Topping Off after Racking
 

I'm a new winemaker and have a question about filling up the carboy
after racking. The standard advice is to use water, a similar wine, or
a smaller carboy. Would it be possible to add something to the carboy
to bring up the volume? There are food grade balls made of plastic,
rubber, glass, metal, etc. Maybe a handful of marbles or stainless
steel ball bearings for those of use with limited budgets. <g>

Has anyone ever tried this?

thanks,

dave

Topping Off after Racking
 

On Dec 9, 6:19 pm, Dave > wrote:
> I'm a new winemaker and have a question about filling up the carboy
> after racking. The standard advice is to use water, a similar wine, or
> a smaller carboy. Would it be possible to add something to the carboy
> to bring up the volume? There are food grade balls made of plastic,
> rubber, glass, metal, etc. Maybe a handful of marbles or stainless
> steel ball bearings for those of use with limited budgets. <g>
>
> Has anyone ever tried this?
>
> thanks,
>
> dave

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

Topping Off after Racking
 

On Dec 9, 10:18*pm, shbailey > wrote:
> On Dec 9, 6:19 pm, Dave > wrote:
>
> > I'm a new winemaker and have a question about filling up the carboy
> > after racking. The standard advice is to use water, a similar wine, or
> > a smaller carboy. Would it be possible to add something to the carboy
> > to bring up the volume? There are food grade balls made of plastic,
> > rubber, glass, metal, etc. Maybe a handful of marbles or stainless
> > steel ball bearings for those of use with limited budgets. <g>
>
> > Has anyone ever tried this?
>
> > thanks,
>
> > dave
>
> 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

I figured there was a good reason. I'll stick with using an earlier
version of my wine for topping off.

Thanks for the quick and useful reply.

dave

Topping Off after Racking
 

On Dec 9, 4:19*pm, Dave > wrote:
> I'm a new winemaker and have a question about filling up the carboy
> after racking. The standard advice is to use water, a similar wine, or
> a smaller carboy. Would it be possible to add something to the carboy
> to bring up the volume? There are food grade balls made of plastic,
> rubber, glass, metal, etc. Maybe a handful of marbles or stainless
> steel ball bearings for those of use with limited budgets. <g>
>
> Has anyone ever tried this?
>
> thanks,
>
> dave

There are some inert gasses you can put into the void. I do not
recall which ones use but any midsized winery would know.

Topping Off after Racking
 

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

--
http://www.wijnmaker.blogspot.com/

Topping Off after Racking
 

muscat wrote:

> On Dec 9, 4:19Â*pm, Dave > wrote:
>> I'm a new winemaker and have a question about filling up the carboy
>> after racking. The standard advice is to use water, a similar wine, or
>> a smaller carboy. Would it be possible to add something to the carboy
>> to bring up the volume? There are food grade balls made of plastic,
>> rubber, glass, metal, etc. Maybe a handful of marbles or stainless
>> steel ball bearings for those of use with limited budgets. <g>
>>
>> Has anyone ever tried this?
>>
>> thanks,
>>
>> dave
>
> There are some inert gasses you can put into the void. I do not
> recall which ones use but any midsized winery would know.

Argon and Nitrogen are the two used by wineries.
I think Nitrogen is fairly inexpensive but Argon is not. There is a safety
issue with Argon, it can take your breath away - permanently.

Variable capacity stainless tanks with a floating lid are also an option but
a bit on the pricey side. If I ramp up my white wine production, I may buy
one.

My answer to the OP would be to stock up on various size glassware.

I just bought a couple cases of apple cider in one gallon glass jugs from a
cider maker near me (to make cyser and also for the jugs). Another thing I
am going to buy is a "jug wine" that comes in a 5 liter jug - just for the
container; OK, I may drink the contents also :-). I am searching for
products that come in 1/2 gallon glass containers. I don't have too many
1/2 gallon glass jugs.

It takes some time and expense to build up multiple size glassware but I
think it is worth it.

In my winemaking, I use 6 gallon, 5 gallon, 3 gallon, 1 gallon, 1 liter, 1/2
gallon; and after I buy my jug wine, 5 liter. I also have a bung that fits
a 1.5 liter or standard 5th wine bottle and going in the opposite
direction, I have a 15 gallon demijohn.

Topping Off after Racking
 

In article >, wrote:

>
>Argon and Nitrogen are the two used by wineries.
>I think Nitrogen is fairly inexpensive but Argon is not. There is a safety
>issue with Argon, it can take your breath away - permanently.

What are you talking about? Argon's not poisonous; it doesn't react with
anything.

Topping Off after Racking
 

Doug Miller wrote:

> In article >,
> wrote:
>
>>
>>Argon and Nitrogen are the two used by wineries.
>>I think Nitrogen is fairly inexpensive but Argon is not. There is a
>>safety issue with Argon, it can take your breath away - permanently.
>
> What are you talking about? Argon's not poisonous; it doesn't react with
> anything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argon

Pay special note to number 8 in the contents list.

Topping Off after Racking
 

On Dec 10, 6:12*pm, (Doug Miller) wrote:
> In article >, wrote:
>
> >Argon and Nitrogen are the two used by wineries.
> >I think Nitrogen is fairly inexpensive but Argon is not. *There is a safety
> >issue with Argon, it can take your breath away - permanently.
>
> What are you talking about? Argon's not poisonous; it doesn't react with
> anything.

It's like CO2, if it fills the space and you are in it the O2 level
goes down and it's a bad day. Pretty much any compressed gas needs
some care and precautions. You can also use CO2 but then have to
degas.

Paul,
Microbrewpubs sell 'growlers' which are 1/2 gallon, it's a nice step
between a 1.5L and 3L.

Joe

Topping Off after Racking
 

Joe Sallustio wrote:

> On Dec 10, 6:12Â*pm, (Doug Miller) wrote:
>> In article >,
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Argon and Nitrogen are the two used by wineries.
>> >I think Nitrogen is fairly inexpensive but Argon is not. Â*There is a
>> >safety issue with Argon, it can take your breath away - permanently.
>>
>> What are you talking about? Argon's not poisonous; it doesn't react with
>> anything.
>
> It's like CO2, if it fills the space and you are in it the O2 level
> goes down and it's a bad day. Pretty much any compressed gas needs
> some care and precautions. You can also use CO2 but then have to
> degas.

This is true. There is even a danger of CO2 in a commercial winery setting
if someone opens the top hatch of a large stainless fermentation tank and
sticks their head inside to smell the must.

>
> Paul,
> Microbrewpubs sell 'growlers' which are 1/2 gallon, it's a nice step
> between a 1.5L and 3L.
>
> Joe

Good information. Thanks Joe.

Topping Off after Racking
 

You have the same problem with nitrogen as well.

Dick

Paul E. Lehmann wrote:
> Doug Miller wrote:
>
>> In article >,
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Argon and Nitrogen are the two used by wineries.
>>> I think Nitrogen is fairly inexpensive but Argon is not. There is a
>>> safety issue with Argon, it can take your breath away - permanently.
>> What are you talking about? Argon's not poisonous; it doesn't react with
>> anything.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argon
>
> Pay special note to number 8 in the contents list.

Topping Off after Racking
 

Regarding various size glassware; I utilize my husband's milk bottle
collection, of gallon, 1/2 gallon, and quart glass milk bottles.


> My answer to the OP would be to stock up on various size glassware.
>
> I just bought a couple cases of apple cider in one gallon glass jugs from
> a
> cider maker near me (to make cyser and also for the jugs). Another thing I
> am going to buy is a "jug wine" that comes in a 5 liter jug - just for the
> container; OK, I may drink the contents also :-). I am searching for
> products that come in 1/2 gallon glass containers. I don't have too many
> 1/2 gallon glass jugs.
>
> It takes some time and expense to build up multiple size glassware but I
> think it is worth it.
>
> In my winemaking, I use 6 gallon, 5 gallon, 3 gallon, 1 gallon, 1 liter,
> 1/2
> gallon; and after I buy my jug wine, 5 liter. I also have a bung that
> fits
> a 1.5 liter or standard 5th wine bottle and going in the opposite
> direction, I have a 15 gallon demijohn.
>

Topping Off after Racking
 

On Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:51:03 -0600, "Marie" >
wrote:

>Regarding various size glassware; I utilize my husband's milk bottle
>collection, of gallon, 1/2 gallon, and quart glass milk bottles.

That's what I've found useful also. That way you don't have a problem
with headspace, except perhaps for the smallest container, and if you
top up with water, when you add it all back together, you won't have
diluted the batch much. You can get rubber stoppers to fit about any
size milk bottle.

You can find these in antique stores and sometimes thrift shops.

You can also keep an eye out for other glass containers that might be
a useful size, as long as it has a smooth inside and can be easily
cleaned and sanitized. Also beer and wine bottles of various sizes,
some glass food containers that hold condiments could work for the
very small amounts if you want to bother keeping all you can. Get them
now before everything is made of plastic.

Don

Topping Off after Racking
 

On Dec 22, 10:51*am, "Marie" > wrote:
> Regarding various size glassware; *I utilize my husband's milk bottle
> collection, of gallon, 1/2 gallon, and quart glass milk bottles.
>
>
>
> > My answer to the OP would be to stock up on various size glassware.
>
> > I just bought a couple cases of apple cider in one gallon glass jugs from
> > a
> > cider maker near me (to make cyser and also for the jugs). Another thing I
> > am going to buy is a "jug wine" that comes in a 5 liter jug - just for the
> > container; OK, I may drink the contents also :-). *I am searching for
> > products that come in 1/2 gallon glass containers. *I don't have too many
> > 1/2 gallon glass jugs.
>
> > It takes some time and expense to build up multiple size glassware but I
> > think it is worth it.
>
> > In my winemaking, I use 6 gallon, 5 gallon, 3 gallon, 1 gallon, 1 liter,
> > 1/2
> > gallon; and after I buy my jug wine, 5 liter. *I also have a bung that
> > fits
> > a 1.5 liter or standard 5th wine bottle and going in the opposite
> > direction, I have a 15 gallon demijohn.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

If one searches on "argon" here, there is some extensive threads on
this.

I will say that I bit the bullet long ago and purchased a small argon
tank from a local welding supply. The tank, regulator, dispenser cost
about 200 USD.
It has worked out very well for me.

Argon is is an inert gas. It is heavier than air. I use it to
blanket my wine after racking. It has worked well for me and i will
continue to use it.

I do not use water, marbles, or any other thing to top off my
carboys. I really do not want to water down my wine, or risk
shattering/chipping a carboy.

For me, the intitial investment into argon was well worth it. Feel
free to contact me for more details, but i would search this list for
argon.