Time between final racking & bottling?
- Thread starter Bmd2k1
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I'll preface this by saying I am a relatively new winemaker so not as experienced as many folks here; after a post fining racking I do 6 month bulk aging then bottle.
If I'm understanding the question you should always rack just prior to bottling after your preferred aging time. Bulk aging and the racking regime is a bit of a personal preference.
I don't bulk age very long - whites 4-6 weeks usually; reds I might go 2 -3 months. Never had a problem with any sediment even though I don't filter. BUT, I rack several times during those periods and won't consider bottling until I see a racking with zero sediment and then I wait and rack again in two weeks and bottle.
Similar to above. I hold in bulk for twelve to eighteen months - racking every three months in the early phases. Then a final rack and general check up a day or two before bottling. I also don’t filter or use heavy fining agents. K-meta at each racking.
I'm in my 4th year of making wine (all kits) and am still honing my process. I don't think I've done the final rack to bottle piece the exact same way twice yet. I stopped using fining agents over a year ago letting time do the work and have recently started leaving out the bentonite. I do filter. Started doing it on my second batch and I like the way my wine looks so just keep doing it. I don't know if filtering has a negative impact on the wine. I have heard enough people on this forum say they don't to make me wonder but I do not know if it is because it is simply not necessary. To answer your question though. I have bottled immediately after filtering and as long as a day or two after. My preferred target timing is to filter in the morning and bottle that evening. With that I usually don't bother with topping up for those few hours and it usually leaves very little head space.
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For me, it varies with each batch, as I'm looking for the wine to be clear, degassed, and taste good.
That regimen makes good sense to me. It all depends on the wine, of course. My 2019, which earned a bronze in the American Wine Society Amateur competition, I bottled after 10 months but my 2020 will wait a full 12 months or longer before I decide to bottle, just because of how it is progressing. I taste test and measure my wines often to assess readiness for bottling.
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@Bmd2k1, if I understand your question correctly, my answer is zero. I rack during bulk aging only if I have a significant buildup of sediment -- gross lees. By the time the wine is bulk aging there should be no gross lees ... but stuff happens.
If I see a layer of fine lees, which is yeast solids, I don't rack. Regardless, I add 1/4 tsp K-meta per 5/6 gallons of wine at each racking, and every 3 months during bulk aging.
The following assumes the wine is clear.
At the end of bulk aging, I rack -- I tilt the carboy, the racking cane does not touch the bottom, and I do not rack all the way down, leaving probably a bottle's worth. Even if sediment is not visible, it's possible there's a very fine layer on the bottom of the carboy so my process assumes it's there.
Add K-meta and bottle the racked wine. If the remainder is clear, it also gets bottled. If not it goes into the fridge for a week, and may get bottled or used, depending on circumstances.
My goal is to get 24 clear bottles from a 19 liter carboy -- bottle 25 will get used if it's muddy or not.
Barrels are a bit trickier, as there's no visibility. However, I use the same process, carefully not racking all the way to the bottom.
If I see a layer of fine lees, which is yeast solids, I don't rack. Regardless, I add 1/4 tsp K-meta per 5/6 gallons of wine at each racking, and every 3 months during bulk aging.
The following assumes the wine is clear.
At the end of bulk aging, I rack -- I tilt the carboy, the racking cane does not touch the bottom, and I do not rack all the way down, leaving probably a bottle's worth. Even if sediment is not visible, it's possible there's a very fine layer on the bottom of the carboy so my process assumes it's there.
Add K-meta and bottle the racked wine. If the remainder is clear, it also gets bottled. If not it goes into the fridge for a week, and may get bottled or used, depending on circumstances.
My goal is to get 24 clear bottles from a 19 liter carboy -- bottle 25 will get used if it's muddy or not.
Barrels are a bit trickier, as there's no visibility. However, I use the same process, carefully not racking all the way to the bottom.
Steve Wargo
Enthusiast DIYer
A majority of my Fall 2019 Reds are bulk aging in 5-gallon carboys. After about 3-4 rackings (9mo - Year) I just let them age in the carboy, until bottling time. I'll bottle the 2019 vintages before the fall of 2021, and then age for another year. Now, some of the 2019 Reds sacrificed themselves for my sanity during 2020 through early 2021. Luckily I had extra. 
