CO2 instead of topping up

[orto]

Can I purge the head space with CO2 instead of topping up after racking?

Thanks

 

[dcbrown73]

You can as CO2 is an inert gas. Do you have a facility to do this properly?

 

[salcoco]

the CO2 will be absorbed by the wine, remember that is what you are trying to get rid off when degassing. best to use is argon. there is considerable argument about using any gas at all since some mixing with oxygen will occur due to the law of gasses. best is topping up or following good sanitation practices.

 

[orto]

You can as CO2 is an inert gas. Do you have a facility to do this properly?

I've got a tank for kegging beer.

If I put the tube into the carboy and run the gas for 30 seconds then keep it running while removing it and quickly stopper it there would be virtually no O2 in the carboy. The wine would still be off gassing a little, so it would even slowly push that out.

 

[orto]

I've never given this much thought because its not an issue with beer, but I don't want to water down anything I make, or mix a commercial product into it to top up. I don't like the idea of dropping marbles into a glass carboy either.

 

[ibglowin]

Short answer is NO. This is wine, not beer.

Can I purge the head space with CO2 instead of topping up after racking?

Thanks

 

[orto]

Short answer is NO. This is wine, not beer.

Why? What harm will the CO2 do? It will keep out the O2. so why is it a problem? I never said I did this with beer I said it wasn't an issue with beer. beer is done so quickly you don't top up. Honestly I would like to understand the reasons behind the things I am told to do, not just do them because someone told me to.

 

[Mismost]

Why? What harm will the CO2 do? It will keep out the O2. so why is it a problem? I never said I did this with beer I said it wasn't an issue with beer. beer is done so quickly you don't top up. Honestly I would like to understand the reasons behind the things I am told to do, not just do them because someone told me to.

I have wondered the same thing and have the CO2 tank too. But, I also have plenty of wine to top up with, so it is just simpler for me to grab a bottle than haul the stuff up from the shop.

Frankly, since the CO2 you add will not be under pressure like in a beer keg, I have a hard time thinking it will be absorbed by the wine. I was talking to a guy the other day and he bulk stores his wines in beer kegs for aging because they store good in a big chest freezer he has temp controlled. He said he purged those kegs with CO2...most of which is displaced by the wine he transfers into the keg with more CO2. The guy makes some mighty nice wines and beers.

My opinion and five bucks will get you a cup of Starbucks coffee!

 

[ibglowin]

Unless you are making sparkling wine most winemakers are trying to get rid of CO2. So why in the world would you add CO2 back into your wine? CO2 can be absorbed back into the wine from the headspace. If you want to use an inert gas your best best is Argon. Not CO2.

 

[Julie]

Why don't you rack to smaller carboys?

 

[pete1325]

Good point ! Leave it to a woman to come up with a simple solution while guys (over) analyse things to death....LOL.

 

[orto]

Unless you are making sparkling wine most winemakers are trying to get rid of CO2. So why in the world would you add CO2 back into your wine? CO2 can be absorbed back into the wine from the headspace. If you want to use an inert gas your best best is Argon. Not CO2.

Ok, this makes sense, it just seems with multiple rackings you end up really diluting the original product. Is it really that hard to get rid of CO2?
Thanks

Why don't you rack to smaller carboys?

Well I'm about to do a 6 gallon batch. If I rack it will probably lose a liter so a 5 gallon carboy wont work and neither will a 6. In guessing if I were to rack again I would lose maybe a half a liter, so it gets worse. Adding a liter and a half of of water doesn't appeal to me, a commercial wine may change the character of what I am making, and that's a lot of marbles risking breaking the carboy when I add them or dump them out.
Thanks

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Filling the void of liquid using CO2 and using a headspace eliminator is a good practice.

If you are adding CO2 -it will be eliminated as soon as you do your next racking. It will not cause any any harm effects to your wine as it naturally protects itself using CO2 naturally.

 

[richmke]

Purging with CO2 will displace the O2 in the headspace. The issue is what do you do to keep O2 from getting back in.

 

[NCWC]

I have topped with CO2 all the time with out issue

 

[Julie]

You should have several different sizes. I use 6, 5 and 3 gallon carboys and 1/2, 3/4, 1 gallon jugs and 4 liter jugs. I have never had to top up.

 

[dcbrown73]

If the CO2 isn't under pressure, it will not force the gas into the liquid. So, there isn't a risk of making sparking wine. He is just wanting to fill the void with an inert gas and CO2 is an inert gas.

 

[orto]

You should have several different sizes. I use 6, 5 and 3 gallon carboys and 1/2, 3/4, 1 gallon jugs and 4 liter jugs. I have never had to top up.

Next time I go to the local shop I will try to get some of the smaller glass jugs I guess that will help. Thanks

 

[terrymck]

Steve is too modest! Your solution is a head space eliminator and a vacuum pump, even a hand held unit. Go to Steve's web site and order one or more.

 

[treesaver]

I have been doing this very thing for quite a number of years, without any ill effects. It works well, and I've never got fizzy wine from it. Those of you that say it won't work, have you ever tried it? I agree, argon would be better, but also much more expensive, and co2 works just fine.