I am constantly asked:
- Which is better, bottle aging or bulk aging?
- What is the difference?
- How long should you bulk age?
- How long should you bottle age?
In an effort to explain the difference and assist you in your wine making, Joseph Schuitema, our in-store wine maker, has spent a considerable number of hours researching this subject. Armed with his research, I will attempt to make sense of this topic.
Let's start with agreeing on the terms:
- Aging occurs after alcoholic fermentation is complete. For most kit wines, this occurs when the specific gravity drops to .996 or below.
- Bulk aging is any aging that occurs in any vessel besides a wine bottle. This would include oak barrels, stainless steel vats and glass carboys.
- Bottle aging is the aging that occurs once the wine is bottled.
Now let's define the 2 types of aging:
- Oxidative - This aging occurs in the presence of small amounts of oxygen. As long as your wine is in a large unsealed container, the opportunity for oxidative aging exists. These small quantities of oxygen enter bulk containers each time the bung is removed for racking, tasting, etc.
- Reductive - This aging starts the moment the wine is stored in a sealed container where no additional oxygen can be introduced.
Both bulk aging (oxidation aging) and bottle aging (reduction aging) are necessary for the production of high quality wines.
Most experts generally agree that 24 months is the maximum for obtaining the full benefit of bulk aging. Beyond that time, there is little benefit. In addition, the Wine Wizard from WineMaker Magazine, as well as Jack Keller and Lum Eisenman appear to lean toward a maximum of one year in a glass carboy with a tasting every 3 months to evaluate the development of your wine and to allow small quantities of oxygen into the carboy.
Before we proceed, let's briefly discuss racking. Once again, "most experts" lean toward a maximum of 3-4 rackings. More than that will result in too much oxygen and an unneeded loss of wine.
Armed with this information, let's talk about what to do with your wine. Alcoholic fermentation normally finishes in 3 weeks for most wines, including wine kits. Depending upon factors like temperature, yeast used and type of fruit, country wines may take as long as 4 weeks. Whatever the source of your wine, by the time alcoholic fermentation is over, you have racked twice. Once to get it off of the gross lees and into an air-locked container and once to start the process of removing the finer sediments.
At this point in the wine making process, the wine maker has to make a decision, to bulk age or not? If you have the space and don't need the carboy, some period of bulk aging will improve your wine. How long you bulk age is up to you. In addition, if you want to add additional oak, bulk aging is required as you will not add this oak until after the alcoholic fermentation is completed.
If you are going to bulk age, then plan to perform no more than 2 additional rackings and performing taste tests at 3 month intervals. You should also plan to add ¼ teaspoon of Potassium or Sodium Metabisulfite at each 3 month interval as it takes the sulfites about this length of time to wear off. This will insure that you don't get too much oxygen in your wine and cause it to spoil.
When you have completed the bulk aging, bottle your wine and allow the reductive aging process to begin. Before bottling, be sure to add the additional sulfites to protect your wine from any additional exposure to oxygen.
You are now probably wonder how long should you plan for each type of aging? If you are making a country wine, I would suggest at least 3 months bulk aging and 6 months bottle aging. As to wine kits, even though the following is by no means based on any exact science, it is based on reviewing the aging guidelines provided by Mosti Mondiale, Winexpert and RJ Spagnols and I would suggest the following schedule:
|
|
Bulk Aging |
Bottle Aging |
|
Size of kit in liters |
White |
Red |
White |
Red |
|
7 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
10 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
15 to 16 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
|
18 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
|
23 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Remember, almost all wines improve with age, so if you have the time and the space, additional time in the carboy and the bottle will produce a better wine.
I hope this helps, but as always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know.
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