Can I temporarily store my wine in demijohns rather than bottles???

[Bootcutboy]

Hi all, I’m a total wine brewing novice and I have my first ever 30 bottle wine kit to bottle up tomorrow, I also scored lucky with an Amazon glitch and got 36 bottles of red for £20, AND I still have another 30 bottle red wine kit to make before it goes out of date in June.

I never thought I’d say this but this is too much wine for me, storage wise in bottles I mean, I am wondering when I come to make my next red kit can I store the 30 bottles worth in demijohns rather than wine bottles and bottle them at a later date? I am guessing the answer is no as once the demijohns are opened the wine will start to go off, as a normal bottle of wine would? Is this correct?

Any other suggestions for storage please?

Thanks a lot peeps!

 

[An Ankoù]

Yes you can. Absolutely. Rack the clear and finished wine into deminjohns and put a solid bung in the top rather than one drilled for an airlock. If you haven't got any solid bungs, find something to bung the hole with.
The issue is about letting air in which will oxidise the wine. If you think about it, a demijohn is just a big bottle.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I am guessing the answer is no as once the demijohns are opened the wine will start to go off, as a normal bottle of wine would? Is this correct?

You wont have any problem as long as you only open the DJ to bottle it later if you were to take a bottle out then put the bung back in head-space could become an issue and the wine could spoil.

 

[johncrobinson]

You cant have too much wine

Honest you really cant

You are in the fortunate position of having wine
A wee tipple whenever you like and some for guests (when the virus has passed)
As other folk have pointed out kit wine is ready to drink soon as, but it wont go off either.
Store your wine in FULL demijons it will be fine for months and months.

You lucky lad you.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

You cant have too much wine

Honest you really cant

Especially if SWMBO has hollow legs.

 

[johncrobinson]

Yup chippy,My mothers friends used to keep my dad FULLY occupied winemaking.
Not allways to the aproval of there husbands either

 

[Mr_S_Jerusalem]

wait wait wait.

what is the ‘Amazon glitch’ ?

you got a link?

Is that still a thing?

 

[Bootcutboy]

wait wait wait.

what is the ‘Amazon glitch’ ?

you got a link?

Is that still a thing?

Hi there, it was a glitch I spotted months ago, I placed the order just after new year and forgot all about it and didn’t expect to receive anything. To my surprise I got a delivery of 36 bottles of Carta Rojo red, and you know what, it’s really bloody drinkable, especially at under a quid a bottle!
I will be sure to post any other glitches I come across but I think Amazon have wised up to a lot of the glitches now.

 

[Bootcutboy]

Thanks for all the answers everyone, can I just ask are demijohn bungs a generic size? I’ve got half a dozen DJs but no bungs.
Anyway I will store wine in FULL demijohns straight from the FV and then bottle them up once I’ve got enough empties together, although at the rate I’m going through booze with this lockdown carry on I may not even need the demijohns! Great to know for future though, cheers all!

 

[johncrobinson]

As far as i know they are all the same size
never had any problems fitting bungs

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I have some old and some new DJ's and if i remember right the new ones are slightly bigger diameter the top of the bung is nearly flush with the top of the neck when pushed in, there is a recent thread about bung sizes here -
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/demijohn-neck-sizes.85356/