YOU could be that person! Do a scientific split test and let us know the result!
I have some going now but it will be a year before i know.
The air lock debate, The purpose of them is to lock air out. If you have a solution in the lock the negative pressure will suck in a little fluid, not air. To avoid too much fluid sucked in on PET carboys, I remove the lock while moving them, so the flexibility of the carboy does not suck in the fluid. I mist with Kmeta as I replace the air lock.
Glass carboys will experience little if any negative pressure as CO2 is constantly trying to escape, even after a year of storage. I for one hate oxidized wine, so I am diligent about the fluid level in the lock, and I always use a dilute Kmeta solution, weaker than my sanitizing solution.
I took a tour of the Biltmore winery, even a 1000 gal vat had a tiny plastic air lock sticking out of the top, the same type as I use.
Thats interesting that co2 is still trying to escape after a year. I hadnt paid attention to that. So do you not degass with a stick and just let it naturally degass during bulk storage or do you degass and that still happens?
Well, that pretty much sums it up. I posted my personal experience in an attempt to be helpful. Obviously I am a complete idiot because you were able to completely and absolutely dismiss my procedure in no time flat rendering my personal experience meaningless.
Congratulations on being the second smartest person on the message board. I'm sure you and CK55 are going to revolutionize the wine making hobby with your groundbreaking new concepts. Dullards like me will just have to sit back an learn from your amazing genius. Hard to believe us imbeciles have been locked into the faulty practice of using airlocks for thousands of years. Thanks for setting me straight.
Im not sure gow you got all that out of what i said. Are you having a bad day?
I said that filling the air lock with sanatizer is not relevant to the question of will not using an air lock oxidize the wine more then using an air lock.
I mean do you believe that using sanatizer in the air lock makes the air lock do a better job of not oxidizing?
I suppose you were saying contaminants but rhis isnt a debate avout wine making or if i think your intelegent or not, im sure you are.
In relation to sanitizer i was saying if air is passing thru only a small portion of it touches the water. You can do research in industries and while industries do pass contaminated air thru mist to filter very few bubble it thru water. Only if its water soluble compounds.
Further look at practical examples like a hookah. If the water completely filtered all the smoke it would filter out everything that the person is trying to smoke and why bother? You would be smoking clean air. Early it filters some as the water changes color. But thats my point. Sanatizer in water may filter some contaminants, mabye even 20% but it still would let 80% or more pass (no scientific basis on those numbers just guessing, id guess its more like 5% filter but trying to be conservative) which means i guess by all means use it.
For me if its not going to filter like 95% or 99% then its not worth the effort and i need a better solution. That or its really not a problem.
Which is really the core question here when you boil it down. Sure a winery or any self respecting person that wants to guarantee great wine could go all out and use head space eliminators and air locks and other tools. Im not opposed to these, i use air locks and have.
What im really asking is what can i get away with? What is the minimum effective dose?
Some people just have to know what that boundry is so they can work up from there.
I recok ill just have to try and see.
