Mark_

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Hey folks!

Well I now have 4.5 gallons of red and 2 gallons of white, aging. I didn't have a completely full carboy, not did I want to dilute them.
I ended up attaching a siphon hose to my sodastream system and using that to put a layer of CO2 over top the wines since the carboys were not full.

Any thoughts on that being a good or bad idea?

Thanks in advance!
Mark

Inner10

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Good idea.

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devianttouch

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I like this idea - thank you!

vNmd

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Does the gas matter? I use have a Nitrogen tank. Figure its gotta be better than O2.

Inner10

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Couldn't hurt but it's ever so slightly lighter than air.

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WilliamSlayer

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Good thought.

Mark_

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I have heard nitrogen is better actually due to a larger sized molecule, if I recall.

Any thoughts on how often I should shoot another CO2 blanket into the carboy?

saramc

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I had read weekly is quite common. But the bigger question is 'how long are you planning to protect with CO2?'
I have been advised by multiple people that inert gas is not recommended for bulk aging as it should only be used for a short term solution, but never for aging.

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Mark_

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That throws a wrench in my plan then. I have 4.5 gallons in a 5 gallon carboy.

Suggestions? I have way too much headspace in the carboy on the left as well as the two gallon bottles.

Inner10

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Depends how long you plan on bulk aging it. I'd either bottle it a little young, top it up with something similar or move it to a 4 gallon.

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Drank too much?...Is that a thing?