# What do you fill carboy headspace with?



## HeavyMetal (Oct 22, 2010)

This is my second year of making wines. I of course have suffered from the addiction and that entailed doubling the amount of carboys(now 4)this year, and adding a new varietal. My primary fermentation this year happened in only about 4-5 days, which I understand is within acceptable limits. My question is now that I have transferred the wine into the carboys, and have given them about a week after transfer where there was still some amount of fermentation going on, but now it has all but stopped, and I have moved the carboys to a room that stays about 60 degrees. They were in a 70 degree room for the primary fermentation, and an extra week in the carboys. NOw that they are in the cooler temp the headspace has grown to about 2 1/2". I know there are many schools of thought as to what to use to bring the level higher, but I am thinking about using seltzer because it is essentially just water full of cO2, right? Anyone care to comment as to why this might be a good or bad idea? I was going to top them up with distilled water, but I am thinking the seltzer idea might be better?


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## wyntheef (Oct 22, 2010)

i just don't want to water down juice if it can be avoided. my personal preference ist to top up with similar wine. I've used boxed wine, and it seems to work fine.


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## Tom (Oct 22, 2010)

I agree !

Best to top off with a "like" wine. Whatever you have left (if any) DRINK ! 

What are you making?


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## HeavyMetal (Oct 22, 2010)

Tom said:


> What are you making?



I am making 12 gallons of cab, 6 of merlot, and 6 of pinot noir.

Thanks for the input, perhaps I will grab a few bottle of Mondavi for the top ups.


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## Dufresne11 (Oct 22, 2010)

try to use the same or similar wine... you will be much happier with the end product


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## BIGJEFF (Oct 22, 2010)

When I make wine "from scratch" I usualy plan for an extra gallon for that purpose, when making a kit, I just use a similar wine


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## HeavyMetal (Oct 22, 2010)

BIGJEFF said:


> When I make wine "from scratch" I usualy plan for an extra gallon for that purpose, when making a kit, I just use a similar wine


I have thought about that, but what do you do when you pour off only 10 or so ounces off of that gallon? Dont you need a continual supply of wine to keep topping off the carboys? This year I am going to leave one of the cab carboys for a lot longer before bottling it. Hopefully I can wait a year, but we will see. Dos long term storage still create the need to top off? 


One other question is what do you guys put into your airlocks? I am using water with pomegranate vodka, is that not good? I worry about the water not being sterile so I add vodka.


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## wyntheef (Oct 22, 2010)

all vodka. the cheapest I can find. keep a bottle just for filling airlocks.


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## BIGJEFF (Oct 22, 2010)

HeavyMetal said:


> I have thought about that, but what do you do when you pour off only 10 or so ounces off of that gallon? Dont you need a continual supply of wine to keep topping off the carboys? This year I am going to leave one of the cab carboys for a lot longer before bottling it. Hopefully I can wait a year, but we will see. Dos long term storage still create the need to top off?
> 
> 
> One other question is what do you guys put into your airlocks? I am using water with pomegranate vodka, is that not good? I worry about the water not being sterile so I add vodka.



I use K-Meta in the airlocks, as for not putting as much wine in the carboys, I have deverse size of bottles that I'll retransfer the wine into if I still fave enough....anything less than 750ml goes in the flytraps


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## djrockinsteve (Oct 22, 2010)

Top off with similar wine. Try to make extra wine so you have something to top off with. Even if it's only a 750ml bottle or maybe a magnum. After it's cleared you have some to top off and some to sample.


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## onetoomany (Oct 22, 2010)

i top off with wine ..good quality wine..then tell it "this is how i want you to turn out"well worked on the kids


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## HeavyMetal (Oct 23, 2010)

My other questions are how far below the rubber stopper should I bring the level up to? and do you guys use anything to displace the oxygen that will inevitably enter the carboy when I remove the airlock? I know there are cans of gas for this, I was even thinking about running a tube from the top of a seltzer bottle into the airspace and tapping the seltzer bottle to produce a burst of co2?

as much as I would love to add each specific type of wine to each carboy, I cant really afford to ope 3 bottles to top each varietal off, and I would also have a hard time with the hangover after finishing the remainders. So I am thinking a cab would be best? What about adding something like an organic grape juice?


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## kirbyclk (Nov 5, 2010)

In my town you can go to CVS and buy a 1 Gallon Jug of Carlo Rossi Wine for $8.99. Not only do you get a very inexpensive and dry wine for topping off, but you also get an extra 1 gallon jug for your next batch!


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## JohnT (Nov 5, 2010)

HeavyMetal said:


> My other questions are how far below the rubber stopper should I bring the level up to? and do you guys use anything to displace the oxygen that will inevitably enter the carboy when I remove the airlock? I know there are cans of gas for this, I was even thinking about running a tube from the top of a seltzer bottle into the airspace and tapping the seltzer bottle to produce a burst of co2?
> QUOTE]
> 
> OK,
> ...


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## Flame145 (Nov 5, 2010)

Tom said:


> I agree !
> 
> Best to top off with a "like" wine. Whatever you have left (if any) DRINK !
> 
> What are you making?



What do you use when your making a country style wine ?? ie... like pumpkin, what do you top off with ?? Just curious because I want to try the pumpkin or pumkin pie spice wine.


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## Julie (Nov 5, 2010)

Flame145 said:


> What do you use when your making a country style wine ?? ie... like pumpkin, what do you top off with ?? Just curious because I want to try the pumpkin or pumkin pie spice wine.



Normally I try to make a little extra so I can use that to top up with or I just go down in carboy size.


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## non-grapenut (Nov 5, 2010)

Flame145 said:


> What do you use when your making a country style wine ?? ie... like pumpkin, what do you top off with ?? Just curious because I want to try the pumpkin or pumkin pie spice wine.


Any dry, cheap white wine


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