Bottled too soon

x_diver · Jul 2, 2013

I made my first 5 gallon batch of Welch's and bottled after only 8 weeks. Yes, I screwed up. I am learning to be more patient and subsequent batches sit in secondary for six months before I even thinking about bottling.

Anyway, whenever I open a bottle of my prematurely bottled Welch's, it is slightly fizzy. If I leave it in the bottle longer, will it work itself out? Or should I just open it, decant it, and then drink it now?

Runningwolf · Jul 2, 2013

BUMMER, join the crowd! I just dumped 30 bottles of chardonnay back into a carboy that aged for 8 months and was in the bottle for two when it decided to go through mlf. The easy thing to do is pour it back into a carboy and degas. It sure beats having corks blowing off.

Thig · Jul 2, 2013

I am beginning to think that being a procrastinator has its virtues. I made my first batch of wine last September and have not bottled it yet, but I will very soon.

dangerdave · Jul 2, 2013

I tell everyone that being slightly OCD and very procrastinatory makes for great wine!

It will not "work itself out", x diver. Like Dan said, it needs more degassing. We have all had to unbottle a batch for various reasons. Just last month, I bottled five gallons that needed a little sugar for back sweetening. Following my bench testing, I forgot to add sugar to the carboy. Twenty-five bottles later, I was sipping on the dry left-overs, and thinking, "Crap!"

I watched TV with my wife while I uncorked them all and dumped them back into the carboy---choking down some bitter pride. A little sugar later, and it was perfect, so back in the bottles it went!

Hokapsig · Jul 2, 2013

Mine sit for at least 6 months, but I have some that have been sitting for 18 months.

Also for your fizzing issue (which my early wines had plenty of), I very much recommend an Allinone pump. Racking with that cured my case of the fizzies.