Bottling Day Video and Pictures

[Poni]

hiya,

My name is jeff and i have been posting here and there, and i thought i would share a video and some pictures from my bottling day last month.

In the vineyard part of the video you can't really hear me talk, so we figured we'd make fun of ourselves.. Enjoy!

As you can see in the video i had someone to run the washer, run the gas, run the bottler, cork then apply the shrink capsules. I labeled alone the next day . But all in all it went pretty well.

Eventually there will be another more audible video of the vineyard and berry patches.

Video- [ame]http://youtu.be/3YqaZRUoT0E[/ame]

Pictures- http://www.flickr.com/photos/60619457@N02/sets/72157629668337567/

Hopefully the links work

 

[ibglowin]

Nice! Love the winery walls inside! Too bad the audio didn't turn out quite right.

Did you make the bottle washer or purchase it? Nice set up!

 

[Maverick00]

Great pictures, looked like so much fun

 

[Poni]

I made the bottle washer out a rubbermaid tub, a water pump and the morewine sparging base and rack. I also used the same set up for the gas so i could just take the rack full of bottles from the washer to the nitrogen sparger. It worked pretty well, usually when i set something up like this i find bugs that need to be worked out, but not this time, it all worked out!

Thanks, j

 

[grapeman]

Mike those bottle washers and parger is carried by MoreWinemaking. He has adapted it to be recycling water and sanitizer it looks like. You want to explain it poni?

Too late, you already did!

 

[ibglowin]

OK, I give up what the heck do they call that on the More website!

Not finding it under cleaning and sanitizing products or anything thing else for that matter!

 

[ibglowin]

Never mind just found it under Bottle Rinsing of all things!

 

[Rocky]

Very nice, Poni. Beautiful stone wall foundation! How old is the house? Really neat set up and production line. Did you make a lot of the production equipment, like the bottle washer and gasser? It does appear that there was some "sampling" of the product while working! Quite a crew you have there. Great job.


Sorry, questions were "asked and answered." Thanks.

 

[Poni]

Ha!

The tub held the sani solution and circulated it up through the bottles and then drained down through the lid of the tub.

The house is at least 100 years old, i really tried to think of every thing when it came to bottling because it's a touchy oxidizing procedure, so i wanted to limit as much problems and O2 as i could. All of the wines So2 levels were good, i used the gas and did my best to make it go smoothly.. I'm glad everyone digs it. Thank you.

Oh and i think if you google morewine sparging base and rack it will take you there

 

[ibglowin]

What are you using to pump/pressurize the sanitizing solution up and into the bottles?

 

[Poni]

Just a water pump, like the type from lowes. I will post better pics of the washer later today. Pretty basic washer set up, works like a charm!

 

[ibglowin]

I'd be interested in a pic of the pump if you have one!

 

[joeswine]

excellent

excellent presentation....

 

[Poni]

Ok, here is a better pic of the washer all hooked up, the only thing that isn't pictured is the rack of bottles that goes on the top. The pump was hooked up to a remote controlled outlet, so i could turn the pump on/off with a remote. Pretty cool stuff

 

[Poni]

Thanks everyone, glad you like it! I love this type of stuff, total wine equipment geek! Also really fun to build!

 

[Flem]

Great pics and video, Jeff. Thanks for sharing.

 

[rocket man]

Well, I can see what my next project is now. As far as the pump goes could you tell me what the flow rate is on it? I've seen them from 40 gallons per hour to 10 gallons per minute. I don't want to have a dozen rockets taking off at the same time, but I do want the water to reach the bottom of the bottles.

 

[Poni]

I am not sure right now, i just got a whatever pump. Whats cool about the morewine rack is the bottles are secure in the rack so no bottles will go flying, but i will let ya know laterl when i get homer.

Really the washer is a
rubber maid tub
-holes in the lid to allow the sani solution to drain back into the tub
- a hole drilled in the side to acomodate a bulkhead fitting with treads so you can screw i the tubing that goes to the pump
-the pump
- a hose on the outlet port going to the bottle washing base.
-place the rack on top
-turn on the pump
-washy washy
-and voila! sanitized bottles!

i actually got this idea from a guy by the name of Alan at silver bell winery. He actually uses this bottle washer in his winery and i think last month they bottled like 2000 bottles. The washer makes pretty fast work.

all in all i think it cost me-
tub $10
-outlet remote to turn the pump off/on $15 from amazon
-more wine rack and base (i got two racks) $70 (but they were a gift so free for me, thanks mom!)
Bulkhead fitting $10
Tubing maybe around $8
the pump i borrowed but they are at lowes for like $70?
the pump doesn't have to be anything special, especially if it only being used for bottling

good luck! let me know if you have any questions!

Oh and the washer is very portable since the solution is held within the tub, i just built a table and sunk the tub down in it.

 

[Poni]

oh and the pump really pumps the water like crazy! A really nice steady stream of water, i suggest giving each bottle a little turn while being rinsed to ensure an even coating of sani solutioin in the bottle.

 

[ibglowin]

Love it! Totally hate the whole bottle cleaning thing.......

So is this pump found in the pond (outdoor) supplies or inside? Which department!