Bottle age?

[The_Dutch]

So I’ve been on a kick of getting numerous batches made. Well I’m limited on space but I’m not limited on bottles. I am wondering if it is good or bad to do bottle aging..all my meads I have going now have stopped fermenting..I have added k meta and k sorbate to ensure they are done. I also add fining agents to them (sparkalloid or bentonite) to clear. I am wondering if I could just bottle and age in wine bottles or if I have to age in carboy? It seems ridiculous to me to get more carboys when I could just bottle and age appropriately? Please leave your opinion thanks

 

[RPh_Guy]

Yes.

 

[Maylar]

Of course.

 

[S-Met]

I think you need more carboys, preferably really small ones. If only I knew whee I could get some really small food safe glass carboys in say 375ml, 750ml or maybe even 1.5l size. Where would I easily source some bottles that meet those specifications. It would be really nice if I already had vessels that met this criteria, but where? Hmm, anyone? Any thoughts?

I'm not implying that a glass bottle and a carboy are the same thing. But I'm also not implying that they are not the same thing either.

 

[The_Dutch]

The more I read it the more I think it was a stupid question and I think I worded it wrong. Some may see it as rushing the final product I have one I bottled last night after a month..it’s clear, it’s stable so why let it sit in a carboy forever when I can bottle

 

[S-Met]

The more I read it the more I think it was a stupid question and I think I worded it wrong

Not a stupid question, though you may have misdirected us in your intentions. Either way, the answer still stands. Yes can do.

Bulk aging means all bottles will be approximately identical at bottling whereas bottle ageing lends to more potential in variability between the end product. Slight differences in oxygen exposure, head space bottle differencs alter its final results. Also, vessel size alters maturity rate due to the above mentioned factors (and probably more). Not a big deal in my opinion, at least not in an home brew world. However, at an industry level, I would want my end product to be as consistent as possible so the end user had a highly reliable experience.

 

[Maylar]

The more I read it the more I think it was a stupid question and I think I worded it wrong. Some may see it as rushing the final product I have one I bottled last night after a month..it’s clear, it’s stable so why let it sit in a carboy forever when I can bottle

We understood you. And the answer stands - yes you can age in bottles. In fact, that would be preferred to bulk aging if the carboys have any headspace with oxygen.

 

[CKuhns]

So I’ve been on a kick of getting numerous batches made. Well I’m limited on space but I’m not limited on bottles. I am wondering if it is good or bad to do bottle aging..all my meads I have going now have stopped fermenting..I have added k meta and k sorbate to ensure they are done. I also add fining agents to them (sparkalloid or bentonite) to clear. I am wondering if I could just bottle and age in wine bottles or if I have to age in carboy? It seems ridiculous to me to get more carboys when I could just bottle and age appropriately? Please leave your opinion thanks

I have approximately 450 bottles ageing and free up carboys at 120 days after yeast pitch. Have only occasionally noticed a difference in the same batch of mead from bottle to bottle. I think it had nothing to do with the ageing process more to do with how well i racked prior to bottling.