I have come to enjoy making wine from the various kits that are
available. The questiion I have is with bulk aging, does it make
that big of a difference?

I mean I dont really have the space to have carboys sitting around my
house for months at a time. I have a small spot where I do my wine
which gives me enough for 2-3 carboys. I ususally go 1/2s or 1/3s
with family members so the wine gets split up (we each get 10-15
bottles form a given kit). This usually keeps the 3 carboys I have in
use with no space for bulk aging.

Depends on the wine, but I think my country wines benefit from bulk aging as
well as bottle aging. There's less chance of temperature and other things
to affect the wine, if you bulk age for a bit. I generally do 1 gallon
batches, so it is a bit easier for me to hide a 1 gallon container for 4
months, than it would for a 3 or 5 gallon container. I hide then in a
closet, behind a couch, you'd be surprised by how creative one gets when you
want to bulk age. I've been surprised by how the wines change, really, I do
taste tests and write down my observations. My pumpkin wine in particular
tasted like rocket fuel at 3 months, but after bottling at 7 months, I was
surprised to find it had mellowed into a Riesling-like wine. I'm going to
be very good at letting it sit in the bottles until it is 2 years old, like
they say to do - should be very nice then. The wines I make from frozen
juice concentrates are good at 7 months, but very, very nice at 18 months.
Darlene

"pontiacgagt" > wrote in message
om...
> I have come to enjoy making wine from the various kits that are
> available. The questiion I have is with bulk aging, does it make
> that big of a difference?
>
> I mean I dont really have the space to have carboys sitting around my
> house for months at a time. I have a small spot where I do my wine
> which gives me enough for 2-3 carboys. I ususally go 1/2s or 1/3s
> with family members so the wine gets split up (we each get 10-15
> bottles form a given kit). This usually keeps the 3 carboys I have in
> use with no space for bulk aging.

I think Darline is right on. Bulk aging withstands temperature fluctuations
better than bottle age wine. As far as the space, it is sort of 6 of one
and half a dozen of the other. A 5 gal carboy takes up a lot of space but
so do 25 individual bottles of wine. I think bulk aging is beneficial but
if you do not have the space then you live with reality.

Ray

"Dar V" > wrote in message
...
> Depends on the wine, but I think my country wines benefit from bulk aging
as
> well as bottle aging. There's less chance of temperature and other things
> to affect the wine, if you bulk age for a bit. I generally do 1 gallon
> batches, so it is a bit easier for me to hide a 1 gallon container for 4
> months, than it would for a 3 or 5 gallon container. I hide then in a
> closet, behind a couch, you'd be surprised by how creative one gets when
you
> want to bulk age. I've been surprised by how the wines change, really, I
do
> taste tests and write down my observations. My pumpkin wine in particular
> tasted like rocket fuel at 3 months, but after bottling at 7 months, I was
> surprised to find it had mellowed into a Riesling-like wine. I'm going to
> be very good at letting it sit in the bottles until it is 2 years old,
like
> they say to do - should be very nice then. The wines I make from frozen
> juice concentrates are good at 7 months, but very, very nice at 18 months.
> Darlene
>
> "pontiacgagt" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I have come to enjoy making wine from the various kits that are
> > available. The questiion I have is with bulk aging, does it make
> > that big of a difference?
> >
> > I mean I dont really have the space to have carboys sitting around my
> > house for months at a time. I have a small spot where I do my wine
> > which gives me enough for 2-3 carboys. I ususally go 1/2s or 1/3s
> > with family members so the wine gets split up (we each get 10-15
> > bottles form a given kit). This usually keeps the 3 carboys I have in
> > use with no space for bulk aging.
>
>

Ray wrote:
> I think Darline is right on. Bulk aging withstands temperature
> fluctuations better than bottle age wine. As far as the space, it is
> sort of 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. A 5 gal carboy takes
> up a lot of space but so do 25 individual bottles of wine. I think
> bulk aging is beneficial but if you do not have the space then you
> live with reality.

Think creatively. It does not have to sit in the wine making area. How
about the bottom of a closet? We take showers an the tub is never used. A
half dozen carboyswould fit there. Just be sure to check the airlocks on a
regular basis.
--
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

One point to keep in mind -- a full 5- or 6-gallon carboy is pretty darn
heavy! Unless you enjoy the exercise, try to put them in places where you
won't have to move them much.

Bart

"Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote in message
. com...
>
> Think creatively. It does not have to sit in the wine making area. How
> about the bottom of a closet? We take showers an the tub is never used.
A
> half dozen carboyswould fit there. Just be sure to check the airlocks on
a
> regular basis.
> --
> Ed
>
> http://pages.cthome.net/edhome
>
>