Co2

How essential are CO2 cartridges?

Wow what am ambiguous question...

You may want to elaborate a bit on what you're asking here, and for what purpose, especially in the Wine Making forum. Do wine makers use a lot of co2 cartridges? Probably not...

They are required if you want to push a BB out of a barrel.

Lol. I've seen information on using CO2 cartridges to load a carboy before you fill it with your must to avoid oxygenation, and I've seen the equipment for it for sale in my local bee supply store. I haven't purchased or used any yet, and was wondering if I needed to. I take it it isn't a common thing? Sorry for the ambiguity, I assumed it was common.

Brew supply store, not bee. Sorry, Swype fail!

melamus said:

Lol. I've seen information on using CO2 cartridges to load a carboy before you fill it with your must to avoid oxygenation, and I've seen the equipment for it for sale in my local bee supply store. I haven't purchased or used any yet, and was wondering if I needed to. I take it it isn't a common thing? Sorry for the ambiguity, I assumed it was common.

Click to expand...

Ahhh, now I'm not hard core wine brewer, just kits, but I doubt they're required in any way. Once fermentation starts you'd be pushing up enough co2 to blanket everything in the carboy. And the time before that, for fruit wine brewers, I don't think is too long is it?

That'd be the only time you'd maybe consider it, while your campden'izing your fruit must, I'd wager.

But again, I only do wine kits from juices so I could be out to lunch.

Thanks. I've done a couple batches without them, but they are still aging so the jury is still out on if it worked or not. ;-)