No bottle shock when "bottling" to BIB?

[buttonsrtoys]

I'm bulk ageing my first batches of wine in carboys and plan to "bottle" my first one into Juggage BIBs when in reaches six weeks, provided its mature enough to drink. I've been reading a bit on bottle shock. This thread http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25619 suggest that the pressure in bottles causes bottle shock. So not a concern with BIBs?

 

[Norton]

I assume that there is a lot less bottle shock if corks aren't used but I haven't done a taste test yet on that

 

[buttonsrtoys]

Is it generally accepted that it's the pressure from corking that causes bottle shock, as suggested in the post I linked?

 

[Johnd]

Is it generally accepted that it's the pressure from corking that causes bottle shock, as suggested in the post I linked?

I am no authority regarding bottle shock, having only read what others have written on the subject, and I'm certain that there's a lot more out there to read.

Many of the writings treat the causes as theories more than fact, but are mostly in agreement that bottle shock (or bottle sickness) does indeed exist. Many associate it with older, more fragile wines, and new wines. Seemingly, many cite the causes as the disruption of the biochemical changes that wines go through throughout their life cycles. Things like shipping long distances, general jostling around of the wines, requiring a settling down period of a month or so to get back to par.

The only reference to pressure created by corking a bottle that I saw, was in the thread you linked to from one of our members here, but that doesn't mean it's not a potential causation. Bottling and corking wine, no matter how gentle, certainly seems to fit the bill as generally rough, jostling treatment of wine, who's to know if it's the bottling process or corking pressures?

Personally, I believe that, other than good raw materials and good artful technique, time is an important ingredient in good winemaking, so why not wait a while? Maybe even experiment after you put your wine in its new vessel, try it right away and then once a week for the next couple months and see what happens to it. I'd be curious to hear of your results.......

 

[cgallamo]

Is it generally accepted that it's the pressure from corking that causes bottle shock, as suggested in the post I linked?

No, it is generally accepted that it is the the dramatic exposure to oxygen that causes the shock. Corking does pressurize the wine temporarily, forcing in more oxygen, but you will most likely still experience bottle shock going into jugs as well. But the larger volume will actually help you. You could purge the bottles with an inert gas if you want to reduce the shock.

 

[cgallamo]

This may help:

http://www.eckraus.com/blog/what-is-bottle-shock

 

[Johnd]

No, it is generally accepted that it is the the dramatic exposure to oxygen that causes the shock.

As usual, the pundits are not of like mind, see the attached clip from the Q&A section of Wine Spectator. Old wines suffering bottle shock have received no dramatic exposure to oxygen:

“Bottle shock” or “bottle sickness” are terms used to describe a temporary condition in a wine where its flavors are muted or disjointed. There are two main scenarios when bottle shock sets in: either right after bottling, or when wines (especially fragile older wines) are shaken in travel. Usually a few days of rest is the cure. The evidence for this phenomenon is more anecdotal than scientific, but the theory is that all the complex elements in wine (phenolics, tannins and compounds) are constantly evolving, both on their own and in relation to each other. Heat or motion can add stress to this evolution, causing the wine to shut down temporarily.

Most wines are fine if you take them from a lying-down position to an upright one. It’s the older, more fragile bottles that need special handling. When a wine hits the 10-year mark or so, there’s probably a fair bit of sediment in it. Sediment is a byproduct of aging wine, as phenolic molecules combine to form tannin polymers that precipitate out of the liquid. Disturbing the sediment won’t necessarily cause the wine to go into bottle shock, but it might be unpleasant to have all that gritty sediment floating around in your wine.

What to do next is a point not always agreed upon. Many people—myself included—will stand an older bottle upright for at least a couple of days before opening it and decanting it off its sediment. Others say this will disturb the wine too much, and that the sediment will be so released into suspension it will take months to clear up. But if the wine in question is relatively new, without any sediment, you don’t have to worry about it.

 

[cgallamo]

As usual, the pundits are not of like mind, see the attached clip from the Q&A section of Wine Spectator. Old wines suffering bottle shock have received no dramatic exposure to oxygen:.

John great points as always - I agree it is an open question. So it was incorrect to say there is a "generally accepted" position on this. Seems like the difference is in a finished wine that is decades old vs. a new wine that is going from carboy to bottle or jug.

I think in this case, with a new wine, it is the oxygen.

 

[Johnd]

John great points as always - I agree it is an open question. So it was incorrect to say there is a "generally accepted" position on this. Seems like the difference is in a finished wine that is decades old vs. a new wine that is going from carboy to bottle or jug.

I think in this case, with a new wine, it is the oxygen.

No worries, we need to challenge each other a bit, we all learn from that. Your point is also well made and seems reasonable, given the activities that occur at bottling. I don't know what the right answer is, but I know to leave my wines alone for a while after bottling, as well as when I have wines shipped to me. Regardless of whether or not you know why your hand hurts when you stick it in the fire, you learn not to stick it in there.

 

[cgallamo]

No worries, we need to challenge each other a bit, we all learn from that. Your point is also well made and seems reasonable, given the activities that occur at bottling. I don't know what the right answer is, but I know to leave my wines alone for a while after bottling, as well as when I have wines shipped to me. Regardless of whether or not you know why your hand hurts when you stick it in the fire, you learn not to stick it in there.

Agreed! One thing I know is that all the wineries around here use argon gas for the last racking and for bottling. I have started to do this as well in the basement. I have noticed a difference in recovery time, but I have to admit it could be psychosomatic