# F$#@ing Buon Vino Bottle Filler...



## Mike (Dec 21, 2009)

So I was attempting to bottle two batches Saturday. This would be the second time using my Buon Vino automatic bottle filler. The first time, it worked quite well. This time, however, not so much. It would constantly sputter air into the overflow tube. Also when the wine filled the bottle and the flow was supposed to shut off, it wouldn't shut off. It would always just flow into the overflow. Very frustrated, I pulled out my laptop to see if I could find a solution for the issue. About 20 seconds later, the end of the Buon Vino siphon pulled out of the bucket spilling the half-full overflow bottle of wine ONTO MY LAPTOP! After completely taking the laptop apart and drying it out, it still works, but there is pixel damage/wine stain on the screen. I don't feel like spending $400 to fix the f*cking thing so I'll have to deal with it for the rest of the laptime's life. 

ANYWAY, does anyone know how I can fix the god forsaken Buon Vino filler?


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## Horkalugi (Dec 21, 2009)

hmmmm, if that happened to me, I think a sledge hammer would be the right tool to fix it.


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## Mike (Dec 21, 2009)

As much as I wanted to, I didn't want any more casualties that day.


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## DageonYar (Dec 21, 2009)

I was debating getting one of those fillers... after reading this, I think I'll stick to my 4$ bottle filling rod. Sorry for your bad luck  Sounds like maybe you have an air leak somewhere. Good luck with the debugging.


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## upper (Dec 21, 2009)

Must not have had your Pop-Up blocker enabled Upper


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## RadarLuv (Dec 21, 2009)

I find if I have the adjustment screw in the full open possition it works just fine. I end up with about 300cc of overflow from a 6 gal batch.


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## Tom (Dec 21, 2009)

I dont have a problem. Ck the adjustment screw and play with a little


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## xanxer82 (Dec 21, 2009)

Rule of thumb is to keep anything electronic away from your work area.
Best bottle filling combination is my autosiphon and el cheapo filling rod. 
IF you're techinically inclined, you can replace the screen yourself from parts on ebay.


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## Mike (Dec 21, 2009)

I originally used a siphon and beer bottle filler, but the filler was totally annoying. I was always battling to activate the filler against the interior punt. I wanted something more automatic.


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## cpfan (Dec 21, 2009)

Mike said:


> I originally used a siphon and beer bottle filler, but the filler was totally annoying. I was always battling to activate the filler against the interior punt. I wanted something more automatic.



That's one reason some wine makers are very picky about their bottles. Although I do accept 'free' bottles, many are recycled because of shape, label, effort to clean. I've been paying less that a $1/bottle for new bottles, and have recently learned of a couple of cheaper sources nearby. The cost is worth it to me versus the hassle of a 'bad' bottle.

Steve


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## Runningwolf (Dec 21, 2009)

Mike I have bottled over 900 bottles with this filler and it still works great. Like Tom said play with the adjustment screw on the side. You could also fill a bucket with water and play with a few bottles till you get the adjustment right instead of wasting good wine. When i was going to upgrade to an electric jet filler George talked me out of it and himself out of a $300 sale telling me what I had was just as good and not any quicker.


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## Julie (Dec 21, 2009)

Whew, I started to get worried there for a minute on this bottle filler. I put it on my Christmas list and I was thinking "Oh Boy" this might not be so good. But after reading all the posts I think I will be find.

Actually, I'm not the one who does the filling. My husband is my toady. He does most of the manual work, I normally just tell him what to do.  It is such a great arrangement.


Julie


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## Wade E (Dec 21, 2009)

I have only bottled 4 batches with mine and it does take a few batches to really get the adjustments set really good but mine works great and I have mine hooked up to my electric vacuum pump and now that Ive done a few batches I only get 1 glass worth in the overflow! did you clean it out properly when you finished using it last time??????


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## rawlus (Jan 16, 2010)

i stopped using my buon vino automatic for the same reason. totally not worth it.
right now, nothing seems easier or performs more reliably than a double-drilled #3 stopper, a vacuum pump and a few fittings. works very slick, vacuum bottles the bottle, i have fine adjustment and it is easier to move around from bottle to bottle than the top-heavy buon vino.


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## smurfe (Jan 16, 2010)

Mine does the same thing. It is n old one. THere was a found defect and they were supposed to fix that problem. My vendor told me to send mine back for replacement but I never did. I just stay by mine and shut it off manually when the bottle is full. I too just started using one of the $1.99 wands that works just fine.


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## Tom (Jan 16, 2010)

Funny some of U guys/gals have had problems. I had mind I guess 2+ years. I have bottled at least 2,000 bottles. Except for "fine tuning" I have never had a problem..


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## Runningwolf (Jan 16, 2010)

I've done half as many as Tom. Sounds like operator error..Call OSHA! Really though if you can get it working it is a great tool for the price. I can do 30 bottles in no time at all. When I was going to upgrade to the electric one George told me to stick with the one I got as a $300 upgrade would be no quicker. He uses this one when he hosts bottling nights. I wonder if there was a bad batch out there. By the way, this is what makes George so great. He sells what he believes in (tried and trusted) instead of trying to make the big buck!


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## AlFulchino (Jan 17, 2010)

similar to Tom, i have bottled a number that is in the thousands w this machine.....this machine made me end up deciding to also purchase the Buon Vino Super Jet Filter which in the last week transferred/rack over 400 gallons...both pumps, in my view just don't stop....and unless you get a foreign object into it....and that is the bottom line on this machine

and like Smurfe, if i have an issue, i just stand by it and manually turn on and off

the Buon Vino filter which i also use to rack you must use a pre-filter....i would suggest also using one on the bottler because when you get down to the lees, lets face it...who wants not capture that *last* bottle? we all do...and that is where the problems start...air in the overflow...loss of flow and or prime....thats when we start cursing and asking where ALL the towels in the house are 


its about the settings, its about cleaning, its about keeping debris out of the pump and its about lubrication of any necessary parts...one other issue is making sure the hoses are properly clamped to insure no air gets in the lines

oh and one other tip..i strongly recommend rubber-banding or otherwise tying the bottom of your fill tube to a stick or rod so that the filling point of the bottom of the hose/tube is controllable as to where you ultimately have the wine entering the tube.....this way it wont *wander* on you


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## Runningwolf (Jan 17, 2010)

Hey Al, I agree with everything you guys are saying. Just wondering if you are looking into getting an electric bottle filler at some point. Have you or anyone else ever looked into or used the enolmatic bottle filler. I have heard a lot of great reviews on this. I do realize you could essentially do the same thing with vacuum pump.


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## Tom (Jan 17, 2010)

If it's the one i'm thinking of no. The one I think it is, is also pricy right? Send a link of which one you are talking about.


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## AlFulchino (Jan 17, 2010)

Hi Dan...you are right, that would be a nice machine...the one i think you are referencing is a single head....i plan on using the current Buon Vino filler until it is near dying...then i have to look for a multi head machine...i recently did some 15 -19 case batches and it took three hours......usually done at night after a days work...so a 2, 4 maybe even 6 or 8 head machine is to eventually be in the picture....but for now the Buon Vino electric filler has been all that i have asked...even when i abuse it like i did once when i tried to use it for racking


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## Wade E (Jan 17, 2010)

The Enolmatic isnt very pricey if your not looking to get thye filter attachment but if you are then that is where they will soak you hard!


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## Runningwolf (Jan 17, 2010)

Hey Guys, this is a link to the bottle filler I was talking about http://valleyvintner.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=BE 

yes it is expensive at almost $400.00. I have not dug into it any further to see if it can be had for less or not. I'll be sticking to my $35 Buon Vino Automatic Auto Bottle Gravity Filler for quiet awhile. It really does work great once adjusted.


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## Runningwolf (Jan 22, 2010)

Runningwolf said:


> Hey Guys, this is a link to the bottle filler I was talking about http://valleyvintner.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=BE
> 
> yes it is expensive at almost $400.00. I have not dug into it any further to see if it can be had for less or not. I'll be sticking to my $35 Buon Vino Automatic Auto Bottle Gravity Filler for quiet awhile. It really does work great once adjusted.



UPDATE...it use to work very well. I was just getting ready to bottle 12 gallons today and the top of this filler wouldn't pop up to shut off. I forced it up and everything went to H$#@$. The bearings froze up and wouldn't allow it to come up and when I forced it up the bearings poped out also. Three hours and a 100 miles later of driving from shop to shop I finally found a new one at Presque Isle Winery and got back home in time to go out to dinner. Guess I bottle tomorrow. K-meta is very corrosive and I believe running it through this bottler after cleaning up might be what caused my issue.


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## Julie (Apr 12, 2010)

Runningwolf said:


> UPDATE...it use to work very well. I was just getting ready to bottle 12 gallons today and the top of this filler wouldn't pop up to shut off. I forced it up and everything went to H$#@$. The bearings froze up and wouldn't allow it to come up and when I forced it up the bearings poped out also. Three hours and a 100 miles later of driving from shop to shop I finally found a new one at Presque Isle Winery and got back home in time to go out to dinner. Guess I bottle tomorrow. K-meta is very corrosive and I believe running it through this bottler after cleaning up might be what caused my issue.



Hi Dan,

Are you still using your Bono Vino bottle filler? Have you had any more problems with it?


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## Runningwolf (Apr 12, 2010)

Yes I am still using it and like it vey much. I have a plastic crate I got from a nursery that I can put all 30 bottles in and I just go from bottle to bottle filling and then I cork them all right after. I do have to assist in stopping it some when the bottle is full but that just might be an adjustment. Not a big deal since your hane is on it anyways. Some people have complained about it dribbling filling a bottle as they move it from one to another but if you just wait a second or two that won't happen. Bottom line...I don't think you can beat it for the money.


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## Julie (Apr 12, 2010)

Thanks, we have only used ours twice and we have to shut it off manually. Mike has played with the screw on the side but hasn't been able to get it right so far. But I'm sure we will.


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## Maestro (May 26, 2010)

We used our Buon Vino Gravity Filler last night for the first time. IT IS A GODSEND!! We loved it. It worked flawlessly and cut our bottling time down by far. If we get 1000 bottles out of it I'll be more than happy and won't hesitate to buy another one at that time.


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## mxsteve625 (Aug 18, 2010)

Wade and Rawlus...How do you use a vacum pump for bottling. Can you post some diagrams or pictures. I am pretty mechanically inclined but can't figure this one out.

Steve

Got to go!!!


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## JohnT (Aug 18, 2010)

I would highly recomend the Enolmatic bottle filler. I know that it is pricey, but I have had mine for at least 10 years (translates into tens of thousands of bottles filled). The other great thing is that replacement parts are available.


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## winemaker_3352 (Aug 18, 2010)

Yeah i have been looking around for one as well - i will eventually fork out the $$ for one. I've been checking craigslist for a used one. No luck.


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## sly22guy (Dec 14, 2010)

I have the enolomatic bottler. It is the simplest thing to use it works good with all bottle types, you can rack with it, plus it vacuum degases too. Very user friendly. I love it! Wish the Filter setup wasn't so expensive though. Ive had mine for 8 months or so now. Anyone hook a house filter up to these?


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## JohnT (Dec 14, 2010)

sly22guy said:


> I have the enolomatic bottler. It is the simplest thing to use it works good with all bottle types, you can rack with it, plus it vacuum degases too. Very user friendly. I love it! Wish the Filter setup wasn't so expensive though. Ive had mine for 8 months or so now. Anyone hook a house filter up to these?



I have 2 enolmatics. They are great. I have never hooked up a filter to the filler because I like to filter and then bottle in separate stages. I have a buon vino superjet filter and it seems to work great.


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## Runningwolf (Dec 14, 2010)

John, I can see different thoughts on this but I filter and bottle at the same time with the enolmatic and will never go back.


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## Wade E (Dec 14, 2010)

So you can rack and degas with the Enol. I have been wondering about that forever and have asked people many times and never got an answer. Any idea how much vac it pulls?


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## Runningwolf (Dec 14, 2010)

Wade E said:


> So you can rack and degas with the Enol. I have been wondering about that forever and have asked people many times and never got an answer. Any idea how much vac it pulls?



hummmm could of sworn we said yes before but I would not use it for that. I bought the racking kit and what they sent for a cap suck. It is only good for a demijon and the girl at St Pats got a real attitude wjen I mentioned this to her. Anyways For the price and convenience of the vacuum pump I would not use my enolmatic for racking/degassing. Just my opinion.


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## Wade E (Dec 14, 2010)

Maybe you did and I missed it. I was just curious.


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## sly22guy (Dec 14, 2010)

As far as racking goes, it works real nice it dosn't seem like it works it hard at all. The caps that come with it are not that great but they will do. I think the caps that wade have are the ticket. 

Not sure as to the amount of vacuum, ill have to look in the book on fri. It has enough to Suck in the Better bottles pretty good! I just pop the top loose every once and awhile to avoid this. Im am very pleased with it. Bottle filling is awesome fast and easy. I just like the fact i don't have to lift carboys!

I don't really do the volume that Runningwolf does either so for me it works great. Once my grapes start producing decent then ill probly grab a Vac pump.


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## Wade E (Dec 14, 2010)

Winemaker, did you ever get a Boun Vino? Which one are you looking to get? There are a few for sale right on this site! Or you could go the vacuum pump route also.


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## winemaker_3352 (Dec 15, 2010)

Wade E said:


> Winemaker, did you ever get a Boun Vino? Which one are you looking to get? There are a few for sale right on this site! Or you could go the vacuum pump route also.



Yeah - i got the mini jet filter several months back. I got a Robinair vacuum pump from my dad, and from my father-in-law i got the buon vino automatic bottle filler.

So i am good to go - but if my pump goes bad - i now have a respectable place to get one


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## Wade E (Dec 15, 2010)

Cool, I just knew there were 2 of The Vino units for sale here.


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## winemaker_3352 (Dec 15, 2010)

Wade E said:


> Cool, I just knew there were 2 of The Vino units for sale here.


 
Yeah i saw those - i got my from cross island fruits - i got it for $149 free shipping and 3 sets of pads.


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## Wade E (Dec 15, 2010)

Wow, nice grab!


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## dunworth (Mar 22, 2012)

*A different idea on Bottling using auto filler and vacuum*

I too had the problem of always having to adjust so a I put a tee in the vacuum line very close to where you connect it to the open/close valve. I have the carboy lower than the wine bottles so gravity doesn't take over. When I want to fill, I put my finger over the open end of the tee. When the wine gets to the fill level, I simply take my finger off the tee and proceed to the next one. The overflow bottle has very little in it. I put 16 bottles in a plastic tub in case of spillage but rarely have to wipe a few drops off.


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## vacuumpumpman (Mar 22, 2012)

Just curious - why would some one pay alot of money for a bottling system ? The allinone is only 200 dollars or you can have your own vacuum pump and purshase the complete bottling attachement for 42 dollars (includes delivery). The nice thing about this bottling feature that it is extremely easy to use and cleanup is a breeze and no small parts to break

Thanks Steve
http://allinonewinepump.com/accessories.html


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## winemaker_3352 (Mar 22, 2012)

vacuumpumpman said:


> Just curious - why would some one pay alot of money for a bottling system ? The allinone is only 200 dollars or you can have your own vacuum pump and purshase the complete bottling attachement for 42 dollars (includes delivery). The nice thing about this bottling feature that it is extremely easy to use and cleanup is a breeze and no small parts to break
> 
> Thanks Steve
> http://allinonewinepump.com/accessories.html




That is a good point - but when i bought mine - the allinone was not available yet 

If it were - i would have went that route...

I have a vacuum pump now - i could do the allinone as well - but then the mini jet would get left out  So i use until it throws craps to filter my wine....


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## Wade E (Mar 22, 2012)

Yep, I know I could have saved some money over my Stainless Steel filling system.


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