Time for a radical departure in bulk aging rules?

[Comet in TX]

I had been talking about this very topic with George in preceding days. I don't have any desire to bulk age for very long periods of time as I only have 5 carboys, meaning 4 with wine at any 1 point in time, and I don't want them to have babies! So, if I want to make more wine, eventually the wine has to get bottled.

That having been said, I want to keep the carboys I have at approximately the same stage, and it seems like there isn't much value in bulk aging once you're off the lees. Here is what I worked out with George (my comments obviously pertain to kit wines):

1) Days 1-21: Kit ferments as per
directions.</font>
2) Days 22-: Rack off of secondary lees, add
kit-included kmeta, degas. Using solid stopper, hold at this point as long as necessary, adding 1/4
tsp. kmeta at 3 months if it takes that long. Any
oaking to happen during this period.</font>
3) Approximately 3 weeks prior to bottling: rack,
add kit-included clarifiers as directed.</font>
4) 21 days later, if clear, filter, adding 1/4
teaspoon bottling kmeta and kit-included sorbate (and any kit-included
conditioners or sweetening packs)to receiving carboy.</font>
5) Bottle within the week.</font>
Mike, I also just bought an SO2 test kit. I'm mostly planning on using mine right before bottling, so ensure I've got the right levels before bottling. I'm not really thinking my wines will spend much more than 3 months "bulk" aging.

I liked your topic! Has anyone ever run a test, splitting the carboys and aging one with solid stopper vs. airlock?

Lara

 

[ibglowin]

I stoppered everything I had bulk aging on Friday except for one that was just stabilized and fined. So some are right at 6 months bulk aging with air locks all the way down to around 2 months bulk aging with air locks. So I have a nice mix I suppose and this kit I have clearing will be the first that gets a solid stopper after a few weeks of clearing and letting residual CO2 escape after degassing.

One other reason to check levels was to not overdose a kit. My first kit I believe I added an extra dose too soon and then I was worried about not adding a dose just before bottling so I added the usual one just prior. After that I could really smell the sulfite in the wine. Not horrible and it goes away with some open air time but I realized then I had no way of taking a measurement (which I like to do obviously!)

I started with 5 carboys but they ALL had babies as I didn't get them sterilized soon enough I guess!

 

[AlFulchino]

Hi Dean...i did forget about those...and i can add something to the list that would be in the same category...Flextank sells a ball valve type of air lock that floats up when gas needs to escape and then falls back to its form fitting seat

i dont care for it..and only use in an emergence.....if a fruit fly or some debris were to get in the seat area then the protection area would be compromised

 

[barryjo]

"Lay a stoppered bottle on its side?" That took a large quantity of intestional fortitude. IMHO!

 

[Teamsterjohn]

Im a little late to this question. My local hardware store sells corks the size needed to fit a 5 or 6 gallon carboy. Some of you guys where saying to bottle after 3 months. If you put one of thoses corks into your carboy, wooden that ackt like a 750ml bottle with a cork in it.Instead of 750ml bottle, now you have a 6 gallon bottle. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Rocky]

I did not read this entire post but a trick that some old winemakers used was to pour about 1/2" of olive oil on top of the wine (usually in gallon jugs) before adding a natural cork to served as added insurance against air infiltration. I never used this method. As a caution, it is a real pain getting the OO completely out of the top before using. The wine of people that used this method always had very tine globules of OO floating on top for most of the gallon.

 

[ibglowin]

I learned that stoppering works fantastic in the Fall/Winter but as your cellar area heats up in the Springtime with the rising temps the pressure in the Carboy will build to point of uncontrolled release! I had one blow it's top and had to clean wine off the ceiling!

You either have to switch back to airlock for the Summer or release the pressure every few days until the temps stabilize at the higher levels.

 

[Rocky]

Mike,


I have read thru most of this posting and I see you mention "Buon Vino stoppers" and I am not sure what these are. Does George sell them? I have the solid rubber stoppers and a few of the "multifit" stoppers. Are the Buon Vino one of these or something different? Thanks.

 

[ibglowin]

Hey Rocky,

The Buon Vino solid stopper is jus like a regular carboy stopper only its not drilled for the airlock. It is a hard plastic of sorts that seems to stay put in a carboy better than a rubber stopper that wants to keep popping out.

George sells them here The picture is of the airlock stopper but this is the correct part. I use them exclusively in the Winter. When things start warming up outside like now you have to use extreme caution as when the carboy starts to warm up it will expand an increase pressure until the stopper blows. I have been cracking mine daily to release the pressure and then a slight hard tap back down to seal. Just do not tape them down! Someone did that and the carboy exploded....