carboy top off with CO2

Don wrote, refering to adding various amounts of sulfite to various size containers "It's a possibility I guess but again I think it's easier to do the nitrogen/CO2 then what your recommending." ~I make lots of beer and wine. Over the years I've accumulated many different size carboys, bottles, kegs, etc. With such an assortment there's no need to keep beer or wine in partially filled containers. You mentioned it was a problem adding the correct dose of sulfite to different size containers. My post was just information about an easy way to add doses of SO2 to different size containers.

"SO2 can't be the only method used, you have to minimize headspace/O2 by either topping off or something. Or did I miss something in what you said?" ~With various size containers available it's no problem to rack to full carboys and bottles. I know the volume of these containers so it's easy to select fresh bottles to rack wine into. I keep carboys and bottles filled to within 1/2-inch of the stopper. With barrels I do top up with wine that I've bottled in beer bottles. I find that 10 gallon barrels take about 1 beer bottle of wine every two weeks to stay full.

Several years ago I did lose wine, stored in a beer keg, to oxidation. The keg was first filled with water. The water was displaced with CO2. Then wine was racked into the keg...it didn't totally fill the keg but what the heck...there was CO2 above the wine. Evidently the seal was not perfect and air mixed with the CO2...the wine oxidized. After working all summer in the vineyard, then vinting the wine it's a pain to end up oxidized. This was just the tail end of a batch but I don't use partially filled containers any more.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA

Seems to me that a 23l kit should make about 23l of must.

1. You are using the wrong size carboy (get the right size and transfer the wine) - or -
2. You only have about 20l of must in there. (reread the instructions that came with the kit)

Think I would try to figure out the problem and fix it before I tried anything else.

You should always know the exact size of every container you use. It' easy. Set the carboy on the kitchen counter and fill it with water up the the "top up" point. Use your bottling wand to rack it into a large measuring cup of some type. When the carboy and tubing are empty you will know how much it takes to fill that container. Write it on a piece of masking tape and stick it to the container. Masking tape is easy to remove when it comes time to clean the container.

HTH

Frederick

The problem is that the carboys are not exactly what they say they are - I have a 23l that holds 24.5l and another holds 24l so that would be a top up of around 1l or 2l. Another issue is that I make some cheaper priced kits at 22l.

However, I just checked a new carboy that I bought recently and it is pretty much 23l on the nose. Nice, that may solve the problem. I can use the larger ones as primaries and transfer to the exact one for aging.

Duct tape, it doesn't come off which is prefered.

Don

Yup - it's a bigger problem than most folks realize. I'd bet half of the people that read this have never measured and labeled the containers they use.

Another hint if I may. At some point you will want to get an open primary to work with. Get an 8 (or 10) gallon plastic container with a close fitting (but not air tight) lid. Fill it with 2l of water at a time and mark the _outside_ of the container with a permanent marker (or in half gallon increments if that is what you use). That way you will always know how much you are starting with and can select the correct size containers to rack into.

Haven't been this long winded in years - sorry. HTH

Good luck

Frederick

Thanks for the tip Fred but I have a plastic primary I just don't use it if I don't need it. I know the exact level for 23l in the pail and the carboys.

With my white kits I'm using Lavlin D-47 and at < 60 F fermentation temp Lavlin's description as low foaming doesn't quite describe it. After a small cap on the 2nd day it's always been completely no foaming.

The only other reason for a open primary is the air-must contact for proper yeast startup. I ensure their is plenty of dissolved oxygen before starting by shaking the carboy to a forth during the mixing phase.

Don

I use medical cloth tape and a Sharpie to mark sizes; I do them in bottle increments (750 ml bottles). When I get a new carboy I just mark it at bottling. It is nice to know; the next thing i may start doing is marking the stopper that fits. I never seem to have enough

Joe

Early on I was told to measure and mark. The sharpie wore off, the tape came off, etc. So I remembered I had an engraver ($20 KMart), used it and made the marks - and engraved the amounts. Works on primary plastics and on glass carboys.

Solved it for me. If you don't own one of these (looks like a tiny hand drill, but a pointed end that vibrates) then ask around, they were popular as Christmas gifts back in in the 70/80's.

DAve

p.s. I also engraved a nice simple "A" > I use medical cloth tape and a Sharpie to mark sizes; I do them in

Great idea...

Joe

I had an engraver ($20 KMart), used it and made the

Welllll.......Like I said, I never did do a kit. But when you get beyond kits there are lots of reasons for calibrated open primaries. Punching down caps, using bags for fruit and spices, etc,etc. But the one I used most often was, when I had to use an odd sized secondary, I could adjust the amount of must to insure that I had enough to completely fill that secondary and have a little left over to leave behind the worst of the lees. It's the little things that make life easy. HTH

Frederick

Agreed, I use an open primary when needed. Next year I was thinking about trying to hand squeeze some grapes. Trouble is I don't live anywhere near a grape growing area so all grapes are trucked in, not sure about the quality.

Don