Decant direct from fermenting vessel.

[Geordie guy]

Hi, I've obviously never made wine before because I'm asking such a stupid question, but can you fit a tap to the bottom of a fermenting vessel to decant red wine direct into a glass? I imagine the answer is a big NO but just wondering why as it would save time on cleaning bottles etc.

 

[Boatboy24]

You certainly could. But I wouldn't recommend it. One alternative could be the wine-in-a-bag setup.

 

[Geordie guy]

You certainly could. But I wouldn't recommend it. One alternative could be the wine-in-a-bag setup.

Thank you for your reply but can I ask why you wouldn't recommend it? Would it go off? ( I normally drink about 3 to 4 litres of red wine per week ) Also what is the wine-in-a-bag setup all about?

 

[Ajmassa]

Thank you for your reply but can I ask why you wouldn't recommend it? Would it go off? ( I normally drink about 3 to 4 litres of red wine per week ) Also what is the wine-in-a-bag setup all about?

Well they actually do have these. Spigots attatched to aging vessels. But the reason you don’t use it like a big ol wine dispenser is because the level of wine decreases leaving space for oxygen which will ultimately oxidize and ruin the wine. (I think this is what your asking at least)

As a teenager I did not realize this. Thought I was slick dipping into the old mans demijohn. ——- yeah, I got caught lol.

 

[Johnd]

The other reason is that wine is nowhere near ready to drink while it’s in a fermentation vessel. The yeast, skins, seeds, stems, and lots of sediment are still suspended in the wine and need time to be removed / settle out, which we do in different vessels, mostly to eliminate oxygen exposure, as AJ stated above. It can take months for the wine to clear, and years before the wine mellows, becomes harmonious, and fully develops its unique flavor profile. If you like the taste of a well oaked, barrel aged wine, time is needed for that too.

 

[Geordie guy]

Thank you for your reply Ajmassa. I knew there would be a reason for it not being done. That makes sense. I guess i'll just have to get cleaning some bottles then.. Cheers

 

[Ajmassa]

If your looking for ways to have your wine supply easily accessed there’s a few options. Bagged wine is an option like @Boatboy24 said.
And I like these canonball kegs. It’s 1.75gal (about 6.5L) and protects the wine from O2 with nitrogen as the wine level decreases- keeping the wine safe- and on tap.

 

[Steve Wargo]

Hi, I've obviously never made wine before because I'm asking such a stupid question, but can you fit a tap to the bottom of a fermenting vessel to decant red wine direct into a glass? I imagine the answer is a big NO but just wondering why as it would save time on cleaning bottles etc.

If you like your wine sooner than later. Siphon the wine into 1-gallon plastic water jugs, and smaller plastic juice bottles, even into plastic water bottles to the neck. Seal the plastic containers with the plastic caps that came with the containers. Once a day, unscrew caps slightly to let off any pressure in the plastic jugs/containers and tighten. There is no right or wrong way. I imagine by the question that the wine you made wasn't meant for long life term storage. Drink it how you wish be happy.

 

[Rice_Guy]

You certainly could. But I wouldn't recommend it. One alternative could be the wine-in-a-bag setup.

Where do you source your bags? What is the specification for oxygen transmission?

 

[Rice_Guy]

. can you fit a tap to the bottom of a fermenting vessel to decant red wine direct into a glass? .

I have read that one traditional storage/serving system in Italy was a large crock with spigot. To minimize oxidation a round board(s) was on top and a thin film of olive oil was added.
Considering the choices we have with plastics today, it sounded primitive. I have some wine in cubitainer (LDPE camping water) containers. I keep asking the wine toys shop for something with a good barrier that does variable capacity to make the step down from a five gallon/three gallon carboy but they haven’t offered a commercial solution.

This 4 gallons of wine is using a 0.1 kpa check valve.

 

[Boatboy24]

Where do you source your bags? What is the specification for oxygen transmission?

I've never used them. Hopefully someone with experience can chime in.

 

[stickman]

I've never used any of the bags either, but I did see the Astropaq bags in different sizes, they list the OTR for the film they use. You have to calculate the actual O2 ingress for the particular bag capacity, using the number below I get roughly .7 cc/l/month, this only considers O2 through the film and not around the bung etc. This isn't terrible for bulk aging a red wine considering a barrel might be in the range of 1 to 2 cc/l/month. Probably not good for long term aging of red or white wine.

https://www.amazon.com/Astropaq-Wine-Eco-Friendly-Bottle-Alternative/dp/B01E7MZ6ZU?th=1
18L Bag-In-Box Bags
Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) less than 0.0645 cc/100in2/day (@73.4 def F, 0% RH).