Vaccuum rack to Variable Capacity Tank

You might get away with vacuum racking to a barrel, but don't try it with a tank.

Why don't you just gravity rack? That's much gentler on the wine _and_ the containers.

Tom S

I vacuum-fill wine bottles... not sure I'd want to pull 5-7 inches vacuum on a barrel. Might pull the end plates loose because you'll be pulling the vacuum on an empty barrel, not a full one (which would support the ends as an incompressible fluid). I think the latter is the reason the barrel can suck a bung in during aging without pulling loose the ends.

Once again, Tom the terrific to the rescue. :)

Gene

I've never applied vacuum to a barrel - only gas pressure for racking. I keep it to ~ 3 to 5 psi for safety reasons. Goes amazingly fast even at that low pressure. I can empty a 60 gallon barrel in 5-10 minutes. I suspect that vacuum at an equivalent minus pressure would be OK too - especially as the arched shape of a barrel tends to be strong with the force in that direction. The heads are another matter, but oak is pretty strong stuff.

I think the latter is the

Anyone who has ever seen that happen isn't tasting and topping frequently enough. ;^D

That's certainly not I! I've never worn a funnel as a hat. (Any of you old timers recognize that reference?)

Tom S

Thanks Tom. Barrel racking worked out great w/ a vacuum pump. I'm not going to vacuum rack to the SS tank.

The current configuration of my equipment doesn't allow me to gravity rack to the SS tank b/c it is the highest piece of equipment. I'm going to play around w/ some options, making it the lowest piece....which should work well.

I have an impeller pump, but it always seems to introduce a bit of oxygen into the wine (connections are sealed tight). My Enolmatic bottler can be used to rack wine, and the flow (amount of vacuum) can be adjusted for a slow flow rate . Is a vacuum pump harsh on the wine? There doesn't seem to be oxygen pickup, but can a weak vacuum strip some of the wine's character? Thanks, -David

Thanks for your reply Gene. I agree, the staves should be strong in a vacuum, but the heads might get pulled in if the vacuum pressure is too great. I started the rack w/ a very weak vacuum, and increased the vacuum as the barrel was being filled. Thanks for the tip.

Vacuum racking could probably be improved if a negative pressure relief valve was added. Is there such a thing as a negative pressure relief valve??? If so, know where to get one? Thanks, -David

I was considering a nitrogen setup, but the $$ of a bulldog pup seems a bit high. Are there any less expensive alternatives to the pup? Custom fabrication? Thanks, -David

Check with the Home Wine, Beer and Cheesemaking Shop in Woodland hills. Supposedly they can get a homemade one that's billed as "the poor man's Bulldog Pup". I've never seen one of theirs; I made my own ~20 years ago.

Tom S

You're seeing degassing taking place, caused by the cavitation of the impeller (assuming no air leaks).

A little perhaps. Depends on how long and hard you pump on it.

Tom S