Flextank

[Boatboy24]

@ibglowin:

Did you ever test a vacuum on this?

 

[ibglowin]

No need. I bought a $69 diaphragm pump off Amazon so now I can pump into them. I received my second 15G Flextank last week!

 

[ffemt128]

No need. I bought a $69 diaphragm pump off Amazon so now I can pump into them. I received my second 15G Flextank last week!

I'm guessing you like the flex tank? I was considering one of these as well but never really looked into it much since I don't do a lot of a single type of wine.

 

[Boatboy24]

No need. I bought a $69 diaphragm pump off Amazon so now I can pump into them. I received my second 15G Flextank last week!

Linky please.

 

[ibglowin]

Well if you know enough about what works blending wise you can ferment separately then blend your wine(s) into the Flextank for long term bulk aging.

That is what I did with my first one. I blended 9G Zin with 6G of Cab Sauv/ Petit Syrah mix.

The second one I got just last week will take all of my Cab Sauv for this year (~15G) used 3 different yeast and always blend back together anyway so why not now after MLF is finished.

The really NICE thing is you can empty them and clean em up and store them without worry unlike a barrel that is a PITA to store dry for any length of time.

I'm guessing you like the flex tank? I was considering one of these as well but never really looked into it much since I don't do a lot of a single type of wine.

 

[ibglowin]

Linky please.

It was all in the racking pump thread from a few weeks ago.

I ordered a Shurflo Pump

as well as an Inline Strainer

and a couple of Hose Barb Fittings

Go to hardware store and pick up a grounded light switch, switch box and switch cover and wire it all up to a 3 pronged cord (unused PC cord) and you are ready to pump 3G's a minute with that bad boy!

 

[jhawk]

Mike
I bought the same pump set up a couple weeks ago and love it. I racked 200 gallons the other night and saved so much time. Wish I bought it years ago.

 

[grapeman]

FYI Mine only took about ~14.5G to fill within a couple inches of the top. I dumped two of the 23L Italian carboys in then only ~2G from a 3G carboy.

Anybody ever tried to pull a vacuum on one of these? I wonder if the walls would be stiff enough to do a vacuum transfer.

This comment is a bit late but that volume is expected if you figure the Italian carboys are 6 gallons so 2 times six plus a 3 should be perfect, but..... The old Mexican ones were 6 gallons even, while the newer Italian ones are closer to 6 and a half gallons. Brewcraft even lists the newer carboys as 6 1/2 gallons. If I bottle from an old carboy I get about 30 bottles, if I use a newer carboy I get a bit over 32 bottles. https://shop.brewcraftusa.com/en/wi...glass-carboy-small-mouth-6-12-gallon-1388-1-1

Any way you look at it, the 15 gallon size is a nice addition for you smaller winemakers. I may even get a few myself for use in the winery. It would be kind of like having several size carboys and gallon jugs for the bits extra.

 

[ibglowin]

I must have "smaller eyetalians" LOL. I get 31 bottles if full from one of my 6G carboys. That works out to 31x750=23.25L = 6.14G ea. I was able to get (2) x 6.14 = 12.28G plus I added 2G out of a 3G Carboy and have 1G left (transferred excess to 1G jug) so now we are looking at 12.28 +2G = 14.28G and it is FILLED to the neck line to within about 3" of the bottom of the airlock They are advertised as being 15.2G so somewhere I am still missing 0.92G of capacity!

Perhaps its the altitude here!

 

[stickman]

The volume will increase over time as the tank wall starts to relax.

 

[Steve_M]

@ibglowin or @stickman,
What are you experiencing with Flextamks and SO2 additions?

Steve

 

[ibglowin]

I have not made any yet. Only been in around 3mo one one and 1mo on the other.

 

[stickman]

I've been making primarily Bordeaux blends from grapes, after pressing I rack the wine twice over a period of three days, then add the ML culture and oak with the wine in the 30gal Flextank. I'm using 4 French oak staves, 2.5" x 3/8" x 36" long. After ML completion, I usually rack and put back into the tank, add sulfite and test a couple of times during the first week and add more as needed, as expected, significant sulfite binding occurs with the first addition after ML. I usually rack again in a month and see 15 to 20ppm binding/loss. Once the wine is several months old and somewhat stable, I've been seeing roughly 5ppm loss per month, but I don't have a lot of confidence (which is why I test) as there can be a lot of variation depending on how the wine is handled, bacterial load, as well as the amount of oak present. That's why I provided the background handling information above, so you have something for comparison as I assume everyone does things a little differently. I have never run any batches without oak, so I don't know what the expected loss would be in the tank without the staves.

 

[NCWC]

Bump
I am considering using flextanks instead of spending $2500 on a 800 and 600 L stainless steel floating top drums
any comments

 

[NorCal]

@ibglowin or @stickman,

What are you experiencing with Flextamks and SO2 additions?



Steve

My flex is 1/2 the SO2 addition to my barrel and twice the amount as a glass Carboy.

 

[NorCal]

@ibglowin or @stickman,

What are you experiencing with Flextamks and SO2 additions?



Steve

My flex is 1/2 the SO2 addition to my barrel and twice the amount as a glass Carboy.

 

[shoebiedoo]

Why not just get a 15 gallon SS keg for about $30. Other than being fixed capacity, it doesn't get any better than that.

Dan, I'm assuming you're referring to Corny kegs? If you, will wine Mature at all in one? the use of an Oak stick intrigued me I would love nothing better then to keg all my reds but I not at the sacrifice of aging. I know there's not micro-oxygenation going on but if it matures at all that could be a benefit.

thanks

Shoe

 

[fafrd]

I've been making primarily Bordeaux blends from grapes, after pressing I rack the wine twice over a period of three days, then add the ML culture and oak with the wine in the 30gal Flextank. I'm using 4 French oak staves, 2.5" x 3/8" x 36" long. After ML completion, I usually rack and put back into the tank, add sulfite and test a couple of times during the first week and add more as needed, as expected, significant sulfite binding occurs with the first addition after ML. I usually rack again in a month and see 15 to 20ppm binding/loss. Once the wine is several months old and somewhat stable, I've been seeing roughly 5ppm loss per month, but I don't have a lot of confidence (which is why I test) as there can be a lot of variation depending on how the wine is handled, bacterial load, as well as the amount of oak present. That's why I provided the background handling information above, so you have something for comparison as I assume everyone does things a little differently. I have never run any batches without oak, so I don't know what the expected loss would be in the tank without the staves.

I'm considering using Flex Tanks and am confused whether I'm better off planning to size the tank for my smallest batch size (meaning always topped-off) or my largest batch size (meaning always some headspace).

My batch size is around 40 gal, so deciding between the 30 gal and 50 gal Flex Tanks. If I go for the larger tank, I'l plan to use the Skin and flush the headspace with Argon, CO2, or BeerGas (Nitrogen + CO2).

Appreciate any advice from those who have used these Flex Tanlks as to whether one option is far better than the other.

Also, if anyone has experience or advice on the thinner/faster tanks versus the thicker/slower tanks, that would be appreciated as well. I'm leaning towards the thinner/faster tanks and considering maturation w/oxygenation periods of 6-18 mos.

 

[stickman]

I have not used the skins, my preference is to have the tank topped up to the bung. The tank material is permeable so headspace purging would need to be frequent, especially as the wine gets older than 6 months, it gets more sensitive to oxygen as it ages. My tanks are all considered the faster maturation type, and they seem to work well for heavy reds, I haven't aged anything in the tank more than 12 to 14 months, but that doesn't mean you can't go longer, I try to free up tank space for the next season.

 

[GreginND]

A friend of mine with a winery has some of the flex tanks with the wide lids. He uses them as variable capacity flex tanks using a standard steel flex tank lid inside it. I don't remember what sizes he has. But it seems to work pretty well.