Hello from the Yosemite Region & question about stainless containers

[Lots-to-Learn-California]

I just completed my first season of harvesting grapes, fermenting, pressing, storing, bottling, and caring for this year's vineyard. All with TONS of help and advice from my more seasoned, local wine-makers. I need advice about stainless containers for storing wine between pressing and bottling. Several equipment dealers recommended the floating-lid containers, but my experienced wine-making advisors say they would NEVER store in a floating lid container for more than 1-2 days (like for bottling prep). Anyone have guidance, here? I have 5 floating-lid containers on their way to the cellar now. Will cancel and re-order fixed-lid if necessary.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Welcome to wine making talk.

Floating lids are common and work with a pumped up gasket. As a tweak to improve them UC Davis puts a plastic sheet on the rim of the tank and floods the empty space with nitrogen.

 

[Joe B.]

I have used speidel 110 liter and 220 liter floating lid tanks for 3 seasons now and love them. No problems at all. You just need to check the lid pressure and make sure it is maintained in the recommended range.

 

[Lots-to-Learn-California]

Welcome to wine making talk.

Floating lids are common and work with a pumped up gasket. As a tweak to improve them UC Davis puts a plastic sheet on the rim of the tank and floods the empty space with nitrogen.

Thank you! Where can I learn more about the UC Davis method?

 

[balatonwine]

Several equipment dealers recommended the floating-lid containers, but my experienced wine-making advisors say they would NEVER store in a floating lid container for more than 1-2 days (like for bottling prep).

There are two types of floating lids. Those that use pressurized gaskets and those that do not (to seal the later, one pours hot paraffin around the edge). If your tanks do not come with the pump and gasket, you may want to reorder. If your tanks do have the pump and gasket, do note that they are not 100 percent always going to seal (gasket material definately matters). It is to consider doing a pressure test on each gasket and tank combo.