Headspace

[anmom]

Total Newbie here.

I am in the process of making strawberry wine. It had been in the carboy for a little over a week and had accumulated a significant amount of sediment in the bottom so I racked it off the sediment and put it back into the carboy today. There is now more headspace in the top (The liquid ends near where the carboy starts to taper). The airlock is back on, I don't see as much activity and bubbling as I did prior to this. Am I ok? Is this too much headspace? Should it be active and moving?

Im nervous I am going to mess up my first batch!

 

[richmke]

Headspace is less of a problem at the beginning than later on. With active fermentation, the CO2 helps to limit oxidation. The WE revised their Kit instructions a year or two ago, and don't worry about headspace. However, when you can, it is best to minimize it.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I agree with Rich ^^

For those who have a hand vacuum pump or a allinonewinepump there is an alternative solution - the headspace eliminator

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49529

 

[JohnT]

How much headspace are we talking about here, and how long do you expect your wine to live with that headspace?

You are OK for only about a week until fermentation is complete. If you plan to age your wine beyond that, you absolutely need to top that carboy up to be within an inch of your stopper.

Air expands and contracts due to temp and barometric changes. When the headspace expands, some of that headspace air will be expelled through your fermentation trap. When the headspace air contracts, outside air can be drawn into your carboy from the outside.

The more headspace you have, the more this will happen.

Take my advice. Within a week, go to the store and purchase a similar wine and top off with that (never use water).