Bottling

[derekjames100]

I added my sulfite and stirred it in to prep for bottling....but now I can't bottle because I agitated the lees? How long do I wait? Do I need more sulfite if I wait a week?

 

[Johnd]

I added my sulfite and stirred it in to prep for bottling....but now I can't bottle because I agitated the lees? How long do I wait? Do I need more sulfite if I wait a week?

You'll need to wait for the lees to settle and your wine to clear. Best practice is to rack off of the lees to a new carboy, sulfite in the new carboy, and bottle from there.

 

[derekjames100]

You'll need to wait for the lees to settle and your wine to clear. Best practice is to rack off of the lees to a new carboy, sulfite in the new carboy, and bottle from there.

Ugh....makes sense


Do you mean 3 months? Did I just undo everything?

 

[Floandgary]

What wine is it??? How long has it been in the carboy??? How many rackings/sulfites has it been subject to??? With patience and enough rack-overs, You'll be able to bottle without worrying about lees or any other sediments!!

 

[Johnd]

Ugh....makes sense


Do you mean 3 months? Did I just undo everything?

Typically, once the lees have settled and you disturb them, they settle back more quickly, but I can't tell you how long it'll take. Don't bottle cloudy wine!! Just let it be a lesson that you'll survive, and get some additional age on your wine before bottling.

Even when your proficient at racking, bottling out of a carboy with lees is a risky proposition if you want nice clear wine.

 

[derekjames100]

Typically, once the lees have settled and you disturb them, they settle back more quickly, but I can't tell you how long it'll take. Don't bottle cloudy wine!! Just let it be a lesson that you'll survive, and get some additional age on your wine before bottling.



Even when your proficient at racking, bottling out of a carboy with lees is a risky proposition if you want nice clear wine.

Seems so obvious now! I was trying to save a step...

 

[pete1325]

You'll be fine......wait a few weeks, rack, wait a couple more and bottle.

 

[heatherd]

I agree with @Johnd - I always rack before bottling.

 

[Luse_Cellar]

To speed up the process you could try fining with bentonite, it's not a bad idea before bottling anyways.

 

[Amanda660]

I always rack before bottling - I want to basically be able to read through it in a wine glass before I bottle. A long time ago in a not so far away land.....well.....anyways I tried to skip a step and I bottled a cloudy wine. All I have to say is once you do bottle a cloudy wine, realize what you did...you'll never do it again.

 

[winehomie]

I always rack before bottling - I want to basically be able to read through it in a wine glass before I bottle. A long time ago in a not so far away land.....well.....anyways I tried to skip a step and I bottled a cloudy wine. All I have to say is once you do bottle a cloudy wine, realize what you did...you'll never do it again.

+1 on the never bottle cloudy, nothing like picking up a bottle of wine and having it blow up in your hand lol, luckily I had a hold of the neck with the bottle down by my leg and didn't get cut with any shrapnel but I did one heck of a mess to clean up.