Bottling Wine

[brandylupo]

This may be a stupid question but I am very new at this. My wine kit is finally done and ready for bottling. I wont have time to bottle it all tonight, is it bad to bottle only a portion of it tonight and the rest tomorrow? Or would it ruin the rest of the wine? Do I have to do it all at the same time. And do I have to cork each bottle as soon as its full or can I do the bottles and then cork them all. I am bottling by myself and have no one to help.

 

[ASAI]

For a quick answer, others may come along with more info.
It would be best to bottle all at once; from your info it would be better to wait until you have time to do them all. Usually there is no rush on bottling and it is better to wait awhile.
When bottling you will want toput the bottles in small container to catch spillage. I find it most convienant to fill about 6 bottles then cork, etc. Uncorks bottles could find a way of getting knocked over if you wait for the whole batch.

 

[AlFulchino]

preference would be for you to wait and do all at one time...but its not the end of the world if you split it...if its a white i would be reluctant..a red is more forgiving...its all really an oxygen issue

as far as corking immediately after...depends on whether any foam or lots of bubbles are accumulated during your bottling...if this is an issue then simply place a clean cloth over what you have bottled and cork after you see that most of that foam or bubbling is gone

its all a more forgiving process than one might think

 

[brandylupo]

Thanks!

 

[Runningwolf]

If I am bottling by myself I bottle all at once then go back and cork. This is all done in a relatively short amount of time. The Vino gravity filter is pretty quick. I have a bottling crate that can hold 32 bottles and I just go right from one bottle to the next.

 

[PPBart]

If I am bottling by myself I bottle all at once then go back and cork. This is all done in a relatively short amount of time. The Vino gravity filter is pretty quick. I have a bottling crate that can hold 32 bottles and I just go right from one bottle to the next.

I made a plywood tray that holds 36 750-ml bottles securely upright, and simply line it with a piece of 2-mil plastic (e.g., painter's dropcloth) before bottling. Once all the bottles are filled and corked, the plastic is gathered up and tossed in the trash -- no worries about spills.

 

[tonyt]

I guess I have been lucky. I fill them all and line them up on the kitchen floor. Then cork them all. I spread a bath towel under the bottles I am filling since I do seem to always over flow a couple. Bottling is always a Saturday or Sunday afternoon long event. Just let it wait in a topped up Carboy till you have 3 or 4 hours to devote to it.

 

[Bartman]

@ ttortorice: Including re-sanitizing the cleaned bottles, bottling and corking takes me from 1.5 to 2 hours total. Labeling is done later, but I usually have a couple helpers who will pitch in with the "stickers".

 

[tonyt]

@ ttortorice: Including re-sanitizing the cleaned bottles, bottling and corking takes me from 1.5 to 2 hours total. Labeling is done later, but I usually have a couple helpers who will pitch in with the "stickers".

Well Bart, I did say it was an "event". I put some Verdi or Puccini on, have a little cheese and crustini. and of course I have to sample a split of a previous bottling. It's a hobby not a job, right? Chin chin.