CO2 in place of vaccum pump

[maddog]

If I buy a keg setup like you would use to make beer, can I use CO2 to "push" wine from one corny keg, through a whole house filter, and into another keg?

I've been looking at vacuum pumps etc, but i'd also like to be able to carbonate without yeast etc in the bottle. Thought I could maybe kill two birds with one stone.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I personally dont like the idea - mainly you are putting co2 back into your wine and it really has to be controlled ,otherwise a line will come loose and you will have wine all over the place or possibly explode a carboy as well. I am sure it is really hard trying to hold a bung in place under pressure.

 

[JohnT]

I have done this and LOVE IT!

I was in Austria and had the chance to taste sturum (storm). This was still fermenting wine that had just a hint of carbonation. It was wonderful!.

When I got back home, I wanted to try and get something close to this. I took still fermenting wine and spiked it with sugar, then put the whole lot into a Korney keg. I placed it into the keg-cooler and let it sit for several weeks. It came out perfect!

I have also simply kegged up some white wine as you suggest. The result was a slightly bubbly white wine. Yum.

Do not worry about pressure. If you keep it cold, and have hooked it up to a pressure regulator (as you would with a beer) there is little risk of bursting a line or having wine all over the place. Give it a try. Wine on tap! What a country.

As a side note, I have this European friend that kinda turned her nose up at the idea of wine on tap. To fix her wagon, I invited her over and served her not only wine on tap, but cheese out of a can too (sprayed right onto ritz crackers!). Welcome to America Sonja!