Bottling Bung for your vacuum pumps

[winekits4beginners]

Agreed!

This is a nifty hack to fill bottles quickly. Kudos and thanks for sharing!

 

[Lurker]

I wanted to share my bottling bung design with you all. Here is a video: http://s883.photobucket.com/albums/ac34/TwinMaplesVideo/

There's also an attachment pdf with more details below.

Let me know what you think!

Jim

By coincidence I put a similar one together Sunday AM. It is just a modified plastic funnel with a 2 hole bung inserted. It has a tube going from the vacuum pump and a tube thru a "T" to the carboy. (I've only used water so far) I used a T and a finger to start and stop the flow. I used only "stuff" that I had in the cellar so I will probably replace the funnel and the "T". I'll have to get a plastic "T" like yours. I watched your video and I wonder why you had to quickly remove it from the bottle.

 

[TwinMaples]

Richard:

It would be great to see a photo or two of your DIY project.

You have to quickly remove the bung because once the wine reaches to top of the inside of the bung, the wine begins to be sucked into the vacuum hose. When I pull the bung, the wine is at the top, or very near the top. As the pigtail tubing is removed from the bottle, the wine level is reduced.

If you don't use the pigtail, the wine splashes quite a bit more when it first begins filling. You have the ability to fill the bottle higher without the overflow problem. And, with practice, you could fill it to the precise level you want.

I've heard people say that that splashing oxyengates? the wine AND I've heard people say that it doesn't. I have to say that I really don't know for sure myself (not a scientist nor do I play one on TV), but I guess I decided to play it safe, and use the pigtail.

If someone could definitely prove to me that it does OR does not oxyengates? the wine, I would appreciate that.

Jim

 

[Wade E]

Jim, if your wine has sufficient sulfite in there then I wouldnt worry about it. Remember that wine sits in a barrel for up to and sometimes longer then one year and barrels are porous.

 

[Lurker]

Richard:

It would be great to see a photo or two of your DIY project.

You have to quickly remove the bung because once the wine reaches to top of the inside of the bung, the wine begins to be sucked into the vacuum hose. When I pull the bung, the wine is at the top, or very near the top. As the pigtail tubing is removed from the bottle, the wine level is reduced.

If you don't use the pigtail, the wine splashes quite a bit more when it first begins filling. You have the ability to fill the bottle higher without the overflow problem. And, with practice, you could fill it to the precise level you want.

I've heard people say that that splashing oxyengates? the wine AND I've heard people say that it doesn't. I have to say that I really don't know for sure myself (not a scientist nor do I play one on TV), but I guess I decided to play it safe, and use the pigtail.

If someone could definitely prove to me that it does OR does not oxyengates? the wine, I would appreciate that.

Jim

Jim, first of all, understand that I did this with whatever I had laying around. I had discussed it with "Wrench", on the other forum and this is what I came up with. I did not use a pigtail or even tubing that went into the bottle. I just used a cutoff racking cane. I never did let it get long enough to touch the wine surface. When the wine is at the proper level I just move my thumb off of the “T” and the flow stops. I did not concern myself with O2 since the wine has 20-30 ppm of sulfite. Also, I think that if 02 is a concern, the tubing could be bent so that the wine flows down the side of the bottle. As you can see, if I get the pic to show, my DIY is ugly. Just a plastic funnel with the top and bottom hack sawed off. A brass “T” and a piece of racking cane. Now that I know that it works, I’ll probably replace all of the parts for asthetics.

 

[Lurker]

The bung that I used, (I did get a couple from Wade), was mine. I drilled them with 1/8" and then 1/4" and then damn near destroyed my fingers using my dremel. Very, very difficult work. Freezing them was a waste of time.

 

[Runningwolf]

Rich, I don't know how the heck you came up with that contraption. I would never of thought about the funnel spout. Even though you wouldn't bring her home to show mom, she is very functional. Way to go!!

 

[Runningwolf]

The bung that I used, (I did get a couple from Wade), was mine. I drilled them with 1/8" and then 1/4" and then damn near destroyed my fingers using my dremel. Very, very difficult work. Freezing them was a waste of time.

What about heating up a phillips head srew driver with a torch and melting the hole in?

 

[Wade E]

If anyone needs any bungs with different size holes just let me know.

 

[Lurker]

What about heating up a phillips head srew driver with a torch and melting the hole in?

That's a good idea. I have an old phillips screwdriver. But, I think I also have enough 2 hole bungs.

 

[Lurker]

Lowes had the "Ts".

 

[TwinMaples]

Richard:

Thanks for the photo. That was a cool idea!

Jim

 

[Runningwolf]

Lowes had the "Ts".

Rich, can you give us the sku number on it or what size you got.

 

[Lurker]

SKU 0 4864307403 3

Nylon hose barb TEE
3/8 X 3/8 X 3/8

 

[Runningwolf]

U DA MAN