Topping off with Marbles

[arcticsid]

It makes perfect sense to me to use marbles to displace the liquid when topping off. It also makes sense to use a similar wine, but if I wanted to do that, then it really wouldn't be "my" wine. If I use water, then again, it wouldn't be what it was intended to be. I have been "racking" my mind, (pardon the pun) to come up with a sterile and effective way to displace your wine when topping off. There must be something that would fit into a carboy that could be sterlilized to displace this space. Just asking for input. When I cooked professionally we hand a big wand filled with water, then it was froze, and we would put it into a large batch of stew, etc, to increase cooling, I'm thinking there may be something similar to help in topping off with out altering the original batch. Any thoughts?
Troy

 

[Luc]

Troy,

I have used marbles for filling up the space.
Sanitised them first in a sulphite solution.
Works flawlessly.

An even better way is to make a bit more wine
as is needed in a separate bottle and use that for topping up.

Luc

 

[arcticsid]

Thank You Luc, and just as a reference how many marbles="x" amount of space? Don't meen to be so inquisitive, but I have came to far and learned to much to make simple mistakes.

 

[Wade E]

Another way to protect your wine from 02 is to displace your headspace with an inert gas like Argon.

 

[Old Tymer]

Thank You Luc, and just as a reference how many marbles="x" amount of space? Don't meen to be so inquisitive, but I have came to far and learned to much to make simple mistakes.

I topped of with marbles this year and to tell you the truth it was nothing but a huge pain in the a*s. Getting them in and out of the carboy, rinsing the lees off them, it takes 10 bags of marbles from the x-mas tree shop to fill up the bottle from the shoulders to the neck. It also makes each carboy extremely heavy and hard to move. The best option is just to make extra wine or top up with a similar wine. I will only use marbles again if I absolutely have to.
-Mike

 

[Wade E]

Not to mention that they could break a carboy if there is already a weak spot and dropping those marbles listening to them hit the bottom makes me cringe.

 

[Luc]

I was saving this for a web-log entry and now you have all spoiled the fun

Use your imagination folks

Put a nylon stocking over the mouth of the carboy,
Now let the marbles drop in the stocking which is floating a
bit above the bottom of the carboy.

Fill it up and drop the stocking slowly into the carboy.

Easy to get out also

Luc

 

[arcticsid]

Luc, that is some great Dutch ingenuity! Your ideas and thoughts are a great inspiration. So this same type of "nylon" could be used as a fruit bag?
Thanks Again, glad your here.
Troy

 

[Luc]

Look at my march 15 web-log entry:
http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2008/02/paardenbloemenwijn-dandelion-wine.html

There I use nylon stockings during dandelion winemaking.

in my Oktober 10 entry in my web-log I do it again
when making rosehip wine:
http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2008/10/rozenbottelwijn-rosehipwine.html

For pictures in both entries about half way down the story.

Nylon stockings are great as a bag for putting the fruit in during fermentation in primary, as a sieve and as a pressing bag.
They cost next to nothing so I throw them away after use.

Luc

 

[wingnutooa]

i was joking around with the guy at my LHBS, when talking about getting a nylon mesh bag. I told him i was just going to use a nylon.

then he says that he'd done it before..

i'm finding that nearly anything synthetic and somethings that aren't are suitable for wine making as long as they're properly sterilized.

i think its a great idea

 

[Wade E]

Luc, I never thought about the marbles in the bag. Great idea!

 

[firefrog]

Hello
I'm not saying marbles aren't safe but............ many of them come from China. (Chinese quality control: a firing squad, but only after it's too late)They can contain many minerals and impurities - some of which are toxic. Under acidic conditions, some of those impurities can leach out. Unless they are made specifically for food or wine, I'd stay away from them.
Enjoy