Air Lock

[Bklynitalian]

My second year doing wine from grapes, and have 2 questions.
I crushed about 10 days ago and left it in 2 buckets, my gravity is down to 1.011 as of today and was still bubbling, fermenting.
Because I have to work way too much in the next 2 weeks, I had to press today.
Since i'm sure its still fermenting, should I air lock the carboy? or should i leave it off with a rag over the opening until the FG is close to 1.000 or stops moving?

Also, I have about 2.5 gallons extra, so i can't fill my second carboy (5 gallon) to the top. If I transfer that to 1 gallon jugs, do i seal it tight with the screw cap? My airlocks wont fit in the small gallon mouths.

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[CDrew]

My second year doing wine from grapes, and have 2 questions.
I crushed about 10 days ago and left it in 2 buckets, my gravity is down to 1.011 as of today and was still bubbling, fermenting.
Because I have to work way too much in the next 2 weeks, I had to press today.
Since i'm sure its still fermenting, should I air lock the carboy? or should i leave it off with a rag over the opening until the FG is close to 1.000 or stops moving?

Also, I have about 2.5 gallons extra, so i can't fill my second carboy (5 gallon) to the top. If I transfer that to 1 gallon jugs, do i seal it tight with the screw cap? My airlocks wont fit in the small gallon mouths.
!

Yes to airlocks on all. Get stoppers that fit.

Do not seal anything that is still fermenting.

Airspace is bad. So if you have left overs, break down into whatever units you need to to eliminate headspace. I have used gallons, growlers and even individual wine bottles. All with airlocks.

 

[tradowsk]

I put airlocks on everything below 1.020. As stated above, never seal anything still fermenting unless you like lots of clean up.

If you only had a little left over, you could put it in a mason jar in the fridge to slow fermentation and use for topping up later. But for 2 gallons you should spend the few bucks to get drilled stoppers to do it right.

 

[sour_grapes]

Also, note that these "universal" stoppers, available essentially anywhere, work on regular wine bottles. You just need to turn them upside down. I don't know if they will wrk on gallon jugs, but they will work on 1.75 L bottles.

 

[Scooter68]

There are also 'drilled' screw-on plastic caps the work well as long as you don't tighten them too much.

 

[chicken]

Also, note that these "universal" stoppers, available essentially anywhere, work on regular wine bottles. You just need to turn them upside down. I don't know if they will wrk on gallon jugs, but they will work on 1.75 L bottles.

Whoa. . .never knew that!