Stephen is right.
I have used marbles on many occasions but it
is not the cheap solution.
Marbles can however be bought at the so-called
1-dollar shops (euro actually) but they do not
always stock them.
Nevertheless you will need a fair amount so it is
not the cheapest solution for a 1-time wine.

When using them frequently the price can of course
be devided over all the batches you are going to make
so in the long run it will be cheaper.

Use glass ones and sanitise them well.

For getting them in a carboy:
Put them in a nylon stocking and slowly lower that into the carboy.
That way they will not fall down into the carboy and crack the bottom.

Luc
>
> You can use sanitized (with sulfite solution) marbles, but I would
> only recommend it as a last resort. It will probably take more than
> you think. I used a 2 lb. bag of decorative marbles to take up about
> 2 inches in a 1 gallon jug. Using metal would increase the chance of
> cracking the carboy when adding or removing the "filler". Another
> issue is when you rack, you will end up losing more wine due to having
> to work above the sediment that is on top of the marbles. Unless you
> are doing a unique fruit wine or trying to maintain varietal purity, a
> similar cheap wine is the best way to go.
>
> Stephen

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