Do you fill our carboy with argon gas before racking?

[abefroman]

Do you fill our carboy with argon gas before racking? Does it make a difference?

If so where do you get argon?

 

[closetwine]

Airgas or other welding supply stores carry food grade gases. I don't know of anyone who has done that though. Also resturant supply stores should carry it if it's food grade.

 

[JohnT]

A few folks do, but I am unconvinced it is worth the trouble...

My wines tend to be high is tannins. I actually want a very small amount of O2 (as the wine ages) to smooth out the wine.

Also, The only time I leave any kind of void in any of my vessels is during fermentation. All other times I keep the vessels as full as possible. As a result, there is a minute amount of air exposure. Not nearly enough to cause any kind of oxidation.

If you make sure that the wine is balanced (PH/Acid) and has a good level of tannins, you have nothing to worry about. I see no real need for the expense or the time/trouble for this (IMHO). Others, however, will disagree.

 

[Runningwolf]

John we will never disagree with you. LOL John is absolutley right in what he said about topping up all the time and you'll be fine. There are times though when you rack and you're not able to though and thats when you can use the argon.

 

[AlFulchino]

if my tanks are very full, i can avoid gassing and have aged wines for yrs w no illl affects of NOT having argon for example...but if there is an undesirable amount of headspace then in my view you must consider it....sometimes even w my flex tanks and the floating skin i just feel a bit safer w a layer of gas

i am getting ready to do my annual layering of argon on wines during the rackings that i will do during the next month after oaking and stabilizing and any other chores....the article at this site (below) is a good reminder of argon's value and economy...further more it reminds me of the necessity to deliver the gas at slow rates a possible

http://www.vinovation.com/ArticleArgon2.htm

 

[Wade E]

I also agree, if you have your vessel topped up there is no need inmost cases. If we are talking anout transferring 300 gallons of white wine into an empty tank then purging it with argon is probably a good idea though.

 

[pightr]

if your looking for small bottles of the gas you can find it at some wine stores. I found mine at Bevmo stores for 9.95 a bottle.

 

[AlFulchino]

what is the capacity of these tanks at the wine store?

 

[Runningwolf]

Al, those tanks are very small under a lot of pressure. There is no way of knowing how much is going in without a flo meter and also your splashing the wine due to the high pressure. A very expensive way to go except in emergency cases.

 

[AlFulchino]

you are right...you need a flow meter

 

[VitaminJay]

Long time brewer, first time wine maker...

I've been reading many threads here about headspace and it seems to be universally accepted that minimizing the surface area in the carboy is best/easiest. My issue is that I plan on fermenting with two different kinds of yeast to have a taste off. Thus, I'll have two containers that are half full.

What should I do to prevent oxidation? Use argon? Some other chemical inhibitor? I'd appreciate any advice.

 

[Runningwolf]

I would seriously consider getting smaller vessels. Whether it is 2 three gallon carboys or 6 one gallon.

 

[sly22guy]

Use smaller containers. Fill the void with sanitized marbles. or use gas

 

[EngineJoe]

Use smaller containers. Fill the void with sanitized marbles. or use gas

Be careful with the sanitized marbles route if using glass carboys. You don't want to drop them in there (whether full or empty) and have them crack or chip the carboy bottom. It's a great strategy for cutting headspace without topping off, but just be smart.

 

[chachi44089]

This is just a thought..Wonder if anybody has ever tried to develop a food grade oil or other chemical that had a lighter specific gravity than the wine that would float on the surface of the wine preventing oxygen or other impurities from contacting the surface of the wine yet still allows the co2 and other gasses to pass through. Much like vegetable oil floats on water and allows the bubbles to pass through. Just my mind wandering..

 

[Runningwolf]

That was done in the old days I believe with olive oil. Then you rack from under it.

 

[Brian]

I would just be worried about the flavor from something like that getting into the wine????

 

[chachi44089]

Hehe cool.. Guess I wont get rich from that idea..lol.. I thought the same about it addiing a taste too.. Olive oil does have taste "I cook with it alot". It would have to be a neutral or tasteless oil. But still quite interesting. It would be easy to rack from under.. Might be a bit nasty if you racked it into the last bottle during bottling...Might be a neat experiment to try..Think I will pass though..

 

[robie]

what is the capacity of these tanks at the wine store?

Those little spray cans of what I believe is argon, has almost no weight at all. When I first bought one, I shook it and felt nothing. I thought the can must have leaked. The gas was still there alright, just a very small quantity. They are meant to top off opened bottle of wine to keep the wine from spoiling.

Those little cans work, but wow, are they expensive!

 

[BobF]

I agree with the answers so far re: headspace in a carboy that's already been racked into. If I understand your original question correctly, you asked about gassing the carboy *before* racking into it.

I store my clean carboys with a bit of sulfite in them, so I figure they've been purged with SO2 before filling them up.