winexpert wine kit - bulk aging longer?

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krenshaw

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i have a pinot noir wine kit that is technically ready to be bottled this weekend.. i've read many additional instructions from other sources that you can use to supplement the actual instructions and many say that you should let it bulk age longer than what they say.. is there a benefit of bulk aging in the carboy as opposed to just starting to age in the individual bottles? i would like to use the carboy for some beer brewing but didn't know if i would be missing out on not keeping in there a couple more weeks
 
you will have less exposure to oxygen with a carboy because you can top up, honestly that is about it....Bottles are basically mini carboys without the airlock...... If you plan on drinking the wine fairly soon I would just bottle it but if its going to be awhile(years) I would leave it in the carboy. My wine never hangs around long enough so i just bottle it......
 
Two thoughts on this subject. I don't really know which one is better...

Let it sit in the carboy, most of the chemical reactions that "age" wine take place there...

Or let it age in the bottle, where micro-oxygenation through the cork is the preferred "ageing" method.

Up to you, now!!!
 
thanks.. didn't think it mattered all that much.. i will be letting it age a lot more, but i would like to use the carboy for something else within the next week.. so i'll be bottling it soon.. at least i get to use my new floor corker :) thanks guys
 
if this is the blueberry pinot noir kit you are safe to bottle when the kit has finished and actually tastes pretty good at finish. it's a bit too sweet for me but the wife loves it.
 
There are some potential benefits.

One benefit to bulk aging is that, if your wine continues to drop any fine sediment, if it’s in the carboy it’s a heck of a lot easier to rack the wine from it than if it is in bottles.
This is why some people fine (or fine and filter) before bottling to avoid any sediment in the bottles; though you should be mindful of the effects of the removal of tannins that fining/filtering can cause ... which is why bulk aging to let particles settle out on their own is actually preferable.

Another benefit to bulk aging is that the larger mass of liquid is more resistant to temperature changes. This is particularly beneficial when the weather turns colder and your furnace causes the temperature in your house to fluctuate.

Carboy aging with an airlock also gives the wine a bit more time to degas.
... also unintended MLF is a lot easier to deal with in bulk.

In general, bulk aging in the carboy works well for up to a year with care and attention paid to the closure (the airlock and stopper), and a liquid that is not likely to scavenge oxygen such as a good strong sulfite solution in the airlock.

Those are some of the benefits ... but it’s all relative. If you’re going to drink the wine sooner than later ... and you don’t mind the risk of a bit of fine sediment forming in the bottom of the bottles where you might want to decant the wine to serve it ... you could certainly bottle sooner and free up the carboy.
 

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