# Carboy Headspace



## patc (Jun 25, 2009)

Hi all,

Read the May news letter and the article regarding Private Preserve to take care of your headspace as opposed to topping up, looks real easy but does anyone have any experience on this? could i use an air lock? cannot see why i would not be able to but is it recommended to use a solid stopper instead or is it your choice? This would make it a ton easier and it's cheaper than buying top up wine if you do not have extra wine on hand.


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## Tom (Jun 25, 2009)

It you are talking about topping off in a carboy yes top it off with another like wine or transfer to a smaller carboy putting the leftover in a 1.5ltr bottle. If again you are talking about a carboy NO I would not yse a solid stopper rather use a airlock.

The idea is to keep oxygen out of the carboy/bottle. If you are talking about bottled wine well, FINISH drinking it there is only 25oz in a bottle. Find a "friend" to help you ... LOL


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## PeterZ (Jun 26, 2009)

Seagrape, you can use the Private Reserve in place of topping up, but I would use a solid stopper rather than an airlock. With an airlock if the barometric pressure risesair will bepushed through the airlock and into the headspace. With a solid stopper firmly in place changes in barometric pressure have no effect.


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## patc (Jun 26, 2009)

Thanks Peterz but in looking at and understanding the function of an airlock it seems it allows air if you will to go out but cannot allow air to go back in unless of course there is no water in the airlock otherwise if Barometric pressure did have that effect on an air lock then it would suck the water and air into our wine when bulk aging normally i think? What are your thoughts?


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## patc (Jun 26, 2009)

O.K.,

I Emailed Scott Farmer the man behind Private Preserve seems this stuff is the same stuff they pump into large commercial tanks to take care of the head space, also i did ask about the application for carboy and as George stated in his news letter it's perfect. I also asked if it should be a solid bung or air lock and he said either is fine an airlock is like a one way valve so if pressure pushes some out nothing goes back in the only thing you have to remember is if you pull the airlock off you must reapply. As far as applying his recommendations are dependent on the headspace but I'm sure we all are tallking about a four or five inch headspace from the bottom of the bung on an italian carboy. anyway he said a burst of about six seconds with the bung fitting in position to be pushed down is plenty also as george stated you could still use the lighter to be sure but this surely does make things a lot easier than racking to smaller vessels or trying to find the cheapest top off wine, now i know there are some hard core wine makers who have enough in supply to not worry about that but i think there are just as many if not more that do not have that type of inventory. Only wish i did!!!!!!!!


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## grapeman (Jun 26, 2009)

seagrape said:


> Thanks Peterz but in looking at and understanding the function of an airlock it seems it allows air if you will to go out but cannot allow air to go back in unless of course there is no water in the airlock otherwise if Barometric pressure did have that effect on an air lock then it would suck the water and air into our wine when bulk aging normally i think? What are your thoughts?




A large pressure change can suck the water back into the carboy. That is why I use vodka or water with k-meta in it. That keeps from having contaminated water sucked (or pushed) back into the carboy of wine. I don't think it would get enough back in though that it would allow air in- hence the term air-lock. I haven't used the gas myself, but see it in my future.


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