550 bottles? Ok, I'm jealous..... but I hope to catch up some day!
Al

"Ray" > wrote in message
. com...
> I have 550 bottles going back as much as 5 years and 100+ gal's bulk aging
> going back as much as 3 years. Even with an inventory that large it is
hard
> to wait on each new batch. This is a tough hobby!
>
> Just remember, age is a plus up to a certain point. Most wines do have an
> optimal window of maturity beyond which they decline. For some that may
be
> 18 months. For others it may be 18 years. No rule works universally and
> that includes aging wines. Drink them when they are good. Don't wait for
> them to go bad.
>
> Ray
>
> "Alfonse" > wrote in message
> .. .
> > Hi,
> > It's definitely better to age wine as long as possible. What I did a few
> > years ago when I was completely out of wine :-( (I moved and never got
> > around to it), was to make one 6 week kit and bottled it according to
the
> > instructions for immediate consumption. The rest of my wine was allowed
to
> > bulk age for 1 year prior to drinking it. That way you have an OK wine
to
> > drink now and better wines to drink when that first batch is gone. I've
> got
> > a banana wine that is only 3 months old and the waiting part is
definitely
> > hard as I have never made it before and I am anxious to see how it
tastes!
> >
> > Al
> >
> > "Tom" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > Brandon,
> > >
> > > Things are progressing nicely, now comes the hard part. Follow this
> > > exactly.. Place your carboy in a nice cool location away from light
and
> > > start a second kit.
> > >
> > > In about a month rack the first one wine off the lees that settled
into
> > > another carboy. Go ahead and add the Sorbate, sulphite and F-Pack
that
> > > came with your kit. Top with like wine or water, check your air lock
> and
> > > forget it for another 3 months. Start 3rd kit.
> > >
> > > Rack original kit one more time. Should be clear by now, if not check
> you
> > > levels and put it away. Don't tinker.....Check in another 30 days
> > >
> > > Time is a wines best friend from this point on.... You can bottle or
> age
> > > longer if you like. Get a few kits going and in different stages but
> > manage
> > > the same. Don't rush it. These wine in 30 days instructions are
based
> on
> > > our increasing impatient society. I call it the FedEx effect (I need
> it
> > > now!!!) You wouldn't buy a wine that was made just 30 days ago so why
> do
> > > that to your own creations?
> > >
> > > Welcome to the hobby!
> > >
> > > Tom
> > > "Brandon" > wrote in message
> > > ...
> > > > Everything has been progressing well, I think. I'm only on day 8 of
> my
> > > wine
> > > > kit and have a few questions.
> > > >
> > > > The primary fermentation has been very steady, even after racking
the
> > > wine,
> > > > which the kit instructions stated to do when the wine reached an SP
of
> > > > 1.010, which was today. The wine is still fermenting and should
> > continue
> > > > until the SP reaches about .996 or less, at which point I'm
instructed
> > to
> > > > stabilize the wine and use the F-Pack.
> > > >
> > > > One thing I've been noticing is that the wine is becoming more
cloudy,
> > > more
> > > > so then it was when I started and there was not much sediment when I
> > > racked
> > > > it, virtually none. Is this normal? I'm also concerned about a
> little
> > > foam
> > > > (nice white foam) on top of the wine, which appeared about the
fourth
> > day
> > > of
> > > > fermentation. I think this started when I began stirring the wine,
> > which
> > > > was done from day 2 to 4, gentle stirring, nothing too serious, but
> each
> > > > time I expose the wine to air it seems to worsen..a little more
foam.
> > The
> > > > foam is about 1/2 inch high. I've been very meticulous about
cleaning
> > > > everything that has come into contact with the wine in any way, but
> I've
> > > > read a few posts describing bacteria, although most all of them were
> > > > referring to wine that had sat around awhile. Should I worry, or
> could
> > > this
> > > > be CO2 or is it too early to tell?
> > > >
> > > > Day Specific Gravity Temp
> > > > 1 1.080 76 F
> > > > 2 Didn't Check 72 F
> > > > 3 1.060 76 F
> > > > 4 1.050 74 F
> > > > 5 1.040 72 F
> > > > 6 1.030 74 F
> > > > 7 1.020 74 F
> > > > 8 1.010 74 F (Racked)
> > > >
> > > > Brandon
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>