Bulk (bucket) vs. bottle aging

I am new to both brewing and winemaking, but have really enjoyed my first batch of apfelwein. I have started 2 more. One is in a better bottle, and the other in a food grade plastic bucket. I have heard these buckets (recycle #2) have oxygen permeability issues, so I was think to let it ferment and clear, then bottle age.

Is there a downside to doing the majority of aging in bottles? Is there a downside to bulk aging in a bucket?

tennesseean_87 said:

I am new to both brewing and winemaking, but have really enjoyed my first batch of apfelwein. I have started 2 more. One is in a better bottle, and the other in a food grade plastic bucket. I have heard these buckets (recycle #2) have oxygen permeability issues, so I was think to let it ferment and clear, then bottle age.

Is there a downside to doing the majority of aging in bottles? Is there a downside to bulk aging in a bucket?

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Yes, there is a down side to bulk aging in a bucket. Not just oxygen permeability of the bucket, but the very wide headspace of a bucket is an issue. In a carboy, you top up to the bung so there is about 2" wide headspace at the most. In a bucket, it's the entire width of the bucket and so way too much headspace.

If you don't want to do a carboy, then the only thing to do would be bottle sooner rather than later. The issue might be if the wine is still dropping lees, and not yet clear- all of the sediment would end up in the bottle.

Would it be a good idea to rack to gallon bottles after fermentation but before it clears (or after) to let it age some before bottling for good? Or would bottling after about a month be the thing to do?