Water Levels

Dinich · Feb 14, 2010

Just bottled two kits: Green Apple reisling and White Zinfandel both of which turned out wonderful.

I made a mistake in my first kit, an Oregon Pinot gris, by adding too much water, I used a 7 1/2 gallon carboy and filled it all the way up (noob mistake)

Bought and used a 23 litre carboy this time, however when I finished I was filling it up to clean and it takes 6.75 gallons up to the neck.

When following directions it says to fill up with no head space, but it's also a 6 gallon recipe.

Will head space hurt me that much or should I add the extra water and risk diluting the wine?

Thanks for the help,

D

AlFulchino · Feb 14, 2010

if its a six gallon recipe..get a truer six...6.75 is tooooo much

Green Mountains · Feb 14, 2010

I don't worry too much about head space.....you're always better off keeping it tight to the neck but I'm often down to the shoulders and don't sweat it. The wine hasn't suffered that I've noticed.

I keep the airlock in so at the very least there's no new oxygen introduced.

Wade E · Feb 14, 2010

Is it a smooth carboy are are there ridges on the sides cause the ones with ridges on the sides are italian carboys which are really 6.5 gallon carboys and each carboy will fluctuate a little giving you 6.75. A little headspace is ok though like Green Mountain states. Here is a picture of a Mexican carboy and IMo these are the only true 6 gallon carboys even though these also can fluctuate about 1/4 gallon. note the smooth sides. These are hard to get now as they went out of buisness.