# True Newbie Help



## iceclimb (Aug 12, 2005)

A little embarassing to admit, but I am just starting...

I started my first batch about a week ago, and I know I have a lot more 
time to wait until it's time to bottle.. but...

How is the Bottle filler wand used? I sort of looked at it for a while, and 
then tried to mess with it, and for some reason I just don't get it.

Also, anybody got a good source for lables that can be laser printed on?

Thanks a ton for any help...

rob


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## PolishWineP (Aug 12, 2005)

Hi Rob,


Don't be embarrassed. You should see some of the messes we've had at our house! And if you read posts here from the last week you can read about some really messy stuff going on!(Go to Wine Concentrate Kits, Great Day in Winemaking) If you're asking about the wand that I think you're asking about it's a thin tube with a dohickey sticking out of the bottom that can wiggle around like a loose tooth. That is the stop/start mechanism. Do you have racking hose? You can play with the tube, wand, water, bucket and bottle to see how it works.Put a bucket of water on your counter or table. Put one end of the hose into the bucket. (You may want to clip it to the bucket at this point.) Get a suction going on the hose, then quickly attach it to the top of the wand. (You may want to have this over a towel on the floor.) The dohickey on the bottom should stop the flow of water out the end. Then you insert the wand into a wine bottle and move it so the dohickey on the bottom of the wand is forced up into the wand tube a way, allowing water to pass through then end of it. When you have enough water in the bottle, simply raise the wand off the bottom of the bottle. You may want to practice this a few times before actually bottling wine. 


After you fill a couple hundred bottles this way you will could easily decide enough is enough and get yourself a Buon Vino Automatic Auto Bottle Gravity Filler. 


Bert and I were just discussing labels a bit ago. We've been trying a few different things b/c we're tired of scraping labels. We've been printing on regular paper, cutting and gluing them onto bottles with glue sticks. The come off nicely and give us something to do while sitting in the screen porch passing the evenings. We also have tried tape runners that can be found in the scrapbooking section of any craft store. 1 tape square per corner and the label stayed on until I pulled it right off. You can also get labels at any office supply store, Wal-Mart, Target, etc. 


My goodness, I'm exhausted after all that! I think I should go pull a cork!


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## Jackie (Aug 15, 2005)

If you have a bucket that has a spigot, it makes the process easier IMHO. I cut a small piece of hose and attached to the end of the spigot and to the bottling wand and just used the on/off lever of the spigot. I now have the buon vino bottle gravity filler and I like it much better though. I can let one bottle be filling while I'm corking another. Makes the process quicker. 


For labels, I just use parchment paper, cut and glue stick. It sticks well but peels off easily with just a quick soak in hot water.I spray with acrylic to keep ink from running (I started that mostly for white wines due to the dampness of refrigeration but it looks good on all labels). Alot of folks use the easy peel off Avery labels (the regular avery labels are hard to remove). 


*Edited by: Jackie *


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## geocorn (Aug 15, 2005)

The label paper I sell is very easy to use. It has a gummed back andI use a sponge to wet the back and stick it on the bottle. The float off after 5 minutes of soaking. The sheets are standard paper size so you can get 12 per page. Here is the link:


 [url]http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdListSub.asp?GC_Category=Sup plies&amp;SubCategory=Paper[/url]


By the way, I furnish 36 free labels with every wine kit you buy from me. You can pick one of my custom design or send me a graphic and I will customize your label.


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## Waldo (Aug 15, 2005)

I have used the label paper George sells and it is great. I use it in my color laser printer with no problems.


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## Hippie (Aug 16, 2005)

Waldo has a color laser printer?


I am very impressed!


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## PolishWineP (Aug 16, 2005)

We do...


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## Waldo (Aug 16, 2005)

Smirks......A Minolta 2300 DL it is Hippie. It was a necessity though. I do a family newsletter every month and it is typically 12-18 double sided pages and i mail out 42 copies so I was wearing out ink jets


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## geocorn (Aug 16, 2005)

I was going through $200 worth of ink for my printer before I got the laser. Now it is about $100 per month and I make more printouts. In addition, the toner does not run.


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## Hippie (Aug 16, 2005)

I am way jealous and green with envy.


Hhmmm...a little free advice, a few labels here and there......


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## Hi In The Pines (Aug 16, 2005)

Oh, yeah...Well, I have a HP 4-in-1 and it leaks ink, prints slowly if I can get it to actually print. It has 3 different layers of dust and animal hair. I would dump it but im afraid the EPA or ADEQ will find out and fine me for the price of a new laser printer you all are talking about. So, for now I just sit here and read about the wonderful lives you all live.


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## MedPretzel (Aug 16, 2005)

I'm with ya, Hi.


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## Jackie (Aug 18, 2005)

I'd love to have a color laser printer. I have an old black and white laser which I love for everyday printing and a cheap color inkjet that I only use for wine labels. Don't have any money so this will have to do.


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