Carboy Whips (stirring thingy)

[Vaughn]

I got to the part where I'm Stabilizing and Clearing. George sold me a great little thing that I hook to my drill motor and stir to beat-the-band. It is basically a crooked stick that comes up through a bung. Everything was working great, until I noticed little white specks all over the top of the carboy and a few floating on the surface of my wine. After close inspection, I discovered that the friction of the whip in the bung caused the bung to wear out and start flaking. I used a little bit of vegitable oil and the friction problem was solved.


My advice here is to make sure your stick is well lubricated before you start whipping your juice.

 

[MedPretzel]

Welcome, Hollow!





Thanks for that piece of advice. I have the whip that you were talking about, but I never used the bung with it. I have always held the drill as still as I could and whipped the bananas out of the wine.





Maybe I'll try your method the next time!





Thanks!





Martina

 

[Hippie]

I got to the part where I'm Stabilizing and Clearing. George sold me a great little thing that I hook to my drill motor and stir to beat-the-band. It is basically a crooked stick that comes up through a bung. Everything was working great, until I noticed little white specks all over the top of the carboy and a few floating on the surface of my wine. After close inspection, I discovered that the friction of the whip in the bung caused the bung to wear out and start flaking. I used a little bit of vegitable oil and the friction problem was solved.


My advice here is to make sure your stick is well lubricated before you start whipping your juice.


I ain't touchin that with a 10 foot pole!

 

[AAASTINKIE]

I have been looking over my new fizz-x, it has a plastic collar that fits in the hole on top of the carboy, thanks for the advice, I'll keep an eye on it. Has anyone had problems with a fizz-x? or any advice on how to use them?

 

[masta]

I don't have the fizz-x but I have a mix stir which is almost the same. A variable speed drill is best because you have more control. I switch from forward to reverse multiple times when stirring the must or degassing...this seems to help.


When my mix stir breaks I will be buying the fizz-x as it seems to be a better product as the shaft is s/s and the plastic collar should also help.


Another note on degassing: I think some people have trouble with degassing because they rush into finishing their wine. I know the instructions say to wait X number of days and check SG to make sure fermentation is complete. I like to wait till I see no more foaming or small bubbles on top of the liquid as this saves time when degassing because it gives the wine more time to release most of the CO2 on it's own. Also remember a cooler liquid will hold more gas to so keep your wine at fermentation temp when degassing.

 

[Vaughn]

My advice here is to make sure your stick is well lubricated before you start whipping your juice.


I ain't touchin that with a 10 foot pole!

Okay, I admit it. that last statement wasintended to be awkward.


I am curious about the fizz-x or any other tool that has been used tostir the carboy. The one I have, though effective,was a bit disapointing.Along with the friction problem, I had a hard time keeping the whole thing together because the drill was shaking around so much. Where would I find a fizz-x?

 

[masta]

Here ya go:


[url]http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?GC_Category=Equipm ent&SubCategory=mixer&PartNumber=15262 [/url]

 

[Vaughn]

Ouch...$25. I guess you get what you pay for. I'm with you, when the mix stir breaks, this would be logical thing to replace it with.

 

[Hippie]

This hobby ain't cheap. You can start out pretty cheap, with just the basics and making scratch wine, but soon after something happens with our brains and we gotta have more and more stuff!

 

[geocorn]

Why do you think I got the trademark, "The Wine Maker's Toy Store"?


The fizz-x is by far the best of the 3 products. I put the Whip in the started kit to keep the price down. That way if someone stays with the hobby they can always upgrade, but if they don't they are out less money. I wish I sell a high end kit, but the price point would be over $150.00. The $139.99 already scares some people off.


I have also considered upgrades, but then the ordering process gets real complicated, especially for someone new to the hobby.


I have complained to the distributor about the whip and the newer ones seem to spin easier.


I am open to any and all suggestions on how to solve this issue.

 

[Vaughn]

Oh, I get it. You get us hooked on the cheep stuff and then you push the expensive stuff when our cheep stuff breaks! What a racket.

I've decided that I can just pick up my carboy, put my thumb over the top, and shake it. I don't need no stinkin whip.

 

[geocorn]

CW,


I know you are teasing me, but it is a real concern of mine. With so many price based consumers out there, I have to be careful with my pricing. I already sell only 1/2" equipment, whereas, most other stores sell 3/8". The size makes racking bottling about twice as fast, but that increases the cost of the kit. I have considering taking the auto-siphon out and replacing it with the mix-stir, but it has had issues as well.


The Buon Vino Auto Bottle filler is the way to bottle, and a jar of sulfite would be a good addition, so the question is where to stop on the starter kits? Like I said I will take all imput on this subject I can get.

 

[AAASTINKIE]

I have a question, I used my 1/2" filler but it leaves too large an airspace, I plan to try my 3/8" one next time unless there is a trick I don't know to top up with the 1/2" model.

 

[AAASTINKIE]

HollowOak Wine, I know what you mean sorta, I know my self thats why I started with a 2.00 corker, went to a 12.99 corker, and now have a top of the line Italian corker coming, I got to the point that I might as well go top shelf now and stop working my way up, all this took place in two months, I have proably spent 800.00 now in my wine making hobby, I still think this is a inexpensive sport though, my coworkers are all buying Harley's, one just got one at a steal for 18,000, he's so happy....I can drink my wine also!!


PS the 2.00 corker works just fine its the testoserone that costs us all this money...lol

Edited by: AAASTINKIE

 

[masta]

Just lift the bottle filler so the tip is at the top neckof the bottle and put filler at an angle and release enough wine to top off each bottle.

 

[geocorn]

I have never been able to fill a bottle to the desired level with any bottle filling wand. The problem is that the wand takes up space and when you take it out, that space is fill with air.


I always fill a large liquid measuring cup with my wine and use that to top off. The only other answer, of which I am aware is the Buon Vino Auto Bottle filler. It works perfect every time.

 

[AAASTINKIE]

I'll try it masta, I'm also going to drill another hole in my bucket so
I can have both fillers on at the same time, fast fill with one and top
with the other, I think that was my original plan. I never used my 3/8"
I would like to see how fast it is, the 1/2" gave me bubbles I had to
wait for or overflow them and dirty the bottle.Edited by: AAASTINKIE

 

[AAASTINKIE]

The directions I had read from somewhere said fill the bottle to the top and when you take out the wand the bottle will be at the correct level, I realized when I bought the 1/2" it would throw that off but it was in a kit with a 1/2" racking cane I wanted that I used once before my auto siphon came, and now you know why I have 3 jobs...lol (to keep me busy so I can't spend so fast)


I used a measuring cup like you said when I filled my wildberry schiraz. For some reason I wasn't in the mood when I filled my welches but this isn't going to last long enough to matter anyway.

But I need to work this out before I bottle my white wine cause its going into long term underbed storage!


note to self, probably going to have to have a bon jullo bottle filler accept the fact now.Edited by: AAASTINKIE

 

[Hippie]

I love my Buon Vino automatic bottle filler. I cannot see making wine without it. It has cut my bottling time in at least half, maybe more.

 

[geocorn]

The first time we use the auto bottle filler, my wife asked why we had not used it before on the first 100 batches. I agree, it does seem to cut the bottling time in half.