Bottling first wine

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

This is my first wine kit: a Winexpert Pinot Gris. It’s been six weeks since I degassed it and added the finings, and it looks really clear to me.
The instructions suggest doing a ‘polishing rack’ and leaving to settle for a further week - but this would mean buying a second carboy. I guess at a pinch I could use the fermenting bucket but that would have a lot of headspace.
They also suggest adding potassium metabisulphate if the wine is to be aged in bottle for more than 3months; and I guess that’s why you might want to get it into a clean container before bottling.
To be honest I’m thinking I might just bottle it straight from this carboy it’s in now, and skip the PMB (or maybe add that to the bottles?)… but I’d welcome advice on this - thanks

 

[Dutto]

I agree, it looks clear to me as well, so a suggestion only.

If you own a CO2 system you should be able to put a CO2 blanket on the top of the FV to prevent oxidation.
:hat:

 

[Chippy_Tea]

They also suggest adding potassium metabisulphate if the wine is to be aged in bottle for more than 3months; and I guess that’s why you might want to get it into a clean container before bottling.
To be honest I’m thinking I might just bottle it straight from this carboy it’s in now, and skip the PMB (or maybe add that to the bottles?)… but I’d welcome advice on this - thanks

That is looking good.

I would go straight to bottle as that is all i have ever done they are probably being over cautious with the 3 month suggestion if you intend to drink them over the next four months i would bottle. without additives.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

That is looking good.

I would go straight to bottle as that is all i have ever done they are probably being over cautious with the 3 month suggestion if you intend to drink them over the next four months i would bottle. without additives.

Thanks @Chippy_Tea that‘s good enough for me

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Blimey, cleaning the labels and glue off that lot was more work than I expected...

 

[Mr_S_Jerusalem]

Blimey, cleaning the labels and glue off that lot was more work than I expected...

I use a solvent for cleaning electronics boards, it strips the glue off amazingly well.

When that runs out white spirit works really well too but my girlfriend complains it makes the kitchen smell bad lol

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I use a solvent for cleaning electronics boards, it strips the glue off amazingly well.

When that runs out white spirit works really well too but my girlfriend complains it makes the kitchen smell bad lol

I quickly realised that some of the labels were coming off a lot easier than others; and the same with the glue. I reckon 80% of the bottles cleaned up fine with hot water and a scrubby; but a couple of them it was impossible without white spirit (I can still smell it in the kitchen)

 

[ChrisT]

That's looking good enough for drinking! When making 30 bottle kits I rack into demijohns, just to make sure I don't get any sediment transfered. I'll sometimes bottle one demijohn from there straight away. I'll usually bottle 1 demijohn at a time and try and keep at least 1 demijohn back to age/mature, I've got a couple just over a year so far.

Whilst I find the wine drinkable straightaway, keeping it for a month improves and after 6-12 months much improved.

Some of the glue used on the labels should be used to cover spacecraft for re-entry into Earths atmosphere!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Some of the glue used on the labels should be used to cover spacecraft for re-entry into Earths atmosphere!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

A good read here for those in the same boat -

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/how-to-remove-bottle-labels-the-easy-way.63664/

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Whilst I find the wine drinkable straightaway, keeping it for a month improves and after 6-12 months much improved.

Very glad you said that: I think it tastes great, but SWMBO pulled a dreadful face and said it’s undrinkable - ironic given that she’s happy drinking the cheapest cat’s wee that Sainsbury’s can sell. Sigh.

 

[obscure]

Very glad you said that: I think it tastes great, but SWMBO pulled a dreadful face and said it’s undrinkable - ironic given that she’s happy drinking the cheapest cat’s wee that Sainsbury’s can sell. Sigh.

But has that bottle of cheap Sainsburys wine has being chilled down to just above freezing, low temperatures will render a lot of bad wine (and beer for that matter) drinkable if a tad tasteless.