Bottling

The following excerpt is from :

THE HOME WINEMAKERS MANUAL
by Lum Eisenman

Chapter 17 Bottling

For more information on this topic, please click on the following link: Bottling

"Dirty wine bottles are a potential source of contamination in the home winery. Dirty bottles should be washed and then
placed in clean cartons. The cartons of clean bottles should then be stored in a clean, dry place.

All wine must be brilliantly clear and stable before it is bottled. Any blending should be done several weeks before
bottling time. Early blending allows the winemaker to check the wine for several weeks to make sure the new blend is
stable before bottling time.

Wines containing more than 1/4 percent residual sugar can restart fermenting anytime, and these wines must be treated
in some way to insure bottle stability. Home winemakers often use potassium sorbate to prevent fermentation in off-dry
or sweet wines. The right amount of sorbate must be added, and wines treated with sorbate should also contain at least
30 milligrams per liter of free sulfur dioxide.

Oxidation is the most common fault found in homemade wines, and some wine oxidation always occurs during bottling.
A bottle filler of some kind should be used, and the bottles should be filled slowly from the bottom with a minimum of
splashing and bubbling. Corks should be set flush or slightly below the lip of the bottle. All bottled wine should have an
appropriate label to identify the contents. Custom wine labels are easy to make using a home computer."