Headspace eliminator

[silverbullet07]

What are the thoughts on using allinonewinepump.com head space eliminators for bulk storage? I have one 6 gal carboy that is maybe a bottle to two bottles low. The head space eliminator seems to be doing a good job holding vacuum so far. I figure I will open it up each much and stir the oak cubes and re-vacuum. Anyone see any harm as long as the vacuum is holding?

 

[winemaker81]

I've read that the residual CO2 (low enough level to not carbonate the wine) is part of the flavor profile, and keeping the wine under vacuum will remove that. A good experiment is to age part of a batch under vacuum and part not, to see if there is a difference.

 

[Jim Welch]

I use them, they do very slowly leak down. I try to redo about once a month. They seem to work pretty well otherwise but I generally only have 4-5 liquid oz worth of headspace. If you have a bottle or two worth of headspace I’d top it off with a same or similar wine. That’s a lot of headspace.

 

[silverbullet07]

This is the space I have. Hard to say exactly how much volume is left. This is a 6 gal carboy.

I hate when these are advertised to protect your headspace but no one believes in them. Seems no one recommends using it.

I guess I can rack to a 5 gal and then to a half or gal jug depending how much is there. I guess these carboys volume really is more then stated filled to the top.

 

[bearpaw8491]

I used the eliminators last year for the first time and they performed very well. One of the check valves developed a leak and the bulb would reinflate within a day. I sent Steve a note and asked for replacement valve; he sent me a new complete eliminator - how's that for customer service!!!
I didn't notice any changes to the flavor profile as Winemaker 81 speculated but I only pulled enough vacuum to collapse the bulb certainly not as much as one would use during degassing. My wine was under vacuum from late Nov until bottling in Apr without any noticeable degradation. Hope this helps.

 

[winemaker81]

I hate when these are advertised to protect your headspace but no one believes in them. Seems no one recommends using it.

I'm sure the vacuum works as expected, but outside of high end equipment, I don't expect home solutions hold a vacuum for an indefinite time spans.

Besides, I'm old school -- I top with wine and am not in favor of of vacuum or glass marbles or other space fillers. If I top with wine I am 100% positive of the outcome. I lack that confidence in other solutions so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

 

[bearpaw8491]

You're absolutely right Bryan - more than one way to skin a cat (why would anyone want to skin a cat anyway ) or as my grandfather used to say: That's why we chocolate AND vanilla ice cream!!

 

[winemaker81]

You're absolutely right Bryan - more than one way to skin a cat (why would anyone want to skin a cat anyway ) or as my grandfather used to say: That's why we chocolate AND vanilla ice cream!!

Why skin a cat? When the little @^*% decides she wants to be fed at 4:30 AM, it does come to mind .....

 

[bearpaw8491]

Good point! Hadn't thought about that. I'm a canine guy so there ya go - that chocolate and vanilla thing again!!!!

 

[winemaker81]

Good point! Hadn't thought about that. I'm a canine guy so there ya go - that chocolate and vanilla thing again!!!!

I'm also a canine guy ... wife & kids wanted cats. Oh, well .....

 

[BigDaveK]

Oh, I can't resist.....Don't you dare skin the cat!!!!

Am I a cat guy? My avatar tells the story.

 

[cmason1957]

Oh, I can't resist.....Don't you dare skin the cat!!!!

Am I a cat guy? My avatar tells the story.

But cats tastes just like chicken.


I'm kidding, I love cats, but the woman I love has this issue with breathing when she is around them.

 

[bearpaw8491]

I'm also a canine guy ... wife & kids wanted cats. Oh, well .....

Head of Household = dog person;
Wife & kids = cat people.

Bryan, you are wise beyond your years - "Happy wife; Happy life"!

 

[bearpaw8491]

But cats tastes just like chicken.


I'm kidding, I love cats, but the woman I love has this issue with breathing when she is around them.

Actually, they do but don't asked me how I know that - I still get kinda woozy!!! Sorry Dave

My better half has the same problem with animal dander. Her allergist told her that cats are the worst of all due to a substance in their saliva. I told her she should just stop kissing cats!
She said her people would be in touch with my people if I kept that up!

 

[Rocky]

This is the space I have. Hard to say exactly how much volume is left. This is a 6 gal carboy.

I hate when these are advertised to protect your headspace but no one believes in them. Seems no one recommends using it.

I guess I can rack to a 5 gal and then to a half or gal jug depending how much is there. I guess these carboys volume really is more then stated filled to the top.

Have you considered topping up with a similar wine? I am guessing that is a 6-gallon carboy and it would take about 2 bottles (1500 ml) to fill sufficiently. If it were I and I intended to bulk age for an extended period, that is what I would do. I believe your tag states "Amarone." Do you have a couple bottles of a similar wine?

 

[Jim Welch]

This is the space I have. Hard to say exactly how much volume is left. This is a 6 gal carboy.

I hate when these are advertised to protect your headspace but no one believes in them. Seems no one recommends using it.

I guess I can rack to a 5 gal and then to a half or gal jug depending how much is there. I guess these carboys volume really is more then stated filled to the top.

I’ll try to clarify my comments, I did say they slowly leak down and that was a poor choice of words. I periodically inspect them and occasionally find some of the bulbs are not fully collapsed but to be fair to the device this could be due to very small amount of out gassing by the wine not necessarily a leak. When I find a bulb like that I get the pump out and hit them all while I’m at it.
FWIW, I do believe in them but I do not claim to be an expert or even a textpert in winemaking.
Also, I would and do recommend them IF one has a vacuum pump. If one doesn’t I’m not saying they have to run out and buy one.
As my earlier post stated, based on your description of one or two bottle headspace which the pic you posted since confirms, that is way too much headspace even with the eliminator in my non-expert opinion.
If it were my wine I’d buy two bottles (if I didn’t have any on hand) of the same or similar wine and top it off at or near the rubber band or string you’ve attached the tag with (like the Carboy in the background) and reinstall the eliminator.


Here is an excerpt from the manufacturer’s website:

The Eliminator is designed primarily for the first 8 critical weeks of winemaking. From racking to racking, the Eliminator will help prevent oxidation resulting in a better quality wine. Trial testing has been successful up to 6 months with no loss of vacuum. As with any other air lock, it needs to be inspected on occasion. Inspect which is easy to detect simply by observing the vacuum indicator for suction. If it is collapsed you know that you have more than 10 inches of vacuum. If the bulb is inflated then you have less than 10 inches of vacuum.

Note it says “up to 6 months with no loss of vacuum” and “it needs to be inspected on occasion”. Emphasis added.

 

[winemaker81]

Head of Household = dog person;
Wife & kids = cat people.

Bryan, you are wise beyond your years - "Happy wife; Happy life"!

A neighbor brought over a box of kittens -- a totally dirty tactic. Totally.

The wife & kids begged me to take one. I refused, and when they looked crushed, I said, "pick 2".

Nope -- I didn't have a stroke or anything. Cats are not social animals like dogs, but having someone to keep them company when the humans are gone seemed like a good idea. The male passed away at 14 years, and his sister continued to look for him until she passed 11 months later.

If we were to get a dog, we'd get 2 for the companionship.

 

[winemaker81]

Going from headspace elimination to cats and dogs ... dang!!! We are really good at tangenting!!!

 

[bearpaw8491]

Going from headspace elimination to cats and dogs ... dang!!! We are really good at tangenting!!!

Gee! I just thought we were going off topic and not living on the edge!
Sorry for the digression We geriatrics tend to do that.

 

[silverbullet07]

If I had two bottles of Amarone I could top it off but there are none available where I live unless I pay $50 a bottle. I will just down size the carboy to a 5 gal.

I was just hoping to stay in one container.