Bottling Day With The Hoffart Auto Bottle Filler!

[Wade E]

As far as different size bottles go I believe thas why there are differen holes in the arm to adjust for that.

 

[rhoffart]

As far as different size bottles go I believe thas why there are differen holes in the arm to adjust for that.

The first one only had 1 hole and the 375's didn't fit well so I put 4 holes 1" apart in V2.

 

[tjbryner]

Thanks for the link!! This will complete my wine addiction nicely.... at least for this week

 

[ibglowin]

Yep, Hot glue gun, vacuvin, ball valves. Only thing missing is a 9V battery and some wires to a timer or something!

Come on ... hot glue gun is close enough.

 

[Wade E]

Will it fot a magnum?

 

[ibglowin]

It would work if you wanted to do a few but if you did a whole lot of them the bottom would need to be re-drilled (larger) to better accompany a magnum. I just checked and it will sit on top (as is) and you can still get the Vacuvin in nicely.

 

[rhoffart]

Will it fot a magnum?

I'd say no ... I don't think I would ever use one.

cool, thanks Mike

 

[Wade E]

Me neither, just curious.

 

[wvbrewer]

Very Nice..

 

[PCharles]

I've not seen this before... I may have to put my vacume pump to use in simlar fashion. Excellent job!!!

 

[ibglowin]

This little contraption has made bottling fun for the first time (at least for me!)

 

[Winegirl]

I apologize if this has been asked already, will this stop filling the bottle once the wine hits the vacuum? Do you need the ball valve or could you lower your vacuum from the pump?

 

[ibglowin]

Once the volume hits the lower tube it will start taking the flow to the overflow bottle. You have to manually shut off the flow with the valve each time, remove the full bottle, get a new empty, replace, open the flow valve, rinse, repeat as they say.

Each bottle is filled to the same exact height. You can open the valve and fill fast or slow depending on if you have help or not. You just have to make sure you don't overfill the overflow bottle so to speak!

 

[Tripplett]

I love the idea. I'm still kind of new so excuse if this is a stupid question but does it matter that you are kind of splash racking it into the bottles? I thought there was a reason normal bottle filling wands fill from the bottom up.

 

[ibglowin]

With this set up the bottle is under a vacuum so no air is introduced.

 

[olusteebus]

I am confused on the tubing. The refrigerator tubes going into the valve and ultimately into the vacuvin stopper looks to be 3/8 inch inside diameter, 1/2 inch outside diameter. I say this as they must be that to fit the 3/8 inch outside diameter of the valve.

If that is the case, what clear tubing size have you used.

Could you give me a breakdown of the tube sizes.

I would appreciate you help.

 

[ibglowin]

Looks like smaller 1/4" Teflon was used to in short pieces that went through the Vacuvin stoppers and both sides of the shutoff valve which I believe was a refrigerator water line valve of sorts. Then 1/4" Tygon or Polypropylene was slipped over the 1/4" Teflon where size was not an issue.

 

[ibglowin]

I believe a hot glue gun was used to glue/seal the tube into the vacuvin's.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Once the volume hits the lower tube it will start taking the flow to the overflow bottle. You have to manually shut off the flow with the valve each time, remove the full bottle, get a new empty, replace, open the flow valve, rinse, repeat as they say.

Each bottle is filled to the same exact height. You can open the valve and fill fast or slow depending on if you have help or not. You just have to make sure you don't overfill the overflow bottle so to speak!

Mike -
I am a little confused - does each bottle get filled to the exact height every time ? Or can you overfill the bottles if you are not paying attention ?

 

[olusteebus]

"Mike -
I am a little confused - does each bottle get filled to the exact height every time ? Or can you overfill the bottles if you are not paying attention ?
__________________"

Because the tube producing the vacuum is lower than the tube producing the wine, It begins to suck wine out of the bottle once the wine gets to that level. It goes into the overflow bottle which should be the last bottled filled.