Topping up help

[Nova_Scotia_Canada]

Hi all,

Tomorrow I'll be stabilizing and degassing my wine and the clearing will be the day after (following the kits instructions). The instructions also say to top up with a similar wine after the clearing. I don't want to have to buy a similar wine to top up my kit. That will double my costs as I would need at least a couple of bottles, if not more. My question is, what are my other options?

I have a smaller carboy that I could take the wine into, but I would end up wasting some then. I've read that you can use water to top up or even buy inert gases to inhibit oxidization.

This is a Chardonnay kit (first wine making experience ever). I've attached a pic of my carboy, keep in mind that after the next racking the level will be a bit lower.

Thanks for helping a newbie!

 

[Mismost]

I bought the Vaccuman's Head Space Eliminators....second best wine making purchase after the All In One vac pump and a floor corker. This bit of info may be of minor value to you at this point.
Other options.... marbles....airbags...smaller carboys may be your best option right now

 

[Scooter68]

For a kit wine I wouldn't recommend using water. The only time it's ok to use water is if you planned ahead and made the wine more concentrated to counter the dilution with water. Smaller carboys would be your best route. Suggest looking at your local recycling center for smaller glass containers that will hold a drilled bung like you have on the current carboy.

 

[sour_grapes]

Just top up with a similar wine! Look at it this way: If you had a bottle of similar wine in your hand, you could (A) drink it, or (B) use it to top up your carboy for a few weeks/months, and THEN drink it. It is not like you lose that bottle, you just delay drinking it!

 

[Nova_Scotia_Canada]

Just top up with a similar wine! Look at it this way: If you had a bottle of similar wine in your hand, you could (A) drink it, or (B) use it to top up your carboy for a few weeks/months, and THEN drink it. It is not like you lose that bottle, you just delay drinking it!

I get what you're saying, but I live in a province where the worst wine costs $10 a bottle, anything decent starts at $15. So to add $30 to the process seems a bit pointless to me.

I think I'll just use the smaller carboy. I don't think much will end up getting watsted.

 

[meadmaker1]

Save the extra in a smaller container, that the extra fills. Use the extra to top up in future rackings.
Beware kit instructions. Clearing doesnt start because directions say so. Gravity is pulling particles all the time. You will need to rack clearer wine off of sludge in a few weeks leaving you with head space again.

 

[Nova_Scotia_Canada]

Save the extra in a smaller container, that the extra fills. Use the extra to top up in future rackings.
Beware kit instructions. Clearing doesnt start because directions say so. Gravity is pulling particles all the time. You will need to rack clearer wine off of sludge in a few weeks leaving you with head space again.

Would a sanitized wine bottle be fine for saving the extra?

 

[sour_grapes]

I get what you're saying, but I live in a province where the worst wine costs $10 a bottle, anything decent starts at $15. So to add $30 to the process seems a bit pointless to me.

I think I'll just use the smaller carboy. I don't think much will end up getting watsted.

Would a sanitized wine bottle be fine for saving the extra?

I must admit that I did not catch that racking to a smaller carboy was an option. Yes, you can use a wine bottle for the extra. Here is a fun fact: the "universal bung" used for an airlock is called "universal" because it can be used on wine bottles as well as carboys. Flip it upside down, and it will work for a bottle. And there is a wide variety of volumes available for wine bottles, so you can "fine tune" your remaining volume to a large extent.