bulk aging v. bottle aging

[Lurker]

Very interesting, but Wade is not doing a good job of killing his brain. Give it another beer.

 

[Prosseco]

WHen you move the wine from aging in carboy to bottle, do you use campden tablets. If so how do you do that, half a campden tablet in each bottle? Or do you use potassium sorbate/Kmeta? Or do you don't add anything?

 

[JohnT]

I rinse each bottle in k-meta solution before filling.

 

[Johnd]

WHen you move the wine from aging in carboy to bottle, do you use campden tablets. If so how do you do that, half a campden tablet in each bottle? Or do you use potassium sorbate/Kmeta? Or do you don't add anything?

The answer is that it depends. Your SO2 levels should be maintained at the level required by your Ph. If you don't have a means to measure one or both of them, this is what I did prior to measuring SO2 and Ph:
If it's been 2 - 3 months since my last dose of KMS, give it 1/4 tsp of KMS / 6 gallons and bottle it.
If it's been 2 months or less, hit it with 1/8 tsp KMS / 6 gallons and bottle it.

As JohnT said, make sure your bottles are sanitized with KMS before putting your wine into them.

 

[Wiz]

I make Cab Sauv. using an imported concentrate. I bulk age it for 6 months and then bottle. At 9 months it is becoming drinkable and at 11 to 12 months it is ready to go.