can I use my beer carboys for wine?

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twd000

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Of course I will clean and sanitize them first. I have one 6.5-gallon glass carboy and 4 5-gallon glass carboys.

The directions I'm reading for the kits state to do primary fermentation in an 8-gallon vessel, then rack into a 6-gallon carboy for secondary.

This seems rather inefficient since most carboys are 5-gallons? Are all the kits sized this way? Do you leave sediment behind when transferring?

I know when I ferment beer, I leave 4" of headspace for the krausen - how much bubbling should I expect for wine fermentation?
 
yes you can make wine with what you have, it is the same process as beer just different sugars and yeast.
 
Of course I will clean and sanitize them first. I have one 6.5-gallon glass carboy and 4 5-gallon glass carboys.

The directions I'm reading for the kits state to do primary fermentation in an 8-gallon vessel, then rack into a 6-gallon carboy for secondary.

This seems rather inefficient since most carboys are 5-gallons? Are all the kits sized this way? Do you leave sediment behind when transferring?

I know when I ferment beer, I leave 4" of headspace for the krausen - how much bubbling should I expect for wine fermentation?

I'm using my beer-making equipment kit (buckets, carboys, etc) for my wines.

From my "vast", :D 2 kits, 2 Apfelweins, and 1 Skeeter Pee, experience, you'll leave a much thinner layer of trub/lees behind in your primary fermenter at your first racking.

Again, from my limited experience, I've had no krausen. The wines have fizzed during initial fermentation, like a freshly poured glass of 7-Up.

However, if you degas in the carboy, do it carefully - it doesn't take much whipping to make the wine foam out of the carboy - like pouring a hot beer into a cold glass!
 
You could do the primary in your 6.5 and rack to a 5 and a 1 for secondary...


hmm..the kit instructions say to use an 8-gallon vessel for primary. But you think the 6.5 will be enough?

Also, if I split secondary into a 1 and a 5, will I will able to divide the stabilizing and fining chemicals?
 
hmm..the kit instructions say to use an 8-gallon vessel for primary. But you think the 6.5 will be enough?

Also, if I split secondary into a 1 and a 5, will I will able to divide the stabilizing and fining chemicals?

The 6.5 should be big enough.

You can divide the chemicals but the degassing might be tricky in two different vessels. It can be done, though!
 
The 6.5 should be big enough.

You can divide the chemicals but the degassing might be tricky in two different vessels. It can be done, though!

so -about the degassing. I have read some claim that time is an effective de-gasser. I don't have a feel for how much dissolved CO2 would remain in solution at 70*F after x# of months.

And the wine whip just agitates some of that to bubble out into the headspace?
 
so -about the degassing. I have read some claim that time is an effective de-gasser. I don't have a feel for how much dissolved CO2 would remain in solution at 70*F after x# of months.

And the wine whip just agitates some of that to bubble out into the headspace?

Time IS an effective degasser. But kits have you bottling in about 30-60 days, so degassing is in important step in them.
 
well, if I am more patient than that, can I leave it in bulk aging for 3-4 months?

also, for that matter, could I leave in primary longer? The directions say to transfer once you're below 1.010, with the final target after secondary of 0.996. Would there be any advantage to waiting until 0.996 before transferring to secondary?

And if I'm transferring to different vessels, I've been warned to not leave a large air headspace. How full do I need to fill the containers to prevent aceetobacter?
 
twd000 said:
Of course I will clean and sanitize them first. I have one 6.5-gallon glass carboy and 4 5-gallon glass carboys.

The directions I'm reading for the kits state to do primary fermentation in an 8-gallon vessel, then rack into a 6-gallon carboy for secondary.

This seems rather inefficient since most carboys are 5-gallons? Are all the kits sized this way? Do you leave sediment behind when transferring?

I know when I ferment beer, I leave 4" of headspace for the krausen - how much bubbling should I expect for wine fermentation?

I have used my beer carboys for wine as well the only thing that stinks about that is wine takes longer typically than beer so you tie up a Carboy for quite some time. Also I only use 6 gallon carboys for wine.
 
well, if I am more patient than that, can I leave it in bulk aging for 3-4 months?

also, for that matter, could I leave in primary longer? The directions say to transfer once you're below 1.010, with the final target after secondary of 0.996. Would there be any advantage to waiting until 0.996 before transferring to secondary?

And if I'm transferring to different vessels, I've been warned to not leave a large air headspace. How full do I need to fill the containers to prevent aceetobacter?

You want to transfer when it tells you to- it helps prevent oxidation. If you're not degassing per the instructions, top up fully once fermentation stops/slows (so it doesn't bubble out!) You want to be within a couple of inches of the bung when fermentation stops.
 
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