Does a 7.9 gallon fermenting bucket really hold 7.9 gallons

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mikefrommichigan

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I purchased 2 new 7.9 gallon fermenting buckets recently. I started a new wine kit last weekend, and as per the instructions topped up the kit to the 6 gallon mark on the bucket, put on the lid and airlock and it is bubbling away.

For some reason, I am not sure why, I decided to check the gallon markers on the side of the 2nd bucket. I filled the bucket with water, 1 gallon at a time, and checked the level with each marker on the bucket. By the time I reached the 6 gallon mark I had actually added 6.5 gallons of water. This means that my 6 gallon wine kit has an extra ½ gallon of water added, and that my wine is diluted by approx 8%.

So my question is, does it matter? Should I fill to my own marks on the side of the bucket in future? Has anyone else noticed this?
 
Well, one question would be: how well do you know that your one-gallon container is really one gallon? I have struggled with this a bit, more for carboys than anything.

Here is one thing you can try to find out if it matters to you. Pour 1/2 cup of wine into each of two glasses. Mark the glasses. Ask your wife or friend to add 2 teaspoons of water to one of the glasses, and two teaspoons of wine to the other. (2 teaspoons is 8% of 1/2 cup.) Then you taste the two glasses. If you can tell which glass is which, then I guess it matters. (I found that I could not tell.)
 
Never made a kit but I do know that the gallon is a poor measure. A US gallon (3.79 liters) is much smaller than a British (or Canadian) Imperial gallon (4.546 liters). Metric measures are identical around the planet . One liter is 1000 cc and 1000 cc is 1 liter in Italy, in the Congo, in Brazil, in Indonesia, in NY and in Michigan. So the question is was the kit asking you to add US or Imperial gallons and was your primary bucket marked off in US or Imperial gallons and were you filling it with US or Imperial gallons?
PS. In Britain a pint of beer is a real drink. Here it's only 12 oz.
 
While agreeing with bernardsmith that the US vs Imperial gallon issue can be a problem occasionally, my reading of mikefrommichigan's post is that everything is in US gallons, so I wouldn't worry about this.

A few years ago, the 'experienced' members used to warn people to check the markings on their primaries, because they were often incorrect. I remember seeing some primary pails where the measurement lines were at an obvious angle. so what part of the line was correct?

If I was starting with new primaries, I would be buy a good quality 23 litre wine kit (Vinterra or Premier Cru), pour the kit into the new primary, and mark that spot as my 23 litre/6 US gallon/5 Imp gallon line. But that doesn't work for other measurements.

Steve
 
I use a 1 quart kitchen measuring cup & a 1/2 gallon measuring bucket from Home Depot paint aisle.

I pour water from kitchen cup to the paint bucket to calibrate. I then use the bucket and fill up my primary bucket and carboys.

Assuming that either of my beginning measuring tools are wrong, than atleast I am consistently wrong, but close enough!


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making
 
Why not weigh it? Water is 8# to the gallon, grape juice is 81% water. It may be closer than trusting a plastic gallon jug.
 
Assuming that either of my beginning measuring tools are wrong, than atleast I am consistently wrong, but close enough!

Yeah, I think that is the key: close enough.

Before I realized that my carboys were larger than 6 gallons, I followed a bit of advice I got from (I believe) Tim Vandergrift: fill up your carboy with water, then pour it into your fermentation bucket, and mark that line. At some level, it doesn't really matter whether this is more than, less than, or equal to 6 gallons: you will make the amount of must that fits in your carboy. Of course, as you point out, the must will be diluted or strong, if that measurement is off.

My present philosophical resolution to this problem is to try to make close to 6 gallons by judging the level in the bucket, but not to worry too much about hitting it spot on. If I fall short, I top off with like wine, and if I make too much, I save it for topping after future rackings.
 
I bought a 1 gallon jug of milk...marked the top of the milk where one gallon was.
finished the milk off....added water to the mark and poured it in my 3,5,6 gallon carboys and marked them...it was off about 1 cup....in each....
milk jugs dont lie...there filled with an automatic filler that is dead on..
they dont waste a drop.
 
The fermenters I purchased were marked in both Liters (litres) and US gallons. I used a 2 qrt measuring jug and filled up a gallon milk jug with 4 qrts of water and marked the jug and then filled the bucket with 5 gall and then 6 gallon of water, and marked a line at the 5 and 6 gall mark to compare.

So one of my original questions was, does it matter? After reading all the comments, I have decided it does not. After I do the racking several times I will hopefully end up with 6 gallons for aging, without having to top up.

Thanks for all responses and suggestions.
 

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