Bulk Wine Aging

The Debate of bulk aging wine will go on long after we are gone. Not using the finings and letting the wine bulk age as a winery would, may or not be for you. We can only say that we have seen a significant change in the body on our big red wines. And aging on the may be a plus in flavor and aroma also.

1. Most of the kit wines that are 15 liters and larger will benefit from ageing.

Allowing the wine to sit on the ‘Lees’ or Yeast for an extra extended time, will add in flavor in most reds. Not using the Finings Pack (Chitosan, Isinglass) that comes with the wine kit will add extra body that the finings would strip away.

2. When the fermentation has completed in the secondary and you no longer see a bubble or the air lock is completely still. Do-Not open the carboy, give it a good swirl to get the yeast back into solution. Let the wine sit in the same environment that it fermented in for 4 more weeks. Just walk away and do not touch the wine. It is very important that the air lock be kept filled and not disturbed or opened.

3. After the Four weeks have passed, rack the wine off the sediment into the primary fermenter. You will be adding to the wine the ‘Metabisulphite’ that came with the kit. It many be Potassium or Sodium based, this does not matter. ONLY add the ‘Metabisulphite pack at this time.

5. Transfer (5) gallons of the (6) gallons of wine, into a (5) gallon Glass Carboy. Fill the carboy with in (2) inches from the bottom of the stopper. This is about 5-1/2 gallons.

6. Fill the remaining wine into bottles, and cork. These bottles will be used for topping up at a later date. If the addition of Oak is desired, add it into the carboy at this time.

7. After (3) months have passed, taste and make a determination of continuing or removing the oak. Rack the wine off the sediment into a (5) gallon Glass carboy and top up with the same wine that was bottled. Being careful not to allow any sediment from the bottle to enter the carboy.

8. After another (3) months have passed, taste and make a determination of continuing or removing the oak. Rack the wine off the sediment into a (5) gallon Glass carboy and top up with the same wine that was bottled. Being careful not to allow any sediment from the bottle to enter the carboy.

9. After next (3) months have passed Rack the wine off the Oak and sediment into a (5) gallon Glass carboy and top up with the same wine that was bottled. Being careful not to allow any sediment from the bottle to enter the carboy.

10. At this point it is decision time. Rack the wine off any sediment and bottle as is.

12. If the wine is going to be bottle aged for an extend time of more than a year. An addition of Metabisulphite is recommended. 1/8 of a Teaspoon per the 5 gallon batch. The small presence of Metabisulphite droplets in the bottle after sanitizing and the small amount on the corks will aid in the longevity of the wine also.

The packet of Potassium Sorbate can be saved for the sweet wines and the finings for the white wines.

Just a few Red Wines that benefit from bulk aging.

Winexpert; Luna Rossa, Italian Montepulciano, Barolo, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

R.J. Spagnols; L'Collage, Amarone, Brunello.