Quick question on headspace

[James0816]

I've finished some ciders and did a final racking to 1g bottles for aging. They will sit for at least six months. The headspace is more than an inch, probably more like three would that be ok to age?

After secondary was confirmed, they were racked on to fruits for flavor for weeks. No further ferment ever occured. Racked to age.

 

[NTBeer]

Shape of the bottle matters here. An inch should be fine in most bottles, but if it's a jug shape (wide shoulders) or straight sided cylinder, that could still mean some oxidation. If they are one of those shapes, consider looking for other containers.

 

[James0816]

Shape of the bottle matters here. An inch should be fine in most bottles, but if it's a jug shape (wide shoulders) or straight sided cylinder, that could still mean some oxidation. If they are one of those shapes, consider looking for other containers.

I use the standard one and three gallon carboy's for aging.

 

[Maylar]

You're OK.

 

[iceman_ii]

Resurrecting an old thread here...

Headspace, I get it, I understand the whole "oxidation" concept and why you would want to minimize headspace under "normal" circumstances... unfortunately, I have NEVER been accused of being Normal...

Is the whole "headspace" discussion overcome by events if I keep a pad of CO2 on the must/ageing wine? I use a conical fermenter for secondary (and sometimes primary) and it kind of defeats the purpose of using a conical if you transfer it to a carboy for clearing. (I normally clear in the conical, and transfer to a corny keg for cold crashing and eventual bottling)

While in the conical, I routinely use a CO2 bottle to "replenish" the CO2 pad on the surface of the liquid, ESPECIALLY if I do something to disrupt it, such as stirring drawing samples, etc. I also try to "fill" the collection jar with CO2 when changing it so as not to force a big bubble of O2 containing air through the center of the must. Does this not eliminate or at least diminish the concern over headspace?

 

[lumpher]

Your procedure is fine. Purging the oxygen is the concern, and you're doing that.

 

[iceman_ii]

Your procedure is fine. Purging the oxygen is the concern, and you're doing that.

Thank you sir!