# Bottling Day With The Hoffart Auto Bottle Filler!



## ibglowin (Nov 19, 2011)

Much thanks to Rick Hoffart for this truly piece of wine making "art"! Perfectly filled bottles every time and not a drop lost! No more Ferrari Auto Bottle (siphon) Filler for this winemaker! Set up and clean up are a breeze. You can adjust the flow as fast or as slow as you want it. 
Very nice addition to the toolbox!






[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXdkJohy2QA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXdkJohy2QA[/ame]


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## Wade E (Nov 19, 2011)

Isnt it Rhoffart or is the R the first initial of his first name?


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## Wade E (Nov 19, 2011)

For the money thats the best way to go but I must admit I love my toy!


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## ibglowin (Nov 20, 2011)

R is the first initial of his first name.



Wade said:


> Isnt it Rhoffart or is the R the first initial of his first name?Â


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## rhoffart (Nov 20, 2011)

Yeah, it worked.


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## K&GB (Nov 20, 2011)

Wow, I see new toys for my Christmas list!


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## Wade E (Nov 20, 2011)

Are you going to start selling these?


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## ibglowin (Nov 20, 2011)

I certainly</span>thinkhe should!




I was using the Ferrari Auto Filler and I was having to squat down on my knees for 45 mins to do a batch. If I was on my own it was a lot of up and down. By the time I was finished I had a hard time getting back up. With this I just sat in a chair and handed off the filled bottle to my assistant winemaker (oldest daughter) who corked em. Nice smooth work flow and it would be easy to do by your self as you can adjust the flow to give you time to cork your bottle, wipe off and grab another one.
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## Wade E (Nov 20, 2011)

Mike, I know what I bought was pretty pricey but since I have a bad back now can you see why I spent that money. I was doing the same as you with being on the floor with my BV auto filler and all though its way better then a filling wand it was still brutal and made me really not want to do any bottling. Its stuff like this filler that make it a pleasure to go down there and get done what needs to be done.


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## ibglowin (Nov 20, 2011)

Wade I agree 100%.
I was putting it off because it was such a chore to do. I am in good health and only 53 years young but getting back up after squatting for 45 mins was not much fun......


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## ibglowin (Nov 20, 2011)

Here are a couple of pics shat show this beauty off a little better.


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## grapeman (Nov 20, 2011)

Only 53? That's ancient man!






Oops, I guess that make me a relic!


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## Jackie (Nov 20, 2011)

Fills two bottles at once, that's nice. I use a Buon Vino automatic bottle filler hooked to my vacuum pump. It goes pretty fast. I do it alone so I fill all the bottles then cork all. Much faster than gravity fills. It doesn't stop automatically when hooked to the vacuum so I have to watch it but overall I'm happy with the setup.


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## rhoffart (Nov 20, 2011)

Wade said:


> Are you going to start selling these?



No, no time ...


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## grapeman (Nov 20, 2011)

They don't do 2 at once. The one on the backside is for overflow.


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## Brent2489 (Nov 20, 2011)

OK so let me get this straight ....The vacuum is connected to the bottle on the left and then (the vacuum line) goes to the cork stopper with 2 tubes in the wine bottle. The wine is pulled (via the vacuum) thru the hose with the blue (flow adjust??) on it.Flow stops when thevacuumline gets plugged and no wine (or very little) goes into the left hand bottle.
Is really a nice piece of work.If you will not build them then how about a parts list??


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## rhoffart (Nov 20, 2011)

brent2489 said:


> OK so let me get this straight ....The vacuum is connected to the bottle on the left and then (the vacuum line) goes to the cork stopper with 2 tubes in the wine bottle. The wine is pulled (via the vacuum) thru the hose with the blue (flow adjust??) on it.Flow stops when thevacuumline gets plugged and no wine (or very little) goes into the left hand bottle.
> Is really a nice piece of work.If you will not build them then how about a parts list??



2) Vacu-vin's (about $5 at Bed, Bath &amp; Beyond)1) Roll ice maker line (about $5 @ HD)1) Red Oak 1X62) Red Oak 1X2's1) Valve 3/8"1) 1/4" X 3 1/2" boltHot GlueWood Glue
The expensive part is the two hole saws ... about $15 - $20 each


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## ibglowin (Nov 20, 2011)

The top tube (pic #2) with the ball valve gets attached to a larger (3/8".i.d) diameter racking tube and (inside) cane via a (slip over fit)
Bottom tube (short piece) attached to 375 bottle at rear gets another (3/8".i.d) tube slipped over it and then the other end gets attached to your pump.
Flow doesn't ever stop unless you switch off the valve on top. It just gets diverted to the overflow bottle until you cut it off.
It gets filled to the exact same level every time.


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## Scott (Nov 21, 2011)

ibglowin said:


> I certainlythinkhe should!
> 
> 
> 
> ...














To help with the knees I use a mechanics stool, on casters and somehave adjustable height. Scoot right around, saves the knees!After back surgery this year I need to worksmarter



so will have to get going with vacuum and stop lifting.


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## hannabarn (Nov 22, 2011)

appleman said:


> Only 53? That's ancient man!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



WOW! What does that make me????


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## RickC (Nov 22, 2011)

Great looking set up Rick. Definitely need to make one for myself. 


I have never looked closely at an auto fill type setup. Doessplash filling cause any oxidation concerns or is the exposure time short enough not to worry about?


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## rhoffart (Nov 22, 2011)

RickC said:


> Great looking set up Rick. Definitely need to make one for myself.
> 
> 
> I have never looked closely at an auto fill type setup. Doessplash filling cause any oxidation concerns or is the exposure time short enough not to worry about?




I wouldn't worry about it. Actually I work solo and have a very slow flow with little or no splash. Also, you can say filling under a slight vacuum, the air might be a little thinner ...


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## John Prince (Nov 30, 2011)

I've got an auto bottle (siphon) filler but tend to use a plastic fermenter bucket with a spigot. I don't have to get down on my knees and I don't spill as much. If I over fill the bottle I just pour some by into the bucket.
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## barryjo (Jan 18, 2012)

Wade said:


> Mike, I know what I bought was pretty pricey but since I have a bad back now can you see why I spent that money. I was doing the same as you with being on the floor with my BV auto filler and all though its way better then a filling wand it was still brutal and made me really not want to do any bottling. Its stuff like this filler that make it a pleasure to go down there and get done what needs to be done.



I understand the bad back. Have had 3 surgeries myself. My solution is this: I use an auto siphon from the carboy into a bottling bucket. This bucket is sitting on an overturned plastic bucket. I sit on a mechanics roll-around stool. Four casters and height adjustable. I can bottle a 5 gallon batch without moving. Then I get up and cork. Strictly functional.


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## Wade E (Jan 18, 2012)

Yep, what ever works and is easiest on your body so it stays as enjoyable as possible. When I first hurt my back it was amazing how hard everything became and how much this joyful hobby turned into hard work that I began to dread! It took some money and some ingenious ideas, (some by me and some by others on this or the other forum to get this back to enjoyable and not painful.


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## olusteebus (Aug 7, 2012)

I have a few questions. 

1. I do not have an adjustable pump. Can I use it.

2. You indicate that it stops automatically. Is that because the vacuum tube in the bottle begins to take on wine? Wouldn't it suck it on to the reservoir bottle?

3. If you are using that valve on top, do you use this to stop the flow?

4. what did you use to put holes in vacuvin stoppers? They are available individually from Bed Bath and Beyond


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## ibglowin (Aug 7, 2012)

Yes, you can use any vacuum pump (oil free) that will pull ~20" of vacuum. Mine does not have any adjustment. You could always add a valve if you want to control the vacuum flow.

It doesn't stop automatically, when the bottle is full the wine will divert into the overflow tube that has the vacuum on it and begin sucking wine into the overflow bottle until you use the valve on top to shut off the flow.

The Vacuvin has a small slit in it which allows you to pull the vacuum with the hand pump. You just force your tubing (both pieces) through the slit and use some hot glue to seal it all up so you can pull a vacuum on the system with your pump.

Hope this hepls!


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## ibglowin (Aug 7, 2012)

I just fixed the link on you tube. Didn't realize it got broken somehow. That may help demonstrate how it all works a little better!


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## SpoiledRotten (Aug 7, 2012)

ibglowin said:


> Wade I agree 100%.
> I was putting it off because it was such a chore to do. I am in good health and only 53 years young but getting back up after squatting for 45 mins was not much fun......


 
I know what you mean. I'm 53 years young too, Mike! 

I may not have seen it correctly, but did that fill from the top, which I've been reading here, is a no no? It might have been a mis-sight on my part, though.

Just one more little comment. I LOVE my vacuum pump. Since I started using it, I've yet to have to use any kind of clearing agent on my wine and it ends up sparkling clear.


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## olusteebus (Aug 7, 2012)

Thanks for responding Ibglowin!


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## ibglowin (Aug 7, 2012)

Randy, it fills from the top like every other bottle filler I have seen. This one is under vacuum though! Bottling is fun for the first time with this guy. Love it! 

Cleaning/scraping/washing bottles still sucks though!


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## olusteebus (Aug 7, 2012)

"It doesn't stop automatically, when the bottle is full the wine will divert into the overflow tube that has the vacuum on it and begin sucking wine into the overflow bottle until you use the valve on top to shut off the flow."

Given that, I can see that the level on each bottle would be basically the same, correct?


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## ibglowin (Aug 7, 2012)

Yes. I usually drop the flow down at the very end to a very slow stream and then cut it off altogether when the first drop or two starts going into the overflow tube. At that point they are all filled to the exact same height. No guess work or dumping a little back etc. I end up with an ounce or two at most at the end of the bottling in the overflow bottle.

I have a mark on the fill valve that lets me fill at a decent rate while I am corking the last bottle and wiping it down etc. Very efficient operation!


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