Busy Weekend Of Wine making

[vinny]

I was really into the wine this weekend. I picked some more dandelions and started a second batch of dandelion wine. I made 2 more carrot wines. I transferred the Shiraz from a 6 gallon carboy to 2 3 gallon and I bottled half. I filtered, then bottled because I also filtered a 3 gallon Dragon's Blood to see if I could back sweeten without sorbate after a sterile filtering. I rinsed the #2 filters in K-meta solution before switching wines and ran a gallon of water through them. Then filtered the shiraz just 'cause. I'm learning and experimenting. Trying to figure out which steps I 'need' or don't.

A couple of questions came up..

How much head space or ullage does one need/want. I had three bottles that were a too high and the corks wouldn't seat. I also found that the corks set to differing depths based on where the wine level was. I'm talking 1/16 to an 1/8 inch of total variation, so nothing serious, but I was wondering if there is a way to mitigate this. Or am I filling WAY too high and this is a non issue with proper headspace?

I tasted the wine before bottling, but I had already racked it. It was very good. I opened a bottle after bottling cause, well I couldn't help myself. I didn't notice any bottle or filter shock. I am sure it will still mellow in a couple of weeks, but I expected it to be very noticeable based on comments I have read. Is it because I racked before I tasted it the first time? Or did I miss something crazy obvious?

This was the first time I used K-meta in a solution. There is a small washroom off the laundry, I kept the k-meta in there with the fan on and had a window open in the laundry area. I brought the solution out to fill and rinse carboys as I emptied them and to clean out the filter. Why do I know the smell and sensation of K-meta in the nose? I have never mixed it up before, is there a common cleaner it is in?

 

[vinny]

I purchased used wine bottles and some have dried wine in them. The bottles have k-meta in them. That hasn't dissolved it, my wand won't spray it off. What works?

 

[VinesnBines]

PBW or Oxyclean. I use the PBW; other folks can chime in on Oxyclean.

 

[CDrew]

You can use Oxiclean, PBW or make your own PBW with Oxiclean free and TSP/90 (Sodium Metasilicate). A 2/3 Oxiclean and 1/3 TSP/90 mix works just as well as PBW.

You should not have to "buy" used bottles. What happened?

 

[Raptor99]

How much head space or ullage does one need/want.

There are various opinions about this. I usually aim for about 3/4 inch. The wine needs at least a little room for expansion if the room temperature goes up.

 

[cmason1957]

Elbow Grease and a bottle brush are your friend for getting rid of that leftover stuff and you really do want to remove it. It can harbor nasty stuff.

You might also want to investigate the Ferrari Automatic Bottle Filler. Start a siphon, when the fluid level gets to the level you set, it shuts it off. You push down move to the next bottle, push a button and restart filling. It's what my wife and I used prior to getting our allinonewinepump. Very inexpensive $15-20 US.

 

[vinny]

You can use Oxiclean, PBW or make your own PBW with Oxiclean free and TSP/90 (Sodium Metasilicate). A 2/3 Oxiclean and 1/3 TSP/90 mix works just as well as PBW.

You should not have to "buy" used bottles. What happened?

Ha! Well, I bought 2 used set ups both for $100. Carboys, primaries, filters, racks and everything in between. I'd say I got about 15 cases of bottles between the 2 sets. Most are clean and washed, but a few have residue in them and it is stubborn. One came with some PBW. I will give it a try and see if it has a shelf life.

 

[vinny]

Elbow Grease and a bottle brush are your friend for getting rid of that leftover stuff and you really do want to remove it. It can harbor nasty stuff.

You might also want to investigate the Ferrari Automatic Bottle Filler. Start a siphon, when the fluid level gets to the level you set, it shuts it off. You push down move to the next bottle, push a button and restart filling. It's what my wife and I used prior to getting our allinonewinepump. Very inexpensive $15-20 US.

I have seen this mentioned before and watched a video on it. I was using a standard bottle filler and I can definitely see the value. I'll look around and see what I can find. Thanks!

 

[vinny]

There are various opinions about this. I usually aim for about 3/4 inch. The wine needs at least a little room for expansion if the room temperature goes up.

This is a very good point. I intended to leave more room than I did, but I have about a 1/4 inch in most. I guess I'll take the ones with the most space and save those ones so I can see how it ages out.

 

[Jonboy6692.ja]

I purchased used wine bottles and some have dried wine in them. The bottles have k-meta in them. That hasn't dissolved it, my wand won't spray it off. What works?

View attachment 89514

A bottle brush might work.

 

[vinny]

PBW works amazingly well. Like it was designed for it!

Shortly after filling the bottle it started peeling away.

Twist the bottle and it lifts right off and falls to the bottom. Just needed a quick rinse. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[barryjo]

Another possible solution. I soak all my bottles for a week or so. Mostly for label removal. If some nasties remain, I leave about a cup of water in the bottle and add a small hand-full of faceted beads. From a hobby store. Get the contents swirling around inside the bottle and the beads scrape the stuff out

 

[vinny]

Another possible solution. I soak all my bottles for a week or so. Mostly for label removal. If some nasties remain, I leave about a cup of water in the bottle and add a small hand-full of faceted beads. From a hobby store. Get the contents swirling around inside the bottle and the beads scrape the stuff out

Sounds like more fun than a bottle brush.

 

[winemaker81]

Sounds like more fun than a bottle brush.

I have drill-mounted brushes, one sized for bottles and one for carboys. Each has strips of felt and they get every last bit of gunk.