Too much headspace

[Kalaloch]

Doing Ed Wort’s Alphenwein and when done putting in secondary I realized there’s only about 4 gallons worth in my glass carboy. So there is a large area of head space (basically the circumference of the carboy’s widest width and 6”+ from carboy neck) I’m planning 3 more months in this carboy and very concerned about head space, do I add more apple juice? Marbles? How do I not induce splashing/oxygen.

 

[cswis86]

I would add a little more juice or sugar to start up fermentation again. The CO2 produced by the added sugars should blanket your cider and protect it from oxygen.

 

[augiedoggy]

I would add a little more juice or sugar to start up fermentation again. The CO2 produced by the added sugars should blanket your cider and protect it from oxygen.

The gases would mix as all eventually do .. The blanket is a myth. This is why theres still air at your feet and not heavier gases..

 

[smurfjuice]

Kalaoch, i don't understand why you went to 2ndary, i have made Edworts applewein for years. i just use a 5 gal carboy and add 5 gals of apple juice, 2 lbs corn sugar, and yeast. let it ferment out.

 

[Kalaloch]

Kalaoch, i don't understand why you went to 2ndary, i have made Edworts applewein for years. i just use a 5 gal carboy and add 5 gals of apple juice, 2 lbs corn sugar, and yeast. let it ferment out.

I want to condition it for 4 months then bottle, so I needed to get it off the yeast cake.

 

[RM-MN]

The gases would mix as all eventually do .. The blanket is a myth. This is why theres still air at your feet and not heavier gases..

The excess production of CO2 would push much of the oxygen out through the airlock and it would take quite a while for the oxygen to work its way back in through the double interface of air to water to an atmosphere of primarily CO2. That's why a blanket of CO2 exists in primary and why it isn't there when we transfer to secondary unless we recreate it.

 

[augiedoggy]

The excess production of CO2 would push much of the oxygen out through the airlock and it would take quite a while for the oxygen to work its way back in through the double interface of air to water to an atmosphere of primarily CO2. That's why a blanket of CO2 exists in primary and why it isn't there when we transfer to secondary unless we recreate it.

Yes I agree with what you say of the primary as some of the oxygen is consumed by the yeast as well.
As far as the secondary, which is what we are talking about in this thread. This would only occur if theres enough c02 made to displace it a few times over (like purging a keg) and the co2 would mix with the oxygen in the headspace minutes after its released.

 

[Kalaloch]

So any solutions?

 

[IslandLizard]

You could flush the headspace with CO2 to reduce the air (O2) content. Then stick an airlock in it.

But a full fermentor would be better, even less air. That's why most secondaries are smaller than the primary the beer, wine, or cider came from. Fill it up to 1-2" under the bung.

It would take a huge amount of marbles to fill the void, while dropping them in could crack the bottom.

I've thought of filling the headspace with a mylar "bladder" filled with CO2.

The easiest is, as said before, fill up with more cider, or apple juice to continue fermenting.

 

[Kalaloch]

@IslandLizard thanks for the advice. I think I will add more apple juice, any ideas on how to minimize splashing? I was thinking using of using my hard siphon tube and attaching a funnel at the top and putting that in until it touches the cider and slowly adding apple juice. I would sanitize everything of course.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Agree with more apple juice; I don't think splashing would be too much of a problem because of the renewed fermentation, but I could be wrong, and your plan with the siphon tube looks fine to me.

 

[IslandLizard]

@IslandLizard thanks for the advice. I think I will add more apple juice, any ideas on how to minimize splashing? I was thinking using of using my hard siphon tube and attaching a funnel at the top and putting that in until it touches the cider and slowly adding apple juice. I would sanitize everything of course.

Yup, that would work! Just keep the lower end under the surface, not above.
And while pouring, make sure to keep the funnel full to prevent gurgling, which would draw air into the system.

I use a funnel with a piece of hose attached to the spout,* so it reaches underneath the surface.

Similarly, the stem of a bottling wand (the spring tippy removed) or a cut off acrylic racking cane will enable one to reach into buckets through the airlock hole. Prevents one from having to lift the lid.

*With a few short pieces of different diameter vinyl tubing that fit into one another, one can make custom adapters pretty cheaply.