Vacuum pump

[wineview]

I've seen multiple designs to transfer wine from carboy to carboy using a vacuum cleaner, a couple of hoses, a carboy cap and rubber stopper. I just fashioned this design and was able to transfer water from one carboy to another with ease. No lifting or siphoning. My question and concern. Provided the hoses carrying the wine are sanitized, is there any danger at all of contaminating the wine using a dirty vacuum cleaner?

 

[CDrew]

Likely not but a vacuum pump is easier to manage. in 2017 I didn't have a lot of gear and used a shop vac for that purpose.

 

[franc1969]

I've seen multiple designs to transfer wine from carboy to carboy using a vacuum cleaner, a couple of hoses, a carboy cap and rubber stopper. I just fashioned this design and was able to transfer water from one carboy to another with ease. No lifting or siphoning. My question and concern. Provided the hoses carrying the wine are sanitized, is there any danger at all of contaminating the wine using a dirty vacuum cleaner?

Use a safety bottle in between what you are transferring to/from/vacuum. Suction from bottle, which suctions from empty container, which suctions liquid from full container. Your hoses and racking canes are all sanitized, wine does not touch vacuum cleaner and liquid stays out of that machine. See setup of AllInOneWinePump. I just got this and LOVE IT. You can approximate what it does, and hack hoses/fittings, but for me it just proved that I needed to get one. So much easier as a package if you can do it.

 

[user 32114]

run hose from vacuum cleaner to a thumb hole jug or any kind of vessel,,. then rum another line from that vessel to your vac side of your carboy bung, thats about it,
great luck to you
Dawg

 

[richmke]

IMHO, the risk from dirty air making back through the lines is nil. What I would worry about is the vacuum cleaner throwing a lot of dirt into the air that is then sucked into the carboy that you are draining.

 

[Rice_Guy]

The vacuum cleaners I have looked at will pull five inches Hg which is less than cheap 12 volt pumps off Amazon (22 inches Hg) or the 120 volt AC pump (24-25 inches Hg). ,,,,, ie if you are fighting a height difference you need something better.
I would not worry about contamination from the vacuum line, my set up uses a universal bung on the vacuum hose and then runs 1/4 inch poly tubing to the carboy. Since we all tend to have some vacuum cleaner in the house, I wonder why everyone isn’t using 5 inches Hg to degas.

 

[wineview]

IMHO, the risk from dirty air making back through the lines is nil. What I would worry about is the vacuum cleaner throwing a lot of dirt into the air that is then sucked into the carboy that you are draining.

Perhaps foil or Saran Wrap over the carboy top….

 

[wineview]

Use a safety bottle in between what you are transferring to/from/vacuum. Suction from bottle, which suctions from empty container, which suctions liquid from full container. Your hoses and racking canes are all sanitized, wine does not touch vacuum cleaner and liquid stays out of that machine. See setup of AllInOneWinePump. I just got this and LOVE IT. You can approximate what it does, and hack hoses/fittings, but for me it just proved that I needed to get one. So much easier as a package if you can do it.

This is the set up. Help me understand how a safety bottle would be helpful. I'm really trying to understand this.
Thanks

 

[franc1969]

Adding a bottle in between receiving carboy and vaccuum will capture any liquid to keep it from landing in your vaccuum, and keeps any concern of dirty vaccuum one step from your wine. If you have a wet/dry vacuum and appropriate filter, having no bottle will be ok for vac.
For transfers, I have not had wine come past into safety bottle. For degassing, foam definitely ended up being pulled. At the end of several carboys, I had a glass.

 

[wineview]

Adding a bottle in between receiving carboy and vaccuum will capture any liquid to keep it from landing in your vaccuum, and keeps any concern of dirty vaccuum one step from your wine. If you have a wet/dry vacuum and appropriate filter, having no bottle will be ok for vac.
For transfers, I have not had wine come past into safety bottle. For degassing, foam definitely ended up being pulled. At the end of several carboys, I had a glass.

OK. Makes sense but I'm only concerned with transferring at the moment. Would you be open to drawing a sketch to show me exactly how the bottle would fit between my two carboys? Apologies if I am overstepping.

 

[franc1969]

I am not where i could sketch something. Just add a bottle before your carboy- same top setup. You could even use a carboy》carboy》carboy setup, but would waste time clearing the first of air before transfer happened.

 

[wineview]

I am not where i could sketch something. Just add a bottle before your carboy- same top setup. You could even use a carboy》carboy》carboy setup, but would waste time clearing the first of air before transfer happened.

Does this look like what you are describing?

 

[sour_grapes]

Does this look like what you are describing?

View attachment 80164

Close. But we mean that you should use a two-hole bung on the bottle, i.e., just a miniature version of your empty carboy.

 

[NorCal]

Like this

 

[wineview]

Like this
View attachment 80173

How about this?

 

[user 32114]

The vacuum cleaners I have looked at will pull five inches Hg which is less than cheap 12 volt pumps off Amazon (22 inches Hg) or the 120 volt AC pump (24-25 inches Hg). ,,,,, ie if you are fighting a height difference you need something better.
I would not worry about contamination from the vacuum line, my set up uses a universal bung on the vacuum hose and then runs 1/4 inch poly tubing to the carboy. Since we all tend to have some vacuum cleaner in the house, I wonder why everyone isn’t using 5 inches Hg to degas.

mine uses a commercial medical aspirator , so it has a gauge and adjustment,,
Dawg

 

[sour_grapes]

How about this?

View attachment 80174

Very close to what I use.

 

[wineview]

Very close to what I use.

And what do you use?

 

[vacuumpumpman]

@wineview - if you are able to witch from 3/8'' to 1/2'' from your full to your receiving carboy - This will make your transfers alot quicker using the vacuum you are creating from a vacuum cleaner.

 

[Rice_Guy]

* A good setup has a back flow preventer, this will keep the racked clean wine from flowing back onto the lees and mixing them up. The back flow preventer that I still use is height, (ex milk crate) although a 1/4 or 3/8 inch check valve on a flat system will also will do the job (see Granger). Another note on a horizontal system, a vacuum cleaner has a centrifugal fan in it (no valves), this means that it is excellent for starting when there is a height difference BUT may not have enough umph to keep the flow going when the liquid level is even.
* I started with the vacuum cleaner since SO2 is nasty on the lungs and have upgraded to a twelve volt mainly since it is quieter/ does not involve the wife’s toys.
* I have not had an issue with liquid in the pump when I am transferring into a carboy. In essence the carboy acts as the trap and as long as you go five gallon to five gallon the risk is low. I have routinely had something in the trap when starting degassing, after the first foam it wouldn’t be critical.
* I am a big advocate in measuring, especially when degassing and if you don’t use a height difference. @hounddawg set up with gauges should be in the long term plan. I have used vacuum on the big mouth bubbler but can’t pull more than two inches Hg before the plastic caves in.

OK. Makes sense but I'm only concerned with transferring at the moment. Would you be open to drawing a sketch to show me exactly how the bottle would fit between my two carboys? Apologies if I am overstepping.