RJ Spagnols RJS Winery Amarone in a 6.5 gallon bucket?

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dz-015

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I discovered that my primary fermentation bucket is only 6.5 gallons large - this is what I get for not ordering my kit through George!

The RJS Winery Series Amarone has not only a grape pack, which looks to be about 1/4 gallon or more, but it also has a pack of raisins which I found under the juice bag.

Has anyone tried making this in a 6.5 gallon bucket? That is - 6 gallons of juice, the grape pack, wood chips, and raisins? Am I going to flow over even if I don't lock the lid down for primary fermentation?

Or do I have to buy a 7.8 bucket?

Thanks!
 
it's going to be tight in a 7.8 if it starts to foam up. I use a 10 gallon for those types of kits.
 
I have made them in the 7.9 buckets and they come close to overflowing them so doing so in a 6.5 would be a disaster!!!!! Please dont do it. Do you have 2 of these buckets as you culd split it up into 2 buckets.
 
Unfortunately, I just have one. But I can now justify spending more on a larger bucket(which alsogives me two times the fermentation capacity)...
 
Be careful dz, it's a slippery slope you're headed down.
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Yep, thats how it starts and then when you have 4 primaries you justify them by trying to keep them full. Thats when the carboys startand then pumps and then.....................
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God is that true Wade. My wife says that I have a personality flaw that just won't let me have an empty carboy or barrell. She laughs in the late summer when I'm preparing barrells for the fall harvest, says that I'm ging through a withdrawal because they are empty.
 
dz-015 said:
I discovered that my primary fermentation bucket is only 6.5 gallons large - this is what I get for not ordering my kit through George!
I recall another thread recently where it was noted that 6.5 imperial gallons is equivalent to about 7.8 US gallons. Perhaps this is your situation. If so, it is possible to ferment your kit without overflow if you can keep the must from exceeding 75' or so. I have successfully done it with GP kits.

OTOH, it is handy to have a 10G fermenting bucket laying around. ;)
 
For sure check and see if its 6.5 US or 6.5 IMP.

Should be listed on the bottom of the Bucket.
 
Oh yeah, didnt even think of that, if its 6.5 imperial then it will work but still will be close so just monitor it. The grape packs can take up some volume but Its what Ive been using for many years and havent had a kit come over yet but it gets close often.
 
Hi guys,

Thanks for the heads-up! It does indeed say 6.5 Imp Gallons on the bottom - I hadn't even thought of the type of gallon it was. The confusing thing is that the markings on the side are in US gallons, so that is what I had assumed.

I can't wait to start the Amarone!

Unfortunately, it will have to wait until next week since I'm on a trip to Minneapolis. Yes, on the coldest week of the winter.

Thanks again!
 
just make sure when adding your water, you measure in Liters and not the markings! Make sure it's accurate. Besides, Metric is way easier!
 
Glad we had this conversation. the gallon mark on these is the first ring I think.
 
Dean said:
just make sure when adding your water, you measure in Liters and not the markings! Make sure it's accurate. Besides, Metric is way easier!
While I agree that the metric system is easier (in fact far superior imho) I never measure the water I add to rehydrate a kit. I use the 6 gallon/23L mark only. Seems like I read recently about a kit winemaker who added a specific amount of water to what he thought was an 18L kit, but was actually only 16L with a 2L GP. He ended up fermenting the batch at 21L. If he had added water to the 23L line on his ferment bucket he would have avoided the mistake.

Or did I misunderstand your point, Dean? Happens often enough...
 
I was just thinking that if the bucket is a 6.5 Imp gallon bucket, the marking might also be in imperial, at which point, the win would be over watered. As long as you are reasonably sure that your 23L mark is in fact 23L, go with that.

I do notice that over the years, my plastic fermentation vessels eventually bow out and stretch and my marks for 23L are out by 0.5 to 1 inch.
 
I have one of these Buckets that is stamped 6.5 IMP on the bottom.

When I did my first kit I was like a lot of folks, concerned about adding too much water and not real sure were the 23 L mark was so I filled up an empty 1 gallon milk jug six times and when all was said and done it came right to the upper inside rim or the 6 gallon US mark.

I would recommend to anyone with any concerns or uncertainty about your bucket to do your own quick test.

It never hurts to verify things, much like they say in woodworking, measure twice, cut once!
 
Some of the 6 gal fermenters that are out there (not from George) don't havfe any markings on them at all. I use a 14 gal closed polypropylene fermenter (airtight) that doen't have any markings, and in fact is opaque so you can't see the level from the outside. I filled the fermenter up with exactly 6 gal of water, and scored this level on the inside of the fermenter. Now I always know where the 6 gal, 23 L mark is. This might also be useful on the plastic buckets that have to be adjusted because of "bow" or deformation. Anyone interrested in the closed fermentor, let me know. They are a little more expensive, but last forever without any deformation. And the best thing is that you can hit them with a truck with no damage.
PS also have a 22 gal for the bigger batches from grapes
 
Another way to calibrate your bucket is to put the empty bucket on the bathroom scale and add water until the weight increases by 50 pounds! This should be the weight of 6 gallons of water. Or if you have a metric scale you can mark the bucket at the 23KG level! This would be the 23L level and slightly more than 6 gallons as I recall.
 
I usually just add water to achieve the sg that is in range for the kit. If its a grape skin kit then I go for about 1.090 and the grapes pack usually takes it up to 1.115 or there abouts which almost always brings it up to the first rib on the bucket.
 

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