'Topping Up'...with water???

[anakeimai]

Quite a few recipes suggest that if you lose some of your batch to the air you should 'top it up' but not too many suggest what with...

Surely if you were to top it up with water that would dilute the wine and negatively affect the alcohol content?

 

[Pumpkinman]

It really depends on just how much you need to top off. If it is only a few ounces, water is fine in my opinion, but I've been using those boxed commercial wines to top off my wine.

 

[JohnT]

Quite a few recipes suggest that if you lose some of your batch to the air you should 'top it up' but not too many suggest what with...

Surely if you were to top it up with water that would dilute the wine and negatively affect the alcohol content?

You are absolutely correct! One should NEVER top off with any amount of water. This will impact the flavor and PH level of the wine. If you are stuck, top off with store bought wine of a similar type.

 

[FABulousWines]

Sanitized, lead free marbles can also be used. Another common approach, especially if there is a lot of head space is to rack down to multiple smaller containers.

 

[GaDawg]

It really depends on just how much you need to top off. If it is only a few ounces, water is fine in my opinion, but I've been using those boxed commercial wines to top off my wine.

As opposed to commercial wine why not use home made wine? it's better and a lot cheaper

 

[Pumpkinman]

If you have a similar wine, absolutely, sorry, I kinda figured that everyone would do that if they had it.

 

[anakeimai]

Many thanks - that helps!

 

[Sammyk]

I make assorted one gallons of juices (generally frozen cans of juice) into wine for the purpose of topping up. So it we need to top up we have many choices and pick the one closest to flavor for topping off.
We did not buy wine before we got into making wine and we don't buy it now......

 

[Tess]

Some people are purist. Your gonna get different answer here. I prefer to top off with a wine that is close to what Im making or that I think will add to the end product. I actually think its just like any ingredient that I add and will enhance the flavor. Its still MY wine!! Its up to u what you decide to do as long as u top up!! there is no wrong answer. Its your wine

 

[Tess]

there have been times when Iv had extra after racking that I can save to top off with later but if not its not a big deal to me. I would never use water. Just me but it yours. Do what you want

 

[Sammyk]

One other thought if it is 100% fruit and no water added, a small amount of water for topping we have found off is fine and will have little amount on the overall flavor.

 

[GaDawg]

If it's a wine that would benefit from oak, have ya'll considered topping up with oak tea?

 

[bkisel]

Just for information's sake... The 3 RJS kits I've done (2 VDV, 1 WS) say in the instructions to top off with water. The one MM kit I've done recommends topping off with finished wine. Guess that kits can be formulated for water top off or not.

 

[ou8amaus]

Personally I feel it depends on the quality of the wine you are making. If I am making a low to medium end kit then I will usually go with mix of previous made wine, cheaper boxed wine and even some water. However as the quality of the kit goes up I will tend to use better commercial wines with similar flavour characteristics, and potentially my "better" aged kits. I have tried the marbles and was not crazy about them... I am in the process of trying to source PET or HDPE coated marbles or stainless steel balls...

 

[robie]

Personally I feel it depends on the quality of the wine you are making. If I am making a low to medium end kit then I will usually go with mix of previous made wine, cheaper boxed wine and even some water. However as the quality of the kit goes up I will tend to use better commercial wines with similar flavour characteristics, and potentially my "better" aged kits. I have tried the marbles and was not crazy about them... I am in the process of trying to source PET or HDPE coated marbles or stainless steel balls...

I gave up on the marbles long ago. Just too much trouble.

Since I starting saving my sediment, letting it settle and extracting off the settled wine, I don't have to top off as much now, quantity-wise. Still have to of course, but much less than before. So, I just use a like, commercial wine for topping off.

It helps to have both 6.5-gallon and 6-gallon carboys. Racking from that 6.5 to a 6 helps when topping off.

 

[wineforfun]

I just did my first kit, RJS WS OVZ and needed two bottles to top up, with all the lees/sediment it dropped from the oak, skins, etc. The instructions said to use water but no way was I doing that with that much missing.
I did as Robie mentioned and used two bottles of commercial OVZ and topped up.

 

[Scott]

I also use to top off with a like wine, then just use many different sized bottles from 6.5 gal down to 12oz beer bottle. Keep many size stoppers and air locks around, when comes down to maybe a 1/2 full beer bottle... well CHEERS!

Good luck and use whatever makes ya happy and handy

 

[WI_Wino]

I just did my first kit, RJS WS OVZ and needed two bottles to top up, with all the lees/sediment it dropped from the oak, skins, etc. The instructions said to use water but no way was I doing that with that much missing.
I did as Robie mentioned and used two bottles of commercial OVZ and topped up.

With much to top off, I might have racked to a 5 gallon carboy, 1/2 gallon growler, etc. Nice to have a wide variety of glassware around. Craigslist is your friend.

 

[Tess]

I topped off my Shiaz Kit with my own Black and Blue. I think it was a prefect match