WineXpert Making 5 gal from a 6 gal kit

[Goldcup]

What would be the advantage &/or disadvantage of making only 5 gallons from a kit designed to make 6 gallons. Would it turn out ok or ruin it?

Also, would letting it age in the carboy for 6 months before bottling be advantageous ?

Thanks

Joe

 

[rob]

I have a friend that does it all the time, but why would you want to loose 5 bottles of wine?

 

[cpfan]

What would be the advantage &/or disadvantage of making only 5 gallons from a kit designed to make 6 gallons. Would it turn out ok or ruin it?

Also, would letting it age in the carboy for 6 months before bottling be advantageous ?

Thanks

Joe

Disadvantage...no warranty. may screw up the result (especially on the better quality kits)

Advantage...may improve the wine (esp on the lower quality kits)

It's always a good idea to be a patient wine maker. Yes, that includes aging in the carboy. But there is not much difference between aging in the carboy and in bottle. One difference is less chance of sediment in the bottles.

This question is in the Winexpert kit section. Which kit are you thinking about making?

Steve

 

[robie]

A six gallon kit is formulated to be six gallons, not 5. Things like acid level, PH, and other things may not turn out right.

I would not change the volume from 6 gallons.

 

[BrownBeer]

I just started a vino italiano cab on Saturday.
I added two cans of welch's white concentrate and oaked it.
I made it to five and a half gallons instead of six.
Gravity was 1.10 at pitch.
yesterday was down to 1.050
Smells great
So far so good

 

[AlFulchino]

all of the above are great answers and i would only add that when you are ready, and have some time and money to spare...divide up a batch...2.5 gallons ( your reduced version) and alongside it do a 3 gallon version....your call on taste....afterall, its your money, life and enjoyment

 

[rawlus]

A good case for bulk aging over bottling right away is natural degassing that can occur in carboy over time.

 

[cpfan]

A good case for bulk aging over bottling right away is natural degassing that can occur in carboy over time.

Personally I'm not convinced that this is true. It would require that the wine's temperature be kept up about 74F. However, it's not easy for me test this as I usually degas my wine quite well.

But a friend who makes wine from juices, bottles about a year after starting the juice, and he has had problems occasionally with CO2 in wine. He does store the carboys in a cool location (sorry I don't know the temperature).

Steve

 

[Wade E]

I have to agree with cpfan on this 100% Although like cp said temps need to be were they need to be the room I make my wine in stays around 75* as its a small room and the furnace is in there plus a fridge so that running also creates heat. I usually bulk age all my wine around 1 year and now I always degas my wine when its done fermenting. About 2 years back though I didnt as it was right when I started having some patience and let it bulk age long instead of rushing to get it bottled. In that time I had a few batches that I let ride withoiut degassing thinking that time will do it. Maybe it helped but after around 8 months of aging I finally went to deag it and thgis was the result and there are many people who have seen this pic before as I use it as a warning on this and another wine forum to degas very slowly at first!

 

[Goldcup]

5 gal from 6 gal kit

I should clarify my inquiry.

I ferment the primary at 6 gallon, and secondary in the 5 gallon carboy. The extra on gallon is put in a 1 gallon glass jug with bung and trap and allowed to ferment there. When I go through racking steps I always end up with less than 5 gallons in the carboy and I used the wine in the one gallon jug to top off.

I notice that some are topping off with water and some with a bottle of store bought wine of the same flavor profile. My way allows me to utilize all the wine. I think no matter how you cut it, we are only getting 5 gallons of wine from these kits unless you add the water or store wine to make up the difference.

So what is everyones opinion on this technique?

 

[robie]

I should clarify my inquiry.

I ferment the primary at 6 gallon, and secondary in the 5 gallon carboy. The extra on gallon is put in a 1 gallon glass jug with bung and trap and allowed to ferment there. When I go through racking steps I always end up with less than 5 gallons in the carboy and I used the wine in the one gallon jug to top off.

I notice that some are topping off with water and some with a bottle of store bought wine of the same flavor profile. My way allows me to utilize all the wine. I think no matter how you cut it, we are only getting 5 gallons of wine from these kits unless you add the water or store wine to make up the difference.

So what is everyones opinion on this technique?

Never top off with water.

If you keep the carboy topped off, you should get at least 29 bottles from any 6-gallon kit. (I sometimes get 31.) When you rack, you might be throwing away too much good wine with your sediment.

Save the sediment in as small a sanitized glass container as it will fit. Let that settle for several days, then use a sanitized turkey baster to suck off the clean wine. Put it in as small a sanitized container as will hold it and put it in the frig, sealed. Use that wine to top off later. Doing this, you can recover almost a full 750 ml bottle at each racking.

 

[Justin Pichini]

Would brewing a 6 gallon kit in 5 gallon fermenters affect the time of fermentation or ABV?

 

[sour_grapes]

Would brewing a 6 gallon kit in 5 gallon fermenters affect the time of fermentation or ABV?

Well, yes, if everything goes well, it will increase the ABV by a factor of 6/5 (or 1.2). So if it was supposed to be a 12% wine, it would be a 14.4% wine.

As for time of fermentation, I don't think it is possible to say. The yeast may be sluggish starting in such a high-sugar environment, or they may take off like gangbusters. Not sure.