plunge. We use #8 X 1 3/4" corks and rarely have any melfunctions....However.....we can not use any bottles with flange tops...and some that have a bit larger top don't seat right with the cheap-o Gilda's mouth...so we select our bottles carefully. I hold the Gilda, center it, and Jim drives the corks home...it works great for us....
Low Tech...but it works for us.


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## MedPretzel (Aug 8, 2006)

Northern Winos said:


> Have heard a lot of grumbling about the Gilda Corker, it works great if you have 4 hands available, 2 to hold and center the hole, one person to plunge. We use #8 X 1 3/4" corks and rarely have any melfunctions....However.....we can not use any bottles with flange tops...and some that have a bit larger top don't seat right with the cheap-o Gilda's mouth...so we select our bottles carefully. I hold the Gilda, center it, and Jim drives the corks home...it works great for us....
> Low Tech...but it works for us.




I loved my double lever corker, and wish I hadn't sold it. It also works well for a 1-(wo)man production line:


Hold the bottle between your feet, and go to it.


It worked like a charm.


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## NorthernWinos (Aug 8, 2006)

This is how we do it up here on De-Range at Hamann Hills...

First, gather your goodies....






From our Low-Tech storage units....






Rinse the bottles with the high pressure faucet washer, then in One Step...






Rinse with the faucet washer...






Then in Sulfite....







Then to our Low-Tech drying racks...






Then Sanitize your other stuff...






The clean supplies...[NOTE..the hoses hanging over a door knob....said we were Low-Tech up on De-Range]...






Then get the wine ready for racking....this is apple wine that we are going to ***sparkle***...






The rack to a bottling bucket...






This is my Bottling Station....Clean bottles in arms reach, cooking pot to keep bottles from tipping and spills off the floor, another pot for the ones ready to be corked...







Today we didn't use corks on the wine....we used the plastic Champagne stoppers and wire hoods...








All done....just the waiting for the bubbles to form left to do...well there is the shaking of the bottles for 2 months, then the Riddling for 2 weeks, then settling, dègorging and then wait for the bubbles to reform....then enjoy!!!!...IT'S WORTH IT!!!




*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## OldWino1 (Aug 10, 2006)

I see sparking going here. when did you add the extra sugar?


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## NorthernWinos (Aug 10, 2006)

OldWino said:


> I see sparking going here.  when did you add the extra sugar?



We mix 1 3/4 cups of plain white sugar with 2 cups of boiling water..... let it cool and add it at the same time as the rehydrated yeast just before bottling...keep stirring while you bottle to keep the mixtures in suspension...





See Pictorial How to Discussion
SPARKLING WINE

http://www.finevinewines.com/Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1206

IT IS WORTH ALL THE EXTRA EFFORT....Give it a try...



*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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