# Bad Habits



## hounddawg (Aug 31, 2021)

i've grew into a very bad habit, of which i plan to change,, 
i have gotten in to the habit of bottling 10 to 50 cases at a time, then forget what's what, i'm breaking that habit from here on out, I'll only bottle one type, wheiter it be 2 or 3 cases or 25 cases of only one type, then label and put in storage, then and only then will,, i start the next type of wine, good Lord willing, I'll start bottleing tomorrow, got me a few extra packs of ink, got a pile of unopened cases of bottles, another stack of clean bottles, i went about getting things ready, sadly i found about 4 cases of bottles with labels not yet cleaned, so come morning i'm cleaning bottles, with hopes of bottling a few small batches, i got 1# 6-gal of banana , 1# 6 gal of frezzer dump, at 2 years of aging, well at least i hope to get that much for starters, going to half to get up early..
i gotta first hook all the mules to the barn wall, poor, poor me, I hope my arm don't break patting myself on the back, pour,, poue mi,,, if i had a brain it would rattle, 
Dawg


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## G259 (Aug 31, 2021)

Yeah, I can hear it a little i think (rattle) lol! Mostly, with all these cases of wine, can I be in your will?

One at a time would be my go-to as well.


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## hounddawg (Aug 31, 2021)

G259 said:


> Yeah, I can hear it a little i think (rattle) lol! Mostly, with all these cases of wine, can I be in your will?


so i take it you wish me to will you some wine, lol
and yes my brain rattles like a BB in a boxcar lol
Dawg


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## G259 (Aug 31, 2021)

Nah! Drink it before you're gone. You can't taste it after that (I think).


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## Sailor323 (Sep 1, 2021)

Yeah, I've had a similar problem. A couple of times I had 7 or 8 carboys of wine underway, some reds, some whites. They were unlabeled and it took a bit of forensic detective work to remember which varieties were in which carboys. Now, I label each carboy with the variety and dates of actions completed


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## Jovimaple (Sep 1, 2021)

My dad made wine when I was growing up, and he still had his log books and gave them to me when I started making wine last year. I don't remember how he labeled the carboys, but I do remember he would write the batch number on each cork - he never had labels that I recall and it was before personal computers/printers. So I have mostly started out with good record keeping habits. I also don't have room to have as many batches of deliciousness going at once, like Dawg has!


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## cmason1957 (Sep 1, 2021)

On each carboy I have going, I hang a sheet protector with twine to hold it around the neck. Into the sheet protector goes a sheet of paper with recipe, even kits. This gives me a very quick place to pull out the sheet, make notes, put sampling information, record everything I do to that batch. After they are done, the sheets of paper go into a notebook. It works for me. 

If I bottle multiple things at the same time, each box gets a colored dot on it, same dot goes on the note sheet. Easy enough to know what's in what.


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## vacuumpumpman (Sep 2, 2021)

Sailor323 said:


> Yeah, I've had a similar problem. A couple of times I had 7 or 8 carboys of wine underway, some reds, some whites. They were unlabeled and it took a bit of forensic detective work to remember which varieties were in which carboys. Now, I label each carboy with the variety and dates of actions completed



I was definitely guilty of looking on the floor and discovering the tape from the carboy came off and trying to rember which one it belonged to. I got so fed-up I made reusable labels to hang on the carboys now. = Reusable Carboy Tags - 2 sided –dry erase,permanent marker,grease pen

I just recently started putting labels on our bottles and dressing them up a bit - The labels peel off easily with no residue and costs around .30 each bottle.


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## Vern (Sep 2, 2021)

vacuumpumpman said:


> I was definitely guilty of looking on the floor and discovering the tape from the carboy came off and trying to rember which one it belonged to. I got so fed-up I made reusable labels to hang on the carboys now. = Reusable Carboy Tags - 2 sided –dry erase,permanent marker,grease pen
> 
> I just recently started putting labels on our bottles and dressing them up a bit - The labels peel off easily with no residue and costs around .30 each bottle.
> 
> ...


Nice job


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## joeswine (Sep 2, 2021)

A good plan is the key to good control.  however occasionally madness is fun also.


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## G259 (Sep 2, 2021)

I'm so ghetto, I have a 2"x2" piece of paper taped to the bottle, with the type and date written on it! I don't care, my taste testers don't care, easy peasy lol! It's just a single piece of tape, securing the tag as well!
It's all about the wine.


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## hounddawg (Sep 2, 2021)

G259 said:


> I'm so ghetto, I have a 2"x2" piece of paper taped to the bottle, with the type and date written on it! I don't care, my taste testers don't care, easy peasy lol! It's just a single piece of tape, securing the tag as well!
> It's all about the wine.


oh you just made me hurt,, i'm laughing so hard,,,,
Dawg


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## hounddawg (Sep 2, 2021)

had quite a few more bottles then i knew about, so bottling come tomorrow,,, I hope
Dawg


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## bstnh1 (Sep 3, 2021)

I put a yellow sticky on each carboy with the name and date. Sometimes I help it with a small piece of Scotch tape just to be sure it stays. Learned my lesson on that long ago.


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## BernardSmith (Sep 3, 2021)

Lovely labels, but I don't dress my bottles in such fashionable clothes. I do attach a label (copy paper with a glue stick). but the label is very instrumental. It identifies the wine, its main ingredients, the yeast, the ABV, the sweetness level and the date when I pitched the yeast and when I bottled the wine.


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## Old Corker (Sep 3, 2021)

The last batch I bottled was a month ago and I did something I've not done before. It was a WE Reserve Amarone that came with labels so I used them but still added my normal dry erase bottle notes of Kit # and bottling date. What I did different was to also number the bottles. 1/30, 2/30 and so on. Not sure if it's something I will keep doing. Just trying it.


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## bstnh1 (Sep 3, 2021)

Old Corker said:


> The last batch I bottled was a month ago and I did something I've not done before. It was a WE Reserve Amarone that came with labels so I used them but still added my normal dry erase bottle notes of Kit # and bottling date. What I did different was to also number the bottles. 1/30, 2/30 and so on. Not sure if it's something I will keep doing. Just trying it.


Maybe I'm missing something, but what is the benefit of numbering the bottles?


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## BernardSmith (Sep 3, 2021)

I don't number bottles but I think that that is a great idea I have often considered. This for two very different reasons. First, if I pick a bottle sequentially, and I have in my hand 25/30 I know immediately that there should be 5 bottles remaining. AND secondly, even if I don't pick bottles sequentially but have numbered them in the order I bottled them I may treat the first bottle and certainly the last bottle from that batch as more likely to be a possibly poorer bottle: the last MAY have more potential for lees or be sweeter; the first may be less sweet - all other things being equal.


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## bstnh1 (Sep 3, 2021)

BernardSmith said:


> I don't number bottles but I think that that is a great idea I have often considered. This for two very different reasons. First, if I pick a bottle sequentially, and I have in my hand 25/30 I know immediately that there should be 5 bottles remaining. AND secondly, even if I don't pick bottles sequentially but have numbered them in the order I bottled them I may treat the first bottle and certainly the last bottle from that batch as more likely to be a possibly poorer bottle: the last MAY have more potential for lees or be sweeter; the first may be less sweet - all other things being equal.


I label the first and last bottle with a note to that affect written right on the label.


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## Old Corker (Sep 3, 2021)

BernardSmith said:


> I don't number bottles but I think that that is a great idea I have often considered. This for two very different reasons. First, if I pick a bottle sequentially, and I have in my hand 25/30 I know immediately that there should be 5 bottles remaining. AND secondly, even if I don't pick bottles sequentially but have numbered them in the order I bottled them I may treat the first bottle and certainly the last bottle from that batch as more likely to be a possibly poorer bottle: the last MAY have more potential for lees or be sweeter; the first may be less sweet - all other things being equal.


Your fist reason is why I did it. Mine are not numbered in the sequence they were bottled but I like that idea and may do that next time. My setup requires that the bottles get moved a couple of times before getting laid in the rack for bottle aging. I would have to add a layer of discipline to number them sequentially. I get the last bottle being different but why would the first?


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## BernardSmith (Sep 3, 2021)

Never certain that the first bottle is slightly different but the tap is at the bottom of the bucket and I add any sugars for back sweetening at the top and then stir but I don't stir as if adding oxygen is unimportant and I don't stir the same way I do when I add rennet to milk when I am making cheese. So I "see" two possible troubles - one the syrup has not totally been amalgamated into the wine top to bottom and side to side and although the syrup is more dense than the wine (by definition) MORE may have dropped to the bottom below the spout than is spread throughout the rest and two- as the wine is transferred into bottles the sugars may slowly collect towards the bottom even given the time it takes to bottle 3 or 5 or 6 gallons (I assume that this is far less of a problem with one gallon batches) and so the first bottle - filled from wine just above the spigot may have less sugar than than the wine ABOVE that level and the last bottle may be filled with wine that has a higher concentration of sugar than any other bottle a) because at that point I have angled the bucket to allow the wine from beneath the spigot to fill that last bottle... 
As I say, I generally do not number the bottles but I often think about doing so. What I do is place the first and the last bottle aside and place them on the bottle rack separately or I may place an asterisk on the label to tell me that those bottles are for home consumption and they are not to be given away to friends or relatives.


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## bstnh1 (Sep 3, 2021)

BernardSmith said:


> Never certain that the first bottle is slightly different but the tap is at the bottom of the bucket and I add any sugars for back sweetening at the top and then stir but I don't stir as if adding oxygen is unimportant and I don't stir the same way I do when I add rennet to milk when I am making cheese. So I "see" two possible troubles - one the syrup has not totally been amalgamated into the wine top to bottom and side to side and although the syrup is more dense than the wine (by definition) MORE may have dropped to the bottom below the spout than is spread throughout the rest and two- as the wine is transferred into bottles the sugars may slowly collect towards the bottom even given the time it takes to bottle 3 or 5 or 6 gallons (I assume that this is far less of a problem with one gallon batches) and so the first bottle - filled from wine just above the spigot may have less sugar than than the wine ABOVE that level and the last bottle may be filled with wine that has a higher concentration of sugar than any other bottle a) because at that point I have angled the bucket to allow the wine from beneath the spigot to fill that last bottle...
> As I say, I generally do not number the bottles but I often think about doi king so. What I do is place the first and the last bottle aside and place them on the bottle rack separately or I may place an asterisk on the label to tell me that those bottles are for home consumption and they are not to be given away to friends or relatives.


The reason I keep track of the first bottle is that I do not rinse Kmeta from my autosiphon, hose or bottling wand. I've never really noticed any difference because of that, but I dont want to take a chance on giving someone a bottle of Cabernet-kmeta!


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## winemaker81 (Sep 3, 2021)

I often have SOOO many different wines in production that without labels I'd have no idea which is which.

I make labels and using string-n-tape to mark each carboy. I also use painter's tape, which is writable with Sharpies and does not fall off.

Bottles get labels, for all the above reasons.


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## joeswine (Sep 4, 2021)

AVERY IS A INEXPENSIVE LABELING PROCESS.


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## Dan M (Sep 4, 2021)

bstnh1 said:


> I put a yellow sticky on each carboy with the name and date. Sometimes I help it with a small piece of Scotch tape just to be sure it stays. Learned my lesson on that long ago.



The tape is important. My dog thinks post-its are delicious...

At this point, I only have about a dozen different wines bottled, so I don't use labels on the bottles. I do put different colored shrink caps on them and list this in a spreadsheet in case I forget. I realize that if I get too many wines, I will run out of colors, but it works for now.


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## mikewatkins727 (Sep 4, 2021)

bstnh1 said:


> Maybe I'm missing something, but what is the benefit of numbering the bottles?


. . . the fun of numbering your bottles. Actually, the program I use for creating labels has a numbering function. Thiink I'll check this out. Thanks for bring up the subject of "Why?"


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## mikewatkins727 (Sep 4, 2021)

BernardSmith said:


> Never certain that the first bottle is slightly different but the tap is at the bottom of the bucket and I add any sugars for back sweetening at the top and then stir but I don't stir as if adding oxygen is unimportant and I don't stir the same way I do when I add rennet to milk when I am making cheese. So I "see" two possible troubles - one the syrup has not totally been amalgamated into the wine top to bottom and side to side and although the syrup is more dense than the wine (by definition) MORE may have dropped to the bottom below the spout than is spread throughout the rest and two- as the wine is transferred into bottles the sugars may slowly collect towards the bottom even given the time it takes to bottle 3 or 5 or 6 gallons (I assume that this is far less of a problem with one gallon batches) and so the first bottle - filled from wine just above the spigot may have less sugar than than the wine ABOVE that level and the last bottle may be filled with wine that has a higher concentration of sugar than any other bottle a) because at that point I have angled the bucket to allow the wine from beneath the spigot to fill that last bottle...
> As I say, I generally do not number the bottles but I often think about doing so. What I do is place the first and the last bottle aside and place them on the bottle rack separately or I may place an asterisk on the label to tell me that those bottles are for home consumption and they are not to be given away to friends or relatives.


This thought came to me several years ago. I crossed that bridge by back sweetening long before bottling. Also I use the AOI system and this helps to "quietly" rack and mix the wine & sugar. Setup is quite simple: use a long dip tube to get to the bottom of the donor carboy and a long dip tube in the receptor carboy to which I have already added the sugar solution. The incoming wine swirls and mixes the wine/sugar solution.


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## vacuumpumpman (Sep 4, 2021)

mikewatkins727 said:


> This thought came to me several years ago. I crossed that bridge by back sweetening long before bottling. Also I use the AOI system and this helps to "quietly" rack and mix the wine & sugar. Setup is quite simple: use a long dip tube to get to the bottom of the donor carboy and a long dip tube in the receptor carboy to which I have already added the sugar solution. The incoming wine swirls and mixes the wine/sugar solution.



I guess an OLD DOG can still learn new tricks - I really like this idea and I am going to start using it - NOW - Thanks Again -Steve


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## joeswine (Sep 5, 2021)

Call me old , but isn't that where your supposed to add the simple syrup? In the primary once you knew what your final SG. Was.
Or am I misunderstanding this thread.


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## mikewatkins727 (Sep 5, 2021)

@joeswine Maybe I can expand on this a little to help clarify. After the wine has finished ferment and has aged a min. of 3 - 4 months I bench test for sweetness. After deciding how much simple sugar to add, I add it to an empty carboy (the receptor carboy). I then set up the apparatus with the AOI and dip tubes that reach the bottom of the carboys. The swirling action of the incoming wine into the empty carboy with sugar solution mixes the wine and simple sugar. I will let the wine set for several weeks after backsweetening before bottling.

Yes, you could add the simple sugar to the wine in the carboy straight away but then you are left with the problem of stirring/mixing the wine without over oxidation.


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## winemaker81 (Sep 5, 2021)

I use a process like @mikewatkins727's for adding K-meta and other additives at racking time. I start the rack so there is wine in the primary, then add the K-meta, give it a brief stir, and let the rack complete.

I've done this with backsweetening, and afterward checked the SG of samples taken from several places and depths. Since I got the same reading in all samples, I was satisfied the sugar was mixed properly.

With dry chemicals, I learned to add _after _there was wine in the primary. One time I dumped K-meta into a damp primary (had rinsed with K-meta water), and when I was done racking back into the carboy, most of the K-meta was in a lump on the bottom of the fermenter. There had been enough liquid to make it into a paste, and the wine did not dissolve it.


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## bstnh1 (Sep 5, 2021)

winemaker81 said:


> I use a process like @mikewatkins727's for adding K-meta and other additives at racking time. I start the rack so there is wine in the primary, then add the K-meta, give it a brief stir, and let the rack complete.
> 
> I've done this with backsweetening, and afterward checked the SG of samples taken from several places and depths. Since I got the same reading in all samples, I was satisfied the sugar was mixed properly.
> 
> With dry chemicals, I learned to add _after _there was wine in the primary. One time I dumped K-meta into a damp primary (had rinsed with K-meta water), and when I was done racking back into the carboy, most of the K-meta was in a lump on the bottom of the fermenter. There had been enough liquid to make it into a paste, and the wine did not dissolve it.


I'm not a big fan of dumping dry chemicals into an empty or full carboy. I prefer dissolving Kmeta, etc. in a bit of spring water or wine and adding it to the empty carboy before racki.ng


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## joeswine (Sep 6, 2021)

I think what I'm saying is just my way, nothing more. 
My process starts out with knowing the starting SG target, but the final sugar level.. at the finish.
Maybe it's me but I've never back sweeten any of mine , the wine starts and should finish at beginning of the process.


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## Sage (Sep 6, 2021)

I put different color foil caps on each variety as I bottle. Write date on top and variety or blend on the side with a Sharpie (after the heat gun shrinks them on)


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