Hi,
I'm making my first batch of wine and I have question. I'm using a Wine
Expert Rioja kit that will make 6 gallons. One of the steps calls for
topping up to within a couple of inches of the bung so as to eliminate
contact with air. However, the problem I'm facing is that I'm using 6.7
gallon carboys (I use these for my beer making.) I've asked around and
one suggestion is to not top up but to add nitrogen spray to the carboy
to prevent oxidation. The other one is to add about a quart of water to
get the level of wine closer to the top of the carboy. I was also
thinking that I could add some more wine to the must in order to bring
up the level.

Do you folks have any suggestions?

Thanks,
John

wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm making my first batch of wine and I have question. I'm using a Wine
> Expert Rioja kit that will make 6 gallons. One of the steps calls for
> topping up to within a couple of inches of the bung so as to eliminate
> contact with air. However, the problem I'm facing is that I'm using 6.7
> gallon carboys (I use these for my beer making.) I've asked around and
> one suggestion is to not top up but to add nitrogen spray to the carboy
> to prevent oxidation. The other one is to add about a quart of water to
> get the level of wine closer to the top of the carboy. I was also
> thinking that I could add some more wine to the must in order to bring
> up the level.
>
> Do you folks have any suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> John

If you're planning on making more wine from kits then your best option
is to buy some 6 gal carboys. You'll reuse them over and over again, so
it's a good investment.

Barring that, I'd top up with wine. Gas is tricky to use properly.

Pp

I agree with PP. Get some(or at least one, which is all I ahve so far), 6
gallon carboys if you're going to keep this up, but I'd definitely top up
with a similar wine.

Joel

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hi,
> I'm making my first batch of wine and I have question. I'm using a Wine
> Expert Rioja kit that will make 6 gallons. One of the steps calls for
> topping up to within a couple of inches of the bung so as to eliminate
> contact with air. However, the problem I'm facing is that I'm using 6.7
> gallon carboys (I use these for my beer making.) I've asked around and
> one suggestion is to not top up but to add nitrogen spray to the carboy
> to prevent oxidation. The other one is to add about a quart of water to
> get the level of wine closer to the top of the carboy. I was also
> thinking that I could add some more wine to the must in order to bring
> up the level.
>
> Do you folks have any suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> John
>

I will go one further. Get a 5 gal carboy along with some 1's and a few
1/2's. You could probably top up your 6 gal carboy just fine but then if
you racked it again you would end up having to top up again. If you use the
5 gal carboy then the overflow can be put in a one. Then when you rack it
again, put it back in the 5 gal carboy and use the 1/2 for the extra. If
you have a variety of sizes you do not need to top up more than a very small
amount.

Ray

"Joel Sprague" > wrote in message
news:ICKjf.15747$Mi5.11210@dukeread07...
>I agree with PP. Get some(or at least one, which is all I ahve so far), 6
> gallon carboys if you're going to keep this up, but I'd definitely top up
> with a similar wine.
>
> Joel
>
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>> Hi,
>> I'm making my first batch of wine and I have question. I'm using a Wine
>> Expert Rioja kit that will make 6 gallons. One of the steps calls for
>> topping up to within a couple of inches of the bung so as to eliminate
>> contact with air. However, the problem I'm facing is that I'm using 6.7
>> gallon carboys (I use these for my beer making.) I've asked around and
>> one suggestion is to not top up but to add nitrogen spray to the carboy
>> to prevent oxidation. The other one is to add about a quart of water to
>> get the level of wine closer to the top of the carboy. I was also
>> thinking that I could add some more wine to the must in order to bring
>> up the level.
>>
>> Do you folks have any suggestions?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> John
>>
>
>

I agree with the others, top-up with a similar wine - water will dilute your
wine. If you think this is a hobby you want to stick with, then I'd invest
in some carboy's like Ray suggests.
Darlene


> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hi,
> I'm making my first batch of wine and I have question. I'm using a Wine
> Expert Rioja kit that will make 6 gallons. One of the steps calls for
> topping up to within a couple of inches of the bung so as to eliminate
> contact with air. However, the problem I'm facing is that I'm using 6.7
> gallon carboys (I use these for my beer making.) I've asked around and
> one suggestion is to not top up but to add nitrogen spray to the carboy
> to prevent oxidation. The other one is to add about a quart of water to
> get the level of wine closer to the top of the carboy. I was also
> thinking that I could add some more wine to the must in order to bring
> up the level.
>
> Do you folks have any suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> John
>

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Do you folks have any suggestions?

Ray gave the best advice. Get at least one 5 gallon carboy and put the
remainder into liter bottles and smaller sizes.

BTW, when racking fill the smaller topping bottles _first_, estimating how
many you'll need. Then rack the main lot away from the lees into the 5
gallon carboy and top up from the small bottles. Finally, fill a small
bottle with the lees for re-settling and top that from the stuff you racked
first. Drink whatever is left over that you can't completely fill a bottle
with.

When it comes time to rack again, repeat the process - filling the topping
bottles with the clearest wine.

A note on inert gas topping:
In theory, this works as well as topping up. In practice, it _can_ work
just as well - but most people don't do it correctly and put their wine at
risk.

Treating inert gas - even argon - as a "blanketing" agent is completely
wrongheaded. The _only_ effective way to use inert gas to protect wine in a
partially filled container is to *completely* displace ALL of the air with
nitrogen e.g. and stopper the container so that it is absolutely airtight.
Even then, it is wise to be sure that the SO2 level in the wine is set
appropriately.

Tom S

Thanks for the help. I'm going to top up with a similar wine for now. I
was hoping to not buy more carboys, but I think that will be the best
solution.

John

i like to use 6 gallon carboy . i make 7 gallon batchs,then put it in
a 6 gallon carboy and one gallon carboy,attach airlocks. then when i
siphon the wine of the mud in the bottom of the 6 gallon carboy, i can
top it back off using the wine in the one gallon jug. lucas

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