# Bottling after barreling



## ColemanM (Mar 22, 2017)

I've got a Malbec coming out of the barrel tomorrow and I was just curious to see what you all do. How long do you let the wine sit in another carboy before you bottle? Do you go right from barrel to bottle?


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## Johnd (Mar 22, 2017)

ColemanM said:


> I've got a Malbec coming out of the barrel tomorrow and I was just curious to see what you all do. How long do you let the wine sit in another carboy before you bottle? Do you go right from barrel to bottle?



Not typically, I like to let it sit for at least a few weeks, do some tasting, adjusting, and final sulfite prior to bottling.


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## Boatboy24 (Mar 22, 2017)

I do the same as John. I target one month from barrel 'extraction'. I taste it when it comes out of the barrel, then I taste/test a week or so later. If no adjustments, I bottle in the next few weeks. If I want to adjust, well that just adds more time.


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## ColemanM (Mar 22, 2017)

Is it because of adjustments or sediment?


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## Johny99 (Mar 22, 2017)

If I like it from the barrel, I bottle from it. Sulphites adjusted in the barrel 2-3 weeks prior. I figure I avoid one more aeration and it is well settled so why stir it up. Note I use 50 and 100 liter barrels and don't have a variable tank to go to.


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## Johnd (Mar 23, 2017)

ColemanM said:


> Is it because of adjustments or sediment?



For me, it's both, plus getting it properly sulfited. I go to glass, let it settle a while, taste and test, adjust as needed, let it settle down a bit, taste and bottle. Even when wine has been carboyed for many months, there's still usually some gritty sediment in the bottom of the barrel, don't want that in the bottles.


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## NorCal (Mar 23, 2017)

I rack into a flex/carboys, SO2 a day before in prep if the bottling crew.


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## ColemanM (Mar 23, 2017)

Thanks for your reply guys.


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## Boatboy24 (Mar 23, 2017)

ColemanM said:


> Is it because of adjustments or sediment?



A bit of both. Usually, the wines are pretty much clear when they go into the barrel, but there could always be something in there. And with the barrel, you can't just look at the bottom to check, like you can with a carboy. I do not use the anti-sediment tip on the racking cane when pulling from the barrel, so those couple weeks are just one final chance to make sure its where I want it and let anything settle that hasn't. I will then do another racking when I bottle.


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## JohnT (Mar 23, 2017)

I normally de-barrel by swapping the wine that I have in a 300l SSVC tank with the contents of the 225l barrel. From there, I let is settle a bit, adjust the SO2, then bottle a month or two later.


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