Bottling Day With The Hoffart Auto Bottle Filler!

[ibglowin]

Much thanks to Rick Hoffart for this truly piece of wine making "art"! Perfectly filled bottles every time and not a drop lost! No more Ferrari Auto Bottle (siphon) Filler for this winemaker! Set up and clean up are a breeze. You can adjust the flow as fast or as slow as you want it.
Very nice addition to the toolbox!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXdkJohy2QA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXdkJohy2QA[/ame]

 

[Wade E]

Isnt it Rhoffart or is the R the first initial of his first name?

 

[Wade E]

For the money thats the best way to go but I must admit I love my toy!

 

[ibglowin]

R is the first initial of his first name.

Isnt it Rhoffart or is the R the first initial of his first name? 

 

[rhoffart]

Yeah, it worked.

 

[K&GB]

Wow, I see new toys for my Christmas list!

 

[Wade E]

Are you going to start selling these?

 

[ibglowin]

I certainly</span>thinkhe should!

I was using the Ferrari Auto Filler and I was having to squat down on my knees for 45 mins to do a batch. If I was on my own it was a lot of up and down. By the time I was finished I had a hard time getting back up. With this I just sat in a chair and handed off the filled bottle to my assistant winemaker (oldest daughter) who corked em. Nice smooth work flow and it would be easy to do by your self as you can adjust the flow to give you time to cork your bottle, wipe off and grab another one.
</span>

 

[Wade E]

Mike, I know what I bought was pretty pricey but since I have a bad back now can you see why I spent that money. I was doing the same as you with being on the floor with my BV auto filler and all though its way better then a filling wand it was still brutal and made me really not want to do any bottling. Its stuff like this filler that make it a pleasure to go down there and get done what needs to be done.

 

[ibglowin]

Wade I agree 100%.
I was putting it off because it was such a chore to do. I am in good health and only 53 years young but getting back up after squatting for 45 mins was not much fun......

 

[ibglowin]

Here are a couple of pics shat show this beauty off a little better.

 

[grapeman]

Only 53? That's ancient man!

Oops, I guess that make me a relic!

 

[Jackie]

Fills two bottles at once, that's nice. I use a Buon Vino automatic bottle filler hooked to my vacuum pump. It goes pretty fast. I do it alone so I fill all the bottles then cork all. Much faster than gravity fills. It doesn't stop automatically when hooked to the vacuum so I have to watch it but overall I'm happy with the setup.

 

[rhoffart]

Are you going to start selling these?

No, no time ...

 

[grapeman]

They don't do 2 at once. The one on the backside is for overflow.

 

[Brent2489]

OK so let me get this straight ....The vacuum is connected to the bottle on the left and then (the vacuum line) goes to the cork stopper with 2 tubes in the wine bottle. The wine is pulled (via the vacuum) thru the hose with the blue (flow adjust??) on it.Flow stops when thevacuumline gets plugged and no wine (or very little) goes into the left hand bottle.
Is really a nice piece of work.If you will not build them then how about a parts list??

 

[rhoffart]

OK so let me get this straight ....The vacuum is connected to the bottle on the left and then (the vacuum line) goes to the cork stopper with 2 tubes in the wine bottle. The wine is pulled (via the vacuum) thru the hose with the blue (flow adjust??) on it.Flow stops when thevacuumline gets plugged and no wine (or very little) goes into the left hand bottle.
Is really a nice piece of work.If you will not build them then how about a parts list??

2) Vacu-vin's (about $5 at Bed, Bath &amp; Beyond)1) Roll ice maker line (about $5 @ HD)1) Red Oak 1X62) Red Oak 1X2's1) Valve 3/8"1) 1/4" X 3 1/2" boltHot GlueWood Glue
The expensive part is the two hole saws ... about $15 - $20 each

 

[ibglowin]

The top tube (pic #2) with the ball valve gets attached to a larger (3/8".i.d) diameter racking tube and (inside) cane via a (slip over fit)
Bottom tube (short piece) attached to 375 bottle at rear gets another (3/8".i.d) tube slipped over it and then the other end gets attached to your pump.
Flow doesn't ever stop unless you switch off the valve on top. It just gets diverted to the overflow bottle until you cut it off.
It gets filled to the exact same level every time.

 

[Scott]

I certainlythinkhe should!

I was using the Ferrari Auto Filler and I was having to squat down on my knees for 45 mins to do a batch. If I was on my own it was a lot of up and down. By the time I was finished I had a hard time getting back up. With this I just sat in a chair and handed off the filled bottle to my assistant winemaker (oldest daughter) who corked em. Nice smooth work flow and it would be easy to do by your self as you can adjust the flow to give you time to cork your bottle, wipe off and grab another one.

To help with the knees I use a mechanics stool, on casters and somehave adjustable height. Scoot right around, saves the knees!After back surgery this year I need to worksmarter

so will have to get going with vacuum and stop lifting.

 

[hannabarn]

Only 53? That's ancient man!

Oops, I guess that make me a relic!

WOW! What does that make me????