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I need an idea...

I've been making wine for 4 or 5 months now, and I've been making kits of 30 750ml bottles at a time. The problem with this is that when I want to taste a batch to see how it's coming along I have to sacrifice a whole bottle. If it's not quite ready yet, I wind up wasting the whole bottle.

So I've started thinking... is there some way to fill three or four smaller bottles, cork them up and use them just for sampling?

Is there a smaller bottle (200-300ml) available that takes a standard sized cork? I can find smaller bottles on the Internet, but I can't seem to see anywhere what cork size they take.

Any ideas out there?

Reply to
Bob Becker
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What I have been doing now is to age the wine in bulk. Instead of bottling the wine in small bottles I racked it and leave it in a glass carboy. Every month I use a wine thief to sample the wine. I then take note, log the information and place the airlock back on. I always make sure that there is enough wine so as not to create an unwanted air gap. From time to time I may rack the wine if I see some sediment at the bottom of the carboy. If need it I will top the carboy up wine similar wine or just plain water. After a year of so depending on my requirements and findings I bottle the wine.

Reply to
<marierdj

A standard 375-mL beer/cider bottle will generally take a wine cork, although that's a bit bigger than you're asking for.

Reply to
Madalch
375mL bottles are readily available in cork (std) or screwcap finish. I've also seen 187mL bottles but those are crown cap sealed. All three options should work well for you. I used the 375's myself.

RD

Reply to
RD

I had the same thoughts, and now I do the last few bottles in 375 ML bottles. I have to buy them, not reuse them from wine stores. But it's worth it. They take the standard #9 corks.

In fact, some wines I buy in bulk and rebottle! Like Chenin Blanc that I use for cooking (take a gallon and put into 375Ml bottles and use 1/2 bottle at a time. Or Chablis at a gallon and put into smaller bottles for Sangria.

You are > I've been making wine for 4 or 5 months now, and I've

Reply to
Dave Allison

I'm a noob.. but I put 6 of my first Sauv Blanc in the little screw top Tonic bottles (10oz) that I purchase for my other vice (Bombay Gin :-). You can get ginger ale and a variety of "mixers" in this size that you can use for other purposes. The Tonic bottles are clear and seem to work great for the 'sampler' size bottles. I've only opened two so far but I've enjoyed learning how those funky off flavors are disappearing with age.

Regards,

Rick

Reply to
EnoNut

I like the little liquor bottle idea.

Also, I use a 10cc syringe as a thief. You can get sterilized ones at farm stores, or places where they would sell veterinary supplies, and they clean very easily. By only taking 10-20 ccs at a time, it's enough to taste, but not enough to drop the carboy level much,

Reply to
Rob

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