My open air and vacuum theory :

[Rocky_Top]

The following is directed to people like Applemanthat like to think.

"MY" open air and vacuum theory: When you rack, the carboy has fresh air in it and the wine splashes into the open air. This is good when you are fermenting, bad when bulk aging. If this it true then you can stop some of that with the vacuum pump. You put a valve between the two carboys and close it. Then pull a vacuum on the empty carboy removing the air ( just like you would on an AC unit when adding freonon an empty system ) then open the valve pulling the wine into the empty carboy.


What do you think????

 

[AlFulchino]

actually when bulk aging it can be good ( open air) for a wine higher in alcohol than you may like.....i had five wines from '08 that all were 16% abv and up....open the aging vessel and it was all alc...splash rack and bottle...and bingo....wine...real wine....


sorry you caught me thinking for a brief moment

ps also works well to reduce excessive amounts of so2

 

[grapeman]

Rocky Top what you are describing is a slightly different way of vacuum racking I and a lot of others use now. Besides the benefits of the air removal and transfer in a vacuum, it makes racking easier. I don't use a valve between them as I feel by the time that there is enough vacuum to pull the wine from one to the other carboy, the air has already been removed.



Keep on thinking....

 

[Rocky_Top]

I have never had any problems with open air racking during bulk aging. I just figued that if I am so worried about the air lock going dry that I would want the air away from my wine when I rack. ....... And I guess if you wanted to pull more vacuum you could just put the full carboy on the floor and the empty on the table.......... not that any of this is needed. Al even thinks that open air racking may be good. Thanks !

 

[PeterZ]

I think the "keep all air away from finished wine" approach we were taught is a little overdone. In traditional commercial winmaking the wine is aged for years in oak barrels, which micro-oxygenate the wine the whole time. I think that the air introduced by racking every few months while bulk ageing is not a problem.


I vacuum rack (and spent the money for a vacuum pump) because as I get older it was getting harder and harder to lift a full carboy. I would never forgive myself if I dropped a $200+ Mosti Megloli kit and $35 carboy.

 

[AlFulchino]

"....$35 carboy."

thats why i never spend 35 on a carboy been there done that...broke many..my neighbor is an estate sale, yard sale, craigslist junkie...so he scours the world for me....usually pay him between 5 and 10 for each one.....and i know he is making money off me

 

[Bartman]

Haha - I worry about the damage and mess that 6 gallons of wine would make if I dropped it on the tile floor. It would end up costing a few hundred to clean and fix everything after breaking some tile and staining some carpet. I would probably cut my hand on the broken carboy glass too...

 

[Rocky_Top]

Early in my wine makingI made 5 bottles of cranberry wine and place them in a rack over the fridge. ( bad place for wine becuse of the heat) I did not stabilize properly. I got up early to go to work and found that the kitchen was pink. the walls were pink. the floors were pink with cat paws. The cat was pink. the table was pink , counter tops pink. ..... I thought to myself what did my wife do last night.?? ....Oh well , I'm off to work.... then I saw the cork on the floor. .......%&#$!! . I'M Dead, I'M dead !!!!!! I'M DEAD!!!!! I was two hours late for work and my wife never saw the mess. I was really loving wallpaper and cleanable surfaces and hating the cat!! Have you ever tried to clean a drunk cat that hates You at 5 O'clock in the morning ?!
MEEeeAOooooooWhoopssccccccccck


By 6 O'clock the clean disheveled cat looked at me as to say " you got anymore of that stuff?? "

 

[Wade E]

I believe that the little bit of 02 we expose our wine to is helpful to our wine to breathe and mature more evenly.

 

[Rocky_Top]

I think that I agree. I know that my peach wine is best after I open it and let it breath for a 1/2 hour. So the air during racking could be a pre breath. As long as the sulfite levels are good and do not have time to dissipate.