Every year I go through 300-500 lbs of grapes and ferment in a few
plastic buckets. I just received a small bonus from work and am
feeling a little extravagent. Thoughts on spending a bit on
stainless? The tank itself is affordable, but peripherals? What
other factors should I be considering?

thanks,

blindly spending too much money

"Patrick Heron" > wrote in message
om...
> Every year I go through 300-500 lbs of grapes and ferment in a few
> plastic buckets. I just received a small bonus from work and am
> feeling a little extravagent. Thoughts on spending a bit on
> stainless? The tank itself is affordable, but peripherals? What
> other factors should I be considering?

That's not really enough fruit to wet the inside of a stainless tank. I
suggest that you buy some 30 gallon widemouth and narrowmouth food grade
plastic drums instead. The narrowmouth ones are excellent neutral storage
and the widemouth ones make great fermenters for reds.

Another thing you can spend money on is a nitrogen cylinder and regulator.
Very useful for purging the headspace in a not-quite-full container to
prevent spoilage. You still need to keep the sulfite up in the wine, but
getting rid of the oxygen is important.

A good transfer pump (and hoses) is also very useful.

Tom S

Ok. Let me ask this; I actually do use 30 gal plastic, and I have a
CO2 tank. I've never attempted to blanket an un-sealable container
with CO2 (I do have lids, they just don't seal). Can I do that?

I was looking for a way to consolidate (limited space) and maybe
increase production a little, as well as use for extended maceration.
A 500L tank, as a primary, would accomodate just the right amount of
fruit for me.

thanks for the tips. Any pump suggestions?

"Patrick Heron" > wrote in message
om...
> Ok. Let me ask this; I actually do use 30 gal plastic, and I have a
> CO2 tank. I've never attempted to blanket an un-sealable container
> with CO2 (I do have lids, they just don't seal). Can I do that?

First off, I wouldn't use CO2 for gassing headspace because it dissolves in
the wine, creating reduced pressure in the vessel and sucking in air if
there's a leak, as well as making the wine spritzy. Use either nitrogen or
argon. You need an airtight seal to do this right.

> I was looking for a way to consolidate (limited space) and maybe
> increase production a little, as well as use for extended maceration.
> A 500L tank, as a primary, would accomodate just the right amount of
> fruit for me.

Then go for one with a floating lid (variable capacity).

> thanks for the tips. Any pump suggestions?

There are several on the market. I use a Jabsco, but it's expensive.
Flojet makes a plastic bodied one with garden hose fittings that's a lot
more affordable.

Tom S

Patrick Heron ) wrote:
>Ok. Let me ask this; I actually do use 30 gal plastic, and I have a
>CO2 tank. I've never attempted to blanket an un-sealable container
>with CO2 (I do have lids, they just don't seal). Can I do that?

>I was looking for a way to consolidate (limited space) and maybe
>increase production a little, as well as use for extended maceration.
>A 500L tank, as a primary, would accomodate just the right amount of
>fruit for me.

>thanks for the tips. Any pump suggestions?

For what's it's worth, a 200 L stainless variable capacity tank will
run about $300, I think, from Criveller, and they're very nice
tanks. I guess you might need two for fermenting in, and then you
could switch to just one for aging.

I keep a bnuch of them at work to keep topping wine in, and am very
glad to have them.

Dave
************************************************** **************************
Dave Breeden

Patrick,
Another option might be old beer kegs. They are cheap and high
quality stainless. Most people remove the guts and use an airlock in
it's place. Just remember that the as the tanks get bigger the need
for a pump becomes more pressing, even a beer keg is pretty heavy to
lift for gravity racking. If you have a pump, you can add a filter at
some point too.

Above all else, enjoy your bonus, I'm sure you earned it.
Regards,
Joe


(David C Breeden) wrote in message >...
> Patrick Heron ) wrote:
> >Ok. Let me ask this; I actually do use 30 gal plastic, and I have a
> >CO2 tank. I've never attempted to blanket an un-sealable container
> >with CO2 (I do have lids, they just don't seal). Can I do that?
>
> >I was looking for a way to consolidate (limited space) and maybe
> >increase production a little, as well as use for extended maceration.
> >A 500L tank, as a primary, would accomodate just the right amount of
> >fruit for me.
>
> >thanks for the tips. Any pump suggestions?
>
> For what's it's worth, a 200 L stainless variable capacity tank will
> run about $300, I think, from Criveller, and they're very nice
> tanks. I guess you might need two for fermenting in, and then you
> could switch to just one for aging.
>
> I keep a bnuch of them at work to keep topping wine in, and am very
> glad to have them.
>
> Dave
> ************************************************** **************************
> Dave Breeden