Vacuum pumping/filtering woes

[Comet in TX]

My family is away this weekend and I have been engaged in major wine/beer making pursuits.

Yesterday, I made my 1st beer, a Brewer's Best IPA kit from George. That is happily bubbling away, only 12 hours after pitch. I also started my MM Meglio Rojo Grande. I racked a MM AJ Pinot Noir, in preparation for filtering, and a CC Showcase Yakima Pinot Gris.

I have been learning how to use my new vacuum pump, which I bought off Craigslist and is working fine. The connections are a different issues entirely. I am bleeding air everywhere and I can't make it stop. I have been back and forth to the local HBS and spent probably $30 on various tubing, racking canes, clamps, etc. I have been messing with it for 2 hours today already, with nothing accomplished

Today, I wanted to filter my WE Int'l. GSM, and I was going to use my inline filter with the vacuum pump, but I cannot get it to stop bleeding air at 2 points - the racking cane and the output side of the inline (I have been tested with water).

I have everything clamped out the wazoo and no luck. The hose barbs are 3/8", the tubing is 3/8" and the racking is 5/16". HELP! any thoughts?

I really wanted to filter today and try to bottle tomorrow, but I don't want to do it and introduce all this air. I'm VERY frustrated! This mechanical stuff is not my thing!

Also, at the end of the racking carboy, how to you prevent it from pulling all the air into the receiving carboy? I am continuing to hold a vacuum in the receiving, and it's causing air to get pulled in.

 

[Joanie]

I can only answer the last question, Comet. Just as you get to the bottom of the carboy, turn your pump off. That will avoid pulling air into the receiving carboy.

I'm sorry you are having so much trouble with it.

 

[Wade E]

Do you have your in line filter set on filter or bypass? Thereb has got to be a leak or a air release on that filter at the top as some do so as to relieve pressure before changing filter.

 

[grapeman]

Where did you get a 5/16 inch racking cane? If you have 3/8 inch tubing, you need a 3/8" racking cane. That is a pretty standard size. I would put off the moving of the wine if you are having problems until you can get the hosing , fittings and racking canes all matched up to prevent air getting in.


Tilt your source carboy and let the racking cane go to that side. Just make sure the wine is clear and clean first. Turn off the pump befor it is all gone and release the pressure setting.

 

[Comet in TX]

Thanks all for the support.

Joan, unfortunately, turning off my pump doesn't help, as I still have a vacuum that continues to pull air in.

Wade, I don't understand what you mean by a bypass? It is taking on air where the 3/8" tubing is connected to the outgoing hose barb. I don't think it's coming from the filter itself.

Appleman, I mis-spoke, I have a 3/8" racking cane, but my problem is where the hose connects to the racking cane up top. I have put as many as 2 clamps on it, and it's still bleeding air.

I'll get there, but I'm just not happy today...........I'll go chop some raisins for my Meglioli...

 

[Joanie]

Hmmm. Are you using the photos Wade posted as guides? I have them posted on my fridge because I can never remember what goes where! =)

For connectors between orange caps and hoses, I use 5 in 1 connectors and I don't have any air leaks. I like them because they fit snugly into any size hose or cap.

 

[grapeman]

If you have the filter in line when it is leaking, then yes, it could be an air release. Mine has a red button on top that you can push in to release vacuum. It can stick a bit and you will see a lot of bubbles in the filter. If the hose is leaking air at the racking cane, warm the hose with warm water and slide way up onto the cane, then clamp lightly and it shouldn't leak.

 

[Wade E]

What appleman just posted is the bypass I was talking about, its a button on the filter system to relieve pressure in the canister so that taking the filter housing off is easier. Does your racking hose go on and come off easy off your racking cane? If so you might want to get a new hose as some of them at different places are actually like 7/16" and are loose like that resulting in your problem.

 

[Wade E]

Well I was jut watching a video of someone using the $350 set called the Enolmatic filler and hat machine dumps a good amount of wine in the overflow canister every time, actually much more then my vacuum set up does so i really feel good now! The video is right here.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSwwIOfRTuI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSwwIOfRTuI[/ame]

 

[Joanie]

Hey! That's Harryjpowell's video! Great setup, Harry!

 

[Wade E]

Yep, but now even he is buying 1 of our set ups!!!!!!!!

 

[robie]

I don't use a vacuum pump, but I can't even use my orange carboy cap to do the simple vacu-vin. The cap is very loose and can easily be rotated like a wing nut on top of the 6 gallon carboy. The cap is not good for anything but a dust cover. Might Comet has this same problem?

 

[Wade E]

Is yours orange or burgundy?

 

[grapeman]

It may be because of the new style carboys. Mine are a really tight fit- almost requirng stretching to get them on.

 

[Joanie]

Yep, but now even he is buying 1 of our set ups!!!!!!!!

We are a baaaad influence, aren't we?

 

[robie]

My loose cap is orange. It came with the deluxe equipment kit I originally got from George.

 

[Joanie]

Appleman, how are new carboys different?

 

[grapeman]

The Italian ones are taller and narrower than the Mexican ones. I will try one of the caps on both tomorrow and see if they differ.

 

[Comet in TX]

I took my setup up to George & Brian in Dallas yesterday, not just b/c of my issues, they have been saving all my LE kits for me so I could save on shipping and it was prearranged I would go up there anyway.

I ended up talking to the folks at Valley Vintner (since i bought the filter there), and George and Brian were also kind of perplexed. I'm going to try putting teflon tapes on the hose barbs, where they screw in. I've been able to resolve all the air leaks, except for the occasional bubbles in the outgoing line. Seems to be it might be air/CO2 coming out of the wine itself, or air coming out of the filter.

Thanks for the support. My first wine has been filtered now, and I'll bottle this weekend.

Started the Spagnols LE Ehrenfelser today!

Lara

 

[calvindcd]

did you ever get this solved? i am having the same problem