1 Gallon Carboy

[Bobbybeef]

When i rack from my 5 gallon bucket to my 1 gallon carboy what if dont have enough liquid to fill a carboy is it ok to have less and is there a point that the amount of liquid wont work are screw up ?

 

[Erik the Awful]

Most people top their carboys off with water. Using a hydrometer to measure and add some sugar helps keep the specific gravity in the range you want.

 

[IslandLizard]

When i rack from my 5 gallon bucket to my 1 gallon carboy what if dont have enough liquid to fill a carboy is it ok to have less

Is the 1 gallon carboy/jug to be used for "secondary," to clarify the wine and get her off the lees?
I thought you said in your previous thread you were making 2 gallons of wine. So, do you now have 1 gallon to fill and are left with a partial gallon?

You can always use a smaller, 1/2 gallon jug for the remainder. And anything that's left after that, maybe put it in a (smaller) bottle, or some other (glass) container of the right size. Then the last one, you could top up with some water if you must, but any dilution over 10-20% you'll clearly notice.
Key is, you want the leave each [Added] secondary fermenter with a minimum of headspace to prevent oxidation and possibly infection.

 

[Bobbybeef]

Is the 1 gallon carboy/jug to be used for "secondary," to clarify the wine and get her off the lees?
I thought you said in your previous thread you were making 2 gallons of wine. So, do you now have 1 gallon to fill and are left with a partial gallon?

You can always use a smaller, 1/2 gallon jug for the remainder. And anything that's left after that, maybe put it in a (smaller) bottle, or some other (glass) container of the right size. Then the last one, you could top up with some water if you must, but any dilution over 10-20% you'll clearly notice.
Key is, you want the leave each fermenter with a minimum of headspace to prevent oxidation and possibly infection.

I posted a confusing statement sorry let me clarify my question in other words i should try and get a little more liquid than what i need because i am not sure how much volume the fruit will take up or am i overthinking i was trying to figure out how much sugar water to add if i add 2 gallons of sugar water to my mash of strawberrys or should i add 1.5 gallons to my mash is there a water ratio i read 3 to 4 lbs of fruit per gallon of wine

 

[bernardsmith]

A solution that is not always so obvious to novice wine makers is to use a bucket as your primary fermenter and so you begin with a volume that is larger than the volume you intend to rack. If your carboy is 1 gallon you might begin with 1.25 gallons or even more depending on the volume the fruit up. What you want after you rack from your primary into the secondary is that the carboy is filled to within a half inch of the bung. Oxygen during active fermentation is the friend of your yeast. Oxygen in the secondary is the enemy of your wine.
If you do decide to use a 2 gallon food grade bucket as your primary fermenter then you need cover it with a clean towel. If you are fermenting with fruit you want easy access to the fruit two or three times a day to stir the fruit into the wine to ensure that no fruit is left drying on the surface. That invites spoilage organisms. Sealing buckets with lids and airlocks is unnecessary while the yeast is active.