# Marbles and lead



## Mark (Dec 17, 2008)

I want to try the marble trick instead of topping up with like wine. Does anybody worry about the possibility of lead?Probably not much of a concern if clear but I'm not sure about colored or painted ones since they mostly seem to come from China. Also considering those clear glass decorative baubles they sell to fill vases. Or do you just use plain-old kids marbles?


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## montyfox (Dec 17, 2008)

I went to the dollar store and bought several bags of clear glass marbles for a buck a piece. I washed them really good and then let them soak in a k-meta solution for a while. I've used them for topping off on several occasions with good results.


Just make sure that whatever you buy is glass and not painted as the paint could contain lead if its an older marble or an import that may use lead based paints.


Monty


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## Scott (Dec 17, 2008)

Haven't used the marble trick, top off with like wine that way get to drink a little of the left over and have a bottle to use.


Good luck


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## AlFulchino (Dec 17, 2008)

i agree...glass, glass, glass only....but every marble seems to have some paint in them...can it ooze out? i suppose it can.....instead why not ball bearings...stainless steel?...it should be a better bet long term....more costly, but no paint or concerns about marbles chipping


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## PolishWineP (Dec 21, 2008)

Our marbles are all glass, no paint, at least as far as I can tell. We've never had a problem with a change a flavor or smell. Marbles don't appear to change in appearance, either. There's a company in the eastern US that manufactures marbles from used glass. I'll post a link if I find it. I'm finding all sorts of cool stuff while I look though!


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## smikes (Dec 21, 2008)

I have used the marble trick before, but then thought that I would end uploosing more wine at the next racking as any sediment filters down through the marbles as well as wine, and you can't push the wand down though the marbles without stirring up sediment.I have had three inches of marbles in carboys before and think too much wine is wasted . Now I make an extra gallon of my product and use that for topping off.


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## pizz65 (Dec 26, 2008)

I use the marble trick also, I have had a hard time finding marbles after I bought the $$$ store out so I went to Wally World and got Glass kind of flat marble looking things in the fish dept. I figures if the fish don't die then I would be ok.


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## jeffhigdon (Dec 26, 2008)

Hobby Lobby (probably others) have clear slightly flatten glass beads (larger than a marble) that are very cheap. They have many colors but the clear ones are easier to tell if their clean or not. I haven't had any issues with racking.


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## PatL (Dec 26, 2008)

This discussion about lead had me thinking bad thoughts. The glass beads I had were all made in China and marked non toxic. I did not believe the label so I went out and purchased lead test kits and tested samples of bags of the glass I was using. The unused glass all tested no lead as did the used glass.

I will stick with topping up using the marbles. 

I also have had no issues with racking.

I do not have the option of making an "extra gallon of product" when making a kit.


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## catfish307 (Jan 2, 2009)

I'm new at this but instead of using marbles, I use bottles. I cleaned up and sanitized a few different sizes of whisky bottles that have screw on plastic caps. I filled them with water and sink them in my wine to raise the level up close to the lid of my fermenters. Seemed to work fine, and it was free.


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## grapeman (Jan 2, 2009)

Welcome Catfish to the forum.


If you are sinking bottles in the primary bucket, there is no need to do that. During active primary fermentation a lot of C02 is formed which is heavier than oxygen so it forms a protective cap over the wine. 


When the marbles can be used is when the wine is transferred to a carboy after racking a second time and there isn't quite enough wine to fill the carboy. I don't think you are talking about this stage since it would be hard to get bottles into and out of a carboy.


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## catfish307 (Jan 2, 2009)

Hello, 
I guess I should have made my post a little clearer. I ferment and rack back into 6 gallon plastic buckets with spigots on them, I don't use carboys (at least not yet). After all fermentation is complete I rackback into another fermenter bucket and sink the bottles.
I could see how it might be a little difficult for everyone to do this when using carboys.


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## grapeman (Jan 2, 2009)

Personally I would be real nervous about doing that. You want to minimize surface area of wine to air. I know what you are talking about and it might be ok for a short period of time, but I couldn't bring myself to risk it.


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## stanleymarc (Sep 17, 2022)

Intesting read regarding lead in a specific brands coloured marbles even though they are listed as lead free. I would stay away from coloured marbles. 









Green shooter marble (Marble King brand, previously sold & marketed as Lead-free): 1,375 ppm Lead (+ Cadmium too).


Above photos shows a small Marble King brand green-swirl “cat’s eye” marble (randomly positive for 175 ppm Lead) next to a large Marble King brand green-swirl “cat’s eye” shooter (randomly positive for 1375 ppm Lead). Please note the level of Lead is not dependent on the size of the marble. –...




tamararubin.com


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## winemaker81 (Sep 17, 2022)

stanleymarc said:


> Intesting read regarding lead in a specific brands coloured marbles even though they are listed as lead free. I would stay away from coloured marbles.


I stay away from all marbles, as it appears difficult to positively be sure they are lead free. I top with wine as I know for sure what's in it.


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## Jim Welch (Sep 17, 2022)

Early on I bought marbles made for this purpose from morewine, they were expensive and I found I needed way, way more than I thought and ended up adding a similar wine to finish the top off. The marbles now sit in a ziplock bag unused, I’ve had no problem using a similar wine to top off.


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## ratflinger (Sep 17, 2022)

I still do it both ways. I only bought clear, USA made, no lead marbles. Colored marbles are a no-no.


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