Air space

[Noob51]

This i my first big batch of Cider and I just moved it over to the secondary fermentation carboy. My question is, Is this close enough tot he top or do I need to fill it more.

 

[Sadu]

I'd call that good enough, you could try topping up with sanitised marbles or a bit of juice/water if you were concerned though.

 

[AMessenger]

Potentially controversial claim - amount of head space is irrelevant.

Also, no good can come from putting marbles (sanitized or otherwise) in your finished cider.

 

[bernardsmith]

In my opinion it looks good enough BUT it really depends on a) the gravity at which you racked and b) how long you intend to age this. If you racked with the cider still actively fermenting (say , a gravity of 1.010 or thereabouts) then the headroom will be filled with CO2 and if you are aging a month or two thee CO2 curently dissolved will slowwly out-gas and the cider will have some protection. If you racked long after active fermentation was done and you plan to allow the cider to age a year or more then you do really want to fill the carboy to about an inch below the bottom surface of the bung.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Potentially controversial claim - amount of head space is irrelevant.

https://www.morebeer.com/articles/oxidation_in_beer (note Table II)

Oxidation rate is directly affected by headspace and temperature.

 

[Yooper]

I prefer going to the narrowest part of the carboy, to really minimize any oxidation risk. The risk is greater if you don't use any sulfites, but even so I'd top up a bit more whether I used sulfites at this racking or not.

 

[Noob51]

The gravity reading was 1.000 when I racked it.