# Bottling from Bottling Bucket??



## francois_du_nord (Jul 14, 2014)

At my LHBS, one of the workers said I shouldn't bottle from a bottling bucket because "wine isn't supposed to be exposed to air". Neither is beer, and I've bottled from a bottling bucket (valve on the bottom of the bucket obviating the need to bottle from a siphon) for 20 years and didn't worry about over oxygenating the beer. 

Any reason that this method shouldn't be used?

Thanks in advance, 

Fran


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## DoctorCAD (Jul 14, 2014)

Technically, he's right.
Practically, He's wrong...since you will be adding k-meta in the bottling bucket, it really won't oxidize because k-meta is an anti-oxident. Also, the wine will only be in the bucket for a short time and it takes a while to oxidize a wine.


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## bkisel (Jul 14, 2014)

What would the worker have you do instead of your method? How does he do it? Your method is fine.


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## sour_grapes (Jul 14, 2014)

What bkisel said! If you were to bottle from a carboy, after two or three bottles there is as much air exposure as you will get using a bucket!


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## WVMountaineerJack (Jul 15, 2014)

If you put a hose on the end of the spigot that goes to the bottom of the bottle it decreases the amount of churning that would oxygenate the wine during bottling. I bet they had some people just open the spigot and let it rip, that would be bad even if you did add KM to the bucket. We do white wines and cider like this as well as red wines, no problems and much easier than setting up a siphon and then putting on one of those bottling wands on, though the bottling wand works very good if you connect it to the spigot with a tube. WVMJ


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## JohnT (Jul 15, 2014)

+1 on what everyone has said.. 

Oxidation does not happen in a matter of minutes. You will be fine.


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## richmke (Jul 15, 2014)

francois_du_nord said:


> Any reason that this method shouldn't be used?



Because it is one less reason to buy an All-In-One wine pump to bottle with.
Also, shouldn't mix beer pails and wine pails. The wine will take up the beer taste. But, if only used for bottling, there is little time for the pail to take up the beer taste, and little time for the wine to pick it up from the pail.


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## vacuumpumpman (Jul 15, 2014)

Not sure what u mentioned when u wrote 1 less reason to use an all in one? 

If people are really concerned about the little air in the Carboy being bottled 
Just put some argon on top to stop o2 from coming in contact with the wine as the level goes down


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## richmke (Jul 15, 2014)

vacuumpumpman said:


> Not sure what u mentioned when u wrote 1 less reason to use an all in one?



A bottling bucket is designed to make filling bottles easier (spigot so you can use gravity vs. siphon). A problem (filling bottles), that is solved by the AIO.

So, one reason not to use a bottling bucket is so you have a reason to buy an AIO to make your bottling life easier.


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## vacuumpumpman (Jul 15, 2014)

Sorry I misunderstood what you were originally getting at -


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## Elmer (Jul 15, 2014)

richmke said:


> A bottling bucket is designed to make filling bottles easier (spigot so you can use gravity vs. siphon). A problem (filling bottles), that is solved by the AIO.
> 
> So, one reason not to use a bottling bucket is so you have a reason to buy an AIO to make your bottling life easier.





That just blew my mind! 

Nicely done!


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## WI_Wino (Jul 15, 2014)

richmke said:


> Because it is one less reason to buy an All-In-One wine pump to bottle with.
> Also, shouldn't mix beer pails and wine pails. The wine will take up the beer taste. But, if only used for bottling, there is little time for the pail to take up the beer taste, and little time for the wine to pick it up from the pail.



I have been making beer and wine over the last 10 years and have never had any issues with using the same pail for either, both bottling and for primary fermentation. I still regularly use the original bucket I got with my starter kit.


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## francois_du_nord (Jul 17, 2014)

I have every intention of getting myself an All In One, but seeing as how I've only been in the game for about 3 months and in that time have managed to buy 6 kits, 2 carboys (on top of the 4 i already own), 2 new fermenting buckets, a floor corker, a 60 l Speidel fermenter, 4 cases of empty bottle and 2.5 cases of full bottles to empty (VBG) and I've only got two batches in glass right now, I figured economy was a necessary evil. (More kits = more inventory!) I will get a bunch of kits underway, and then move into the more expensive equipment.

I figured I'd use the second fermenter as a bottling bucket. So I bought a valve. I have a stainless steel bottling wand, and while I don't have nitrogen in house, I do have CO2 and can lay down a blanket on top of my wine in the bottling bucket.


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## richmke (Jul 17, 2014)

If you have not yet made the hole in the second fermenter for the valve, I would not do it. Live with siphon bottle filling until you have the AIO. The hole is permanent. You will either get rid of the bottling bucket, or have to deal with cleaning and sanitizing the valve every time you use it to ferment.


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## francois_du_nord (Jul 17, 2014)

Richmke,

That is an interesting point, and no, I haven't bored my hole in the bucket yet. I did purchase one of those auto siphon racking canes. Maybe that will make filling less problematic. 

Unfortunately the darned thing broke the second time I used it, causing much angst and disturbance to my first red wine, but after I got the emergency rack completed, I figure out that the one way valve in the bottom had come apart. Hopefully it was just improperly assembled at the mfr and I've fixed it now. It certainly worked in the sanitizer after the fix was applied.


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## richmke (Jul 17, 2014)

If you purchased the small auto siphon, it can also fit in the hole of the juice bag. I use it to transfer the juice to the primary, rather than trying to pour without splashing.


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## Elmer (Jul 17, 2014)

richmke said:


> If you purchased the small auto siphon, it can also fit in the hole of the juice bag. I use it to transfer the juice to the primary, rather than trying to pour without splashing.




That Is a brilliant idea. Sure beats the heck out of trying to lift that juice bag.
Wonder if I could use the AI1 as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


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## vacuumpumpman (Jul 17, 2014)

Elmer said:


> That Is a brilliant idea. Sure beats the heck out of trying to lift that juice bag.
> Wonder if I could use the AI1 as well.



Yes you can - I am all about saving the back from injuries !!!

you can pull from any open source. See my facebook page or watch the video.


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## richmke (Jul 18, 2014)

The problem is pulling into the primary. I could not see a way to create a vacuum in the primary.


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## bkisel (Jul 18, 2014)

richmke said:


> The problem is pulling into the primary. I could not see a way to create a vacuum in the primary.



Primary lid with two bung holes?

Just get half into a carboy and then pour from the carboy and juice box bladder into the primary?


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## richmke (Jul 18, 2014)

bkisel said:


> Primary lid with two bung holes?



I could do that. LHBS or hardware store should have a rubber grommet for the 2nd hole. The AIO vacuum line attachment is a straight tube, so I can pull that out of the stopper.

Hmmm.... I wonder if there is any problem with the pail taking the vacuum?

Steve: Any idea what size hole and grommet?


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## vacuumpumpman (Jul 18, 2014)

richmke said:


> I could do that. LHBS or hardware store should have a rubber grommet for the 2nd hole. The AIO vacuum line attachment is a straight tube, so I can pull that out of the stopper.
> 
> Hmmm.... I wonder if there is any problem with the pail taking the vacuum?
> 
> Steve: Any idea what size hole and grommet?



The standard bung that comes with the Allinone - I would drill out a 1 1/4'' hole size. keep in mind that you are using a plastic container - so keep releasing vacuum so it will not implode in at all. I am sure all pails are different thickness so please let me know - how everything works for you


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