Well, I just invested in four 32-gallon Brute barrels that will serve
as my primaries.
Today i am testing my new diaphram pump from Morewine, and marking my
barrels for volume.

And generally playing in my wine cellar. :-)



My plan was to use them to hold 25 gallons of juice each. But in
filling them with 25 gallons of water, I noticed that i only have
about 6 inches of headspace. The barrel is about 20 inches in
diameter. I would esitmate that the proportion of wine in the barrel
is about 85% full. This gives me only 4.3 cuft of headspace.

Depending on fermentation rates, 80% full 5-gallon buckets can get
full when full-on fermentation.

Having never fermented this large of a batch, i don't know what to
expect.

Is this too little headspace? Should i back it down to 20 gallons?

we've always erred on the conservative side; two thirds of the
primary/barrel's volume is our headspace rule. So, the low 20's would be my
belt & suspenders limit on headspace with grapes. Coming down to the
basement at 5:30 AM in my pjammies & finding "must overboard" isn't a
pleasant way to start my day... We've never just juiced it, so no experience
there. just MHO regards, bob


"Wayne Harris" wrote in message
...
Well, I just invested in four 32-gallon Brute barrels that will serve
as my primaries.
Today i am testing my new diaphram pump from Morewine, and marking my
barrels for volume.

And generally playing in my wine cellar. :-)



My plan was to use them to hold 25 gallons of juice each. But in
filling them with 25 gallons of water, I noticed that i only have
about 6 inches of headspace. The barrel is about 20 inches in
diameter. I would esitmate that the proportion of wine in the barrel
is about 85% full. This gives me only 4.3 cuft of headspace.

Depending on fermentation rates, 80% full 5-gallon buckets can get
full when full-on fermentation.

Having never fermented this large of a batch, i don't know what to
expect.

Is this too little headspace? Should i back it down to 20 gallons?

On May 21, 5:04*pm, "bobdrob" wrote:
we've always erred on the conservative side; two thirds of the
primary/barrel's volume is our headspace rule. *So, the low 20's would be my
belt & suspenders limit on headspace with grapes. *Coming down to the
basement at 5:30 AM in my pjammies & finding "must overboard" isn't a
pleasant way to start my day... We've never just juiced it, so no experience
there. *just MHO * regards, *bob

"Wayne Harris" wrote in message

...



Well, I just invested in four 32-gallon Brute barrels that will serve
as my primaries.
Today i am testing my new diaphram pump from Morewine, and marking my
barrels for volume.

And generally playing in my wine cellar. * * *:-)

My plan was to use them to hold 25 gallons of juice each. *But in
filling them with 25 gallons of water, I noticed that i only have
about 6 inches of headspace. *The barrel is about 20 inches in
diameter. I would esitmate that the proportion of wine in the barrel
is about 85% full. *This gives me only 4.3 cuft of headspace.

Depending on fermentation rates, 80% full 5-gallon buckets can get
full when full-on fermentation.

Having never fermented this large of a batch, i don't know what to
expect.

Is this too little headspace? *Should i back it down to 20 gallons?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Oh yeah. I have overflowed too many primaries, it's messy. I like
2/3 to 3/4 as a rule. I do the same with beer.

Joe

On May 23, 12:42*pm, Joe Sallustio wrote:
On May 21, 5:04*pm, "bobdrob" wrote:





we've always erred on the conservative side; two thirds of the
primary/barrel's volume is our headspace rule. *So, the low 20's would be my
belt & suspenders limit on headspace with grapes. *Coming down to the
basement at 5:30 AM in my pjammies & finding "must overboard" isn't a
pleasant way to start my day... We've never just juiced it, so no experience
there. *just MHO * regards, *bob

"Wayne Harris" wrote in message

...

Well, I just invested in four 32-gallon Brute barrels that will serve
as my primaries.
Today i am testing my new diaphram pump from Morewine, and marking my
barrels for volume.

And generally playing in my wine cellar. * * *:-)

My plan was to use them to hold 25 gallons of juice each. *But in
filling them with 25 gallons of water, I noticed that i only have
about 6 inches of headspace. *The barrel is about 20 inches in
diameter. I would esitmate that the proportion of wine in the barrel
is about 85% full. *This gives me only 4.3 cuft of headspace.

Depending on fermentation rates, 80% full 5-gallon buckets can get
full when full-on fermentation.

Having never fermented this large of a batch, i don't know what to
expect.

Is this too little headspace? *Should i back it down to 20 gallons?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Oh yeah. *I have overflowed too many primaries, it's messy. *I like
2/3 to 3/4 as a rule. *I do the same with beer.

Joe- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I am buying a 5th barrel and thus taking my 32 gallon primaries from
25 down to 20 gallons per. That will give me about a 30% free
headspace..
Thanks all.