Wine Quiz

[bluedart]

It is my understanding that, after fermentation is complete, the following 2 procedures yield different (albeit slight) results:
1) transfer of wine to the final bottles.
2) transfer of wine to the intermediate carboy for an additional 6 to 12 months before bottling.
What is the reason for this and what happens to the wine in these 2 different procedures?

 

[cmason1957]

In number 1, each bottle ages individually, this can lead to great things in one bottle and not so great in the next. In number 2 the batch agrees as a whole.

 

[Johnd]

Additionally, giving the wine an opportunity to sit in the carboy for 6 - 12 months will allow three very important things to occur:

1. Your wine will clear and the sediment will fall to the bottom of the carboy instead of being trapped in your bottles

2. Your wine will release all of the CO2 instead of being trapped in the bottles

3. As your wine ages, clears and degasses, you’ll be able to discern what it’s true character is, and still have the opportunity to adjust tannins, oakiness, acidity, and sweetness (if it’s not a dry type wine).

 

[bluedart]

In number 1, each bottle ages individually, this can lead to great things in one bottle and not so great in the next. In number 2 the batch agrees as a whole.

But why does this happen?

Additionally, giving the wine an opportunity to sit in the carboy for 6 - 12 months will allow three very important things to occur:

1. Your wine will clear and the sediment will fall to the bottom of the carboy instead of being trapped in your bottles

2. Your wine will release all of the CO2 instead of being trapped in the bottles

3. As your wine ages, clears and degasses, you’ll be able to discern what it’s true character is, and still have the opportunity to adjust tannins, oakiness, acidity, and sweetness (if it’s not a dry type wine).

So how long does it take for all the CO2 to be released? If there is still CO2 left in the bottle wouldn't the cork blow off or the bottle burst?

 

[mainshipfred]

But why does this happen?

Unless you rack just prior to bottling you will have different qualities at different levels including different levels of CO2.

So how long does it take for all the CO2 to be released? If there is still CO2 left in the bottle wouldn't the cork blow off or the bottle burst?

1. Depends on your means and methods, you could vaccuum degass, splash rack or let it sit.
2. Depends on how much CO2 is left, it could just make it sparkling, but yes it could blow the cork.
3. I follow this one for the exact reasons mentioned.

 

[bluedart]

OK thanks all.

 

[bstnh1]

Wine ages best when stored at a near constant temperature. That's a condition very few of us have. One benefit to aging in a carboy is that it minimizes any temperature fluctuations simply because of the volume of wine in the carboy vs. the small volume in bottles.

 

[bluedart]

Makes sense - thanks

 

[garymc]

Wait a minute. All this sounds like you just let it sit in one carboy for 6-12 months. You should rack it off the sediment into a clean carboy every 3 months. (Or you can go into a clean bucket, wash your carboy and back into the carboy if you only have 1 carboy.)If you leave 90% of the sediment the first time, you have 10% left in the wine. If you leave 90% of that 10% the next time, you have approximately 1% of the sediment remaining in your wine. And so on. If you don't get rid of the sediment, you're going to have a cloudy, yeasty tasting wine. If it's a red wine, you need to add potassium metabisulfite at each racking.

 

[bstnh1]

Wait a minute. All this sounds like you just let it sit in one carboy for 6-12 months. You should rack it off the sediment into a clean carboy every 3 months. (Or you can go into a clean bucket, wash your carboy and back into the carboy if you only have 1 carboy.)If you leave 90% of the sediment the first time, you have 10% left in the wine. If you leave 90% of that 10% the next time, you have approximately 1% of the sediment remaining in your wine. And so on. If you don't get rid of the sediment, you're going to have a cloudy, yeasty tasting wine. If it's a red wine, you need to add potassium metabisulfite at each racking.

I've had both red and white wines in the bottle for up to 5 1/2 years with no sediment, cloudiness or yeasty taste. I don't bulk age longer than one month and rack the wine only twice during that time. If you're careful when racking and use a tip on the racking tube, sediment shouldn't be an issue.

 

[bluedart]

Wine ages best when stored at a near constant temperature. That's a condition very few of us have. One benefit to aging in a carboy is that it minimizes any temperature fluctuations simply because of the volume of wine in the carboy vs. the small volume in bottles.

So since I only have one gallon I better wait at least 6 months or longer to transfer to the bottles. By the way how much potassium metabisulfite should I add at each racking for a one gallon batch?

 

[G259]

Add 1 Campden tablet. One tablet contains .55 grams of potmeta powder. That's hard to measure, unless you have a scale, so I would just add Campden (crushed).

 

[bstnh1]

If you don't have Campden tablets, you can mix 1/4 tsp. of the powder in 6 tsps. of water and use 1 tsp of the solution in each gallon. That will give you approximately the same ratio of kmeta that you get when adding 1/4 tsp of the power to a 6 gallon batch.

 

[bluedart]

Add 1 Campden tablet. One tablet contains .55 grams of potmeta powder. That's hard to measure, unless you have a scale, so I would just add Campden (crushed).

OK thanks

 

[bluedart]

If you don't have Campden tablets, you can mix 1/4 tsp. of the powder in 6 tsps. of water and use 1 tsp of the solution in each gallon. That will give you approximately the same ratio of kmeta that you get when adding 1/4 tsp of the power to a 6 gallon batch.

OK thanks

 

[G259]

I could be wrong, but I think that 1/4 t of potmeta is WAY too strong! I think it's more like 1/16 t . I have a 1/8 t measure, and I try to fill it half way (hedging toward an overfill), for a 1 gallon batch. BTW, not judging, we all learn from each other. If I'm wrong, PLEASE tell me.

 

[bluedart]

I could be wrong, but I think that 1/4 t of potmeta is WAY too strong! I think it's more like 1/16 t . I have a 1/8 t measure, and I try to fill it half way (hedging toward an overfill), for a 1 gallon batch.

I'll add your contribution to the other suggestions. I guess it will come down to somewhere in between. Thanks

 

[sour_grapes]

I could be wrong, but I think that 1/4 t of potmeta is WAY too strong! I think it's more like 1/16 t . I have a 1/8 t measure, and I try to fill it half way (hedging toward an overfill), for a 1 gallon batch. BTW, not judging, we all learn from each other. If I'm wrong, PLEASE tell me.

Yeah, no one was suggesting 1/4 t for 1 gallon. @bstnh1 made the excellent suggestion of mixing 1/4 tsp in a solution, and then using 1/6 of that solution. This is relatively easy to measure. Wasting 5/24 of a tsp is perfectly acceptable!!

 

[bluedart]

Wait a minute. All this sounds like you just let it sit in one carboy for 6-12 months. You should rack it off the sediment into a clean carboy every 3 months. (Or you can go into a clean bucket, wash your carboy and back into the carboy if you only have 1 carboy.)If you leave 90% of the sediment the first time, you have 10% left in the wine. If you leave 90% of that 10% the next time, you have approximately 1% of the sediment remaining in your wine. And so on. If you don't get rid of the sediment, you're going to have a cloudy, yeasty tasting wine. If it's a red wine, you need to add potassium metabisulfite at each racking.

OK thanks

 

[GaDawg]

The only time I let my wine set in a carboy is for the oak to do its job, and that is 6 weeks. I have never had an issue with sediment in my bottles. I’ve made several thousand bottles of wine without sediment.