Bottling.

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Shanec
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Bottling.

Post by Shanec » Thu Nov 10, 2016 10:22 pm

I am only a week away from bottling I reckon. When this is done what would anyone suggest in terms of storing them upright or lying down??


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Nitro Jim
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Re: Bottling.

Post by Nitro Jim » Fri Nov 11, 2016 9:01 am

If you are expecting a lot of sediment then stand up. If you are using corks then lay down. Otherwise the choice is yours, however if you are expecting sediment and are proposing to use cork then perhaps you should be reconsidering your bottles or stopper.
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oldbloke
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Re: Bottling.

Post by oldbloke » Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:57 am

With corks, you lay them down to keep the cork wet so it doesn't shrink

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Horden Hillbilly
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Re: Bottling.

Post by Horden Hillbilly » Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:07 pm

If you intend to lay them down, stand them upright for a couple of days before you do. This will allow the corks to grip the inside of the bottles after being compressed in a corking tool, preventing "weeping".

Shanec
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Re: Bottling.

Post by Shanec » Sat Nov 12, 2016 6:59 pm

How far from the top do I need to fill it to, the same as a bought bottle ?


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oldbloke
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Re: Bottling.

Post by oldbloke » Sat Nov 12, 2016 7:26 pm

Yeah, if you overfill the cork will be reluctant to go all the way in.
Not that it really matters, but it looks a bit naff

Shanec
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Bottling.

Post by Shanec » Mon Nov 14, 2016 3:10 pm

Ok, managed to get 4 bottles filled, then I inadvertently disturbed the sediment at the bottom and this resulted in a cloudy bottle. I foolishly put it back into my barrel that I was syphoning from and put the lid back on, will the wine clear again or will I need to do something else??


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Horden Hillbilly
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Re: Bottling.

Post by Horden Hillbilly » Mon Nov 14, 2016 8:06 pm

Yes, the sediment will settle down again & your wine will clear. Maybe consider racking/filtering your wine before you bottle it next time?

Shanec
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Re: Bottling.

Post by Shanec » Mon Nov 14, 2016 9:13 pm

Would you be kind enough to explain both to me. This is my first brew kit and am excited to get the show on the road but don't want to mess it up, I also have a second Beaverdale Sauvignon Blanc to start and want to crack on with that soon.


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oldbloke
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Re: Bottling.

Post by oldbloke » Mon Nov 14, 2016 9:51 pm

Racking is just moving the wine from one vessel to another to leave the sediment behind. For many of us, by using a siphon.
I tend to rack when the ferment is done, onto stabilising chemicals, then leave the stuff for a while to clear totally.
A wine that throws lots of sediment in the ferment I might rack partway through as well.
The idea is to have as little sediment in there at bottling time that you aren't going to stir it up unless you're very ham-fisted.

I work with demijohns and to minimise how much the sediment gets stirred up I've turned a rubber bug with hole for airlock into a rubber bung with slot for siphon wand.
It holds the wand in place firmly while I'm messing about with the other end of the siphon. You can buy various clamps but cutting a bung up works pretty well.
I also made a platform that holds the demijohn at an angle so the vertical wand gets right down into the demi's circumference, minimising how much I have to leave behind as what sediment there is inevitably starts to move

Of course, if you have a 5 gallon bin, some kind of clamp is the way to go, ideally one that lets you slide the siphon deeper as the bottling proceeds, so you only risk stirring things up on the last bottle (or two)

Shanec
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Re: Bottling.

Post by Shanec » Tue Nov 15, 2016 12:40 am

Great advice thank you. What about filtering?


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oldbloke
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Re: Bottling.

Post by oldbloke » Tue Nov 15, 2016 12:46 am

Never done it.
If a wine won't clear I use finings (which usually means an extra racking after the finings have sunk to the bottom)
But mostly I just leave them until they clear. Months sometimes (I'm looking at you, dandelion)

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