# Bottling Day Video and Pictures



## Poni (Apr 12, 2012)

hiya,

My name is jeff and i have been posting here and there, and i thought i would share a video and some pictures from my bottling day last month.

In the vineyard part of the video you can't really hear me talk, so we figured we'd make fun of ourselves.. Enjoy!

As you can see in the video i had someone to run the washer, run the gas, run the bottler, cork then apply the shrink capsules. I labeled alone the next day . But all in all it went pretty well.

Eventually there will be another more audible video of the vineyard and berry patches.

Video- [ame]http://youtu.be/3YqaZRUoT0E[/ame]

Pictures- http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157629668337567/

Hopefully the links work


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## ibglowin (Apr 12, 2012)

Nice! Love the winery walls inside! Too bad the audio didn't turn out quite right. 

Did you make the bottle washer or purchase it? Nice set up!


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## Maverick00 (Apr 12, 2012)

Great pictures, looked like so much fun


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## Poni (Apr 12, 2012)

I made the bottle washer out a rubbermaid tub, a water pump and the morewine sparging base and rack. I also used the same set up for the gas so i could just take the rack full of bottles from the washer to the nitrogen sparger. It worked pretty well, usually when i set something up like this i find bugs that need to be worked out, but not this time, it all worked out! 

Thanks, j


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## grapeman (Apr 12, 2012)

Mike those bottle washers and parger is carried by MoreWinemaking. He has adapted it to be recycling water and sanitizer it looks like. You want to explain it poni?

Too late, you already did!


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## ibglowin (Apr 12, 2012)

OK, I give up what the heck do they call that on the More website! 

Not finding it under cleaning and sanitizing products or anything thing else for that matter!


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## ibglowin (Apr 12, 2012)

Never mind just found it under Bottle Rinsing of all things!


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## Rocky (Apr 12, 2012)

Very nice, Poni. Beautiful stone wall foundation! How old is the house? Really neat set up and production line. Did you make a lot of the production equipment, like the bottle washer and gasser? It does appear that there was some "sampling" of the product while working! Quite a crew you have there. Great job.


Sorry, questions were "asked and answered." Thanks.


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## Poni (Apr 12, 2012)

Ha!

The tub held the sani solution and circulated it up through the bottles and then drained down through the lid of the tub.

The house is at least 100 years old, i really tried to think of every thing when it came to bottling because it's a touchy oxidizing procedure, so i wanted to limit as much problems and O2 as i could. All of the wines So2 levels were good, i used the gas and did my best to make it go smoothly.. I'm glad everyone digs it. Thank you.

Oh and i think if you google morewine sparging base and rack it will take you there


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## ibglowin (Apr 12, 2012)

What are you using to pump/pressurize the sanitizing solution up and into the bottles?


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## Poni (Apr 12, 2012)

Just a water pump, like the type from lowes. I will post better pics of the washer later today. Pretty basic washer set up, works like a charm!


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## ibglowin (Apr 12, 2012)

I'd be interested in a pic of the pump if you have one!


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## joeswine (Apr 12, 2012)

*excellent*

excellent presentation....


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## Poni (Apr 12, 2012)

Ok, here is a better pic of the washer all hooked up, the only thing that isn't pictured is the rack of bottles that goes on the top. The pump was hooked up to a remote controlled outlet, so i could turn the pump on/off with a remote. Pretty cool stuff


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## Poni (Apr 12, 2012)

Thanks everyone, glad you like it! I love this type of stuff, total wine equipment geek! Also really fun to build!


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## Flem (Apr 12, 2012)

Great pics and video, Jeff. Thanks for sharing.


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## rocket man (Apr 13, 2012)

Well, I can see what my next project is now. As far as the pump goes could you tell me what the flow rate is on it? I've seen them from 40 gallons per hour to 10 gallons per minute. I don't want to have a dozen rockets taking off at the same time, but I do want the water to reach the bottom of the bottles.


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## Poni (Apr 13, 2012)

I am not sure right now, i just got a whatever pump. Whats cool about the morewine rack is the bottles are secure in the rack so no bottles will go flying, but i will let ya know laterl when i get homer.

Really the washer is a 
rubber maid tub
-holes in the lid to allow the sani solution to drain back into the tub
- a hole drilled in the side to acomodate a bulkhead fitting with treads so you can screw i the tubing that goes to the pump
-the pump
- a hose on the outlet port going to the bottle washing base.
-place the rack on top
-turn on the pump
-washy washy
-and voila! sanitized bottles!

i actually got this idea from a guy by the name of Alan at silver bell winery. He actually uses this bottle washer in his winery and i think last month they bottled like 2000 bottles. The washer makes pretty fast work.

all in all i think it cost me-
tub $10
-outlet remote to turn the pump off/on $15 from amazon
-more wine rack and base (i got two racks) $70 (but they were a gift so free for me, thanks mom!)
Bulkhead fitting $10
Tubing maybe around $8
the pump i borrowed but they are at lowes for like $70?
the pump doesn't have to be anything special, especially if it only being used for bottling

good luck! let me know if you have any questions!

Oh and the washer is very portable since the solution is held within the tub, i just built a table and sunk the tub down in it.


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## Poni (Apr 13, 2012)

oh and the pump really pumps the water like crazy! A really nice steady stream of water, i suggest giving each bottle a little turn while being rinsed to ensure an even coating of sani solutioin in the bottle.


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## ibglowin (Apr 13, 2012)

Love it! Totally hate the whole bottle cleaning thing....... 

So is this pump found in the pond (outdoor) supplies or inside? Which department!


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## Runningwolf (Apr 13, 2012)

Jeff as I mentioned earlier I love the pics and video. I would kill for the man cave. That my friend is way too cool! There is a number of us from up arounf Lake Erie down to Pittsburgh that get together every couple of months. Hope you can join us some time.

Mike that pump I believe is sold in the plumbing section where the sump pumps are. I used to use them for draining h/w tanks. I dont think a regular pond pump would have enough pressure without spending a fortune. My guess is this pump is around $100.

just found a link;

http://www.lowes.com/pd_40506-15649-PPTP1_0__?productId=3134455&Ntt=pumps&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dpumps&facetInfo=

ok the link won't work but search for this.
Transfer Utility Pump
Item #: 40506 | Model #: PPTP1





1 Reviews 

$88.00


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## grapeman (Apr 13, 2012)

Some folks just use an on demand SureFlo pump. Get one that is set to about 40-45 psi and it will keep pumping until it reaches that pressure and stops until it is needed again. It would run almost constantly, but would only take a couple seconds to sanitize the bottles. Then turn it off. They are self priming and resistant to chemicals. You can get them either 110 or 12 volts and set up with a switch.


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## Runningwolf (Apr 13, 2012)

Rick also has this same set up.


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## Wade E (Apr 13, 2012)

Great pics Poni. Love that washer set up and almost thought you had a raccoon in there, its was your cat sitting on a chair instead. Glad to have you here!


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## Poni (Apr 13, 2012)

All the pump says is:
single phase 60 hertz
150 watts 2 amps.

It doesnt say what the gpm is. Sorry i couldnt be more help


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## rocket man (Apr 14, 2012)

Poni said:


> All the pump says is:
> single phase 60 hertz
> 150 watts 2 amps.
> 
> It doesnt say what the gpm is. Sorry i couldnt be more help



If it's the same one that runningwolf put a link to, and it looks like it is, it pumps 4 gallons per minute. So both of you were a big help.


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