Bob's elderbery and bramble now in carboy

[gordonmull]

I put a 5 gal batch of this (4lb elder&4lb bramble) on in the autumn and it is now settling in my shiney new 25L glass carboy that i got for crimbo. I'm about up to the shoulder in the carboy and looking for something to top up with. Would wine #2 do it? Looks like about 2-3 litres needed.

Early sneaky tastings have confirmed that Bob is indeed a genius! It's lovely. I'd be tempted to drink it now but i must resist....

On a side note, the carboy came with a cap. Is it ok to leave the wine bulk aging with that on or am i better with a suitable bung?

[Cellar_Rat]

I make it a rule NEVER to bung glass carboy hard - slightest fizz and they shatter. Use something that allow pressure to release.

[fatbloke]

I make it a rule NEVER to bung glass carboy hard - slightest fizz and they shatter. Use something that allow pressure to release.

What ? Like an airlock ?

[Cellar_Rat]

Air locks work - all my drums have airlocks on. For glass 54's I use dry locks. You get some with a tiny ball bearing in or a plastice semispere disk in a capsule (follow that !?!?). Italians use tin foil(??!?!). For a long time I used double cling film with a rubber band - brilliant. Cling film is gas permeable yes - because wine DOES need to breathe. You can see through it (bonus) and it goes pop before the glass does!! (important bit) or it vents under the rubber band.

Not only fizzing, lets not forget liquids expand (considerably) with temp change - which as an aside, why airplanes measure fuel in pounds and not gallons (or litres).

If you press me I can do a photo.

[Big Dave]

Would one of these work - !Bwj,JHgEWk~$(KGrHqV,!hMEv1+0CqF5BMJhulhPMg~~_35.jpg

For glass 54's I use dry locks.

Forgive the ignorance, but whats a glass 54's?

[goldseal]

Glass 54 is a 54 litre carboy made of glass. Suitable for adrenalin-junkies only . Need to be handled with great care, not easy to move once full and easy to break.

Back to the original question, I do leave the orange cap on by 23l carboys for bulk ageing. I never feel they seal effectively, so I hold them firmly in place with a cable-tie.

[Cellar_Rat]

LOL....

This a good dry seal, but there are others.

DSC00341.jpg

Here a 54l carboy ..

Pump.jpg

Pete is 1m% right. Treat with care, move the wine and not the carboy! (hence the pump for uphill siphoning - not to be confused with uphill gardening )

The nice thing about 54's is there is still some left, when the next seasons grapes arrive - for us idle buggers who only ferment once a year!

[gordonmull]

Thanks Goldseal, that sounds just the ticket.

Any views on #2 as a topup wine?