REVIEW: *allinonewinepump*

[Rocky]

You know Guys and Gals, I have been reading the rave reviews for the All in One Pump over the past years and I have to admit, I was skeptical. Because I had a pump, I only ordered the ancillary pieces, e.g. the two-hole stopper, the relief valve, tubing, etc., for bottling. I hooked it all up and several attempts to bottle left me "underwhelmed" by the product. I put it in a drawer and returned to using a siphon and gravity. Labor intensive, back breaking and slow as it was, at least I could get the job done. Still, in the back of my mind was the nagging question, "Why is everybody so crazy about this thing and why do I think it is at best, so-so?" I dug it out of the drawer, tried it again with the same results and was about to deep six it when I thought, "Why not contact Steve (hereafter known in my house as Job) and see if he has any insight?"

It took a couple of phone calls to diagnose and isolate the problem and Steve hung in there. After several conversations, we found that Steve was to blame. He should not sell his product to idiots! Yes, I had the relief valve on the liquid side and not on the vacuum side as the process design calls for. Today I rectified the assembly and bottled a 6.5 gallon carboy in about a half hour, start to finish including installing the corks. I am now officially a rabid fan of the system and I give it my highest recommendation to any home wine maker. You will save yourself so much time and trouble, not to mention your sanity, by using the system.

Lastly, no recommendation of this product would be complete without recognition of the man behind the product, Steve. He took on my issue as though it was his problem and never quit until we reached a resolution. A great product is one thing and there are many out there. Superior customer service is much more rare and is a treasure when you find it. Put this on your wish list, birthday list or Christmas list, but get one!

 

[dralarms]

Steve is like that. He is a great guy.

 

[cooldood]

dralarms I have been meaning to ask. Do you sell smoke detectors and such?

 

[dralarms]

Yes I do. Send me a pm. Let's not clutter up this thread.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Rocky and soo many others ;

I would like to personally thank you all for taking the time and writing a testimonial !

We have been in business for over 4 ½ years and I still enjoy talking to each and every one of you. I like talking over the phone because we can get to the root of the problem faster without any miscommunication through email, and it is a lot more personal.

There are soo many times that I will show my family about a certain testimonial or comment and that is priceless !!

 

[chefken]

I had a similar experience with filling bottles as Rocky. I was frustrated and kept thinking there must be a better way. The more I looked around all I found were expensive bottle fillers and with reading all of the rave reviews I finally called Steve. I've had my allinone for about a year and filling bottles was a two hour ordeal. Never got the consistent level fill I thought I should get and lots of wine in the overflow bottle. After a couple of private messages we Steve we finally hooked up with a phone call and we worked through my issue. He was great in helping me. The bottle bung did not fit into the bottle well and all I had to do was pull back the vacuum line back about a 1/4" so the small tapered end of the bung fit into the bottles easily. I also learned that when the bottle is about half full, push the vacuum release for about a second then let go and when the bottle is almost full slow down the fill by pressing the release lightly until the correct level is achieved. Now filling is very easy and it took me only about 30 seconds per bottle. All bottles at the correct fill line and best of all only about a mouthful left in the overflow bottle. Steve just made me two bungs to help with filling my oak barrels, can't wait to try them out.
The best part is the customer service that Steve gives is outstanding. He is willing to solve any problem you may have using his system. By the way, using the whole house filter setup that Steve recommends is quick and easy.
Steve, I thank you for all your help and my back also thanks you, no more lifting those heavy carboys.

 

[Norton]

I have the system and I think it is great. I am going to use it for the first time on a kit and I am wondering if I can skip the 2 minute manual stirring that are on kit instructions. So, I would be using the allinone twice: I used gravity first to transfer from the primary container to a carboy. my next step would be to use the allinone to go to another carboy and after that using the allinone to bottle. Would those two times be enough to take at out all the co2?


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Norton

I just Pm'd you
You may want to do some additional transfers if you got the pump 1/2 way thru your wine making procedure - you can always delay a kit a bit also

 

[richmke]

I used gravity first to transfer from the primary container to a carboy. my next step would be to use the allinone to go to another carboy and after that using the allinone to bottle. Would those two times be enough to take at out all the co2?

No. Steve says that 4 transfers with the AIO will degass, and I wouldn't count the bottling. FYI: you want it to be fully degassed before bottling to keep the wine from foaming while bottling.

I have my own pump with Steve's tubing. I am currently making a batch of Skeeter Pee, and I must has transferred at least 10 times back an forth, including shaking the receiving carboy, before it stopped foaming in a significant amount. Steve called and asked the rating on the pump. I have to look it up, but it may not be as powerful as the AIO, so may pull a lower vacuum during transfer, and thus not degass as fast as the AIO.

Keep racking back and forth until you get only a nominal amount of foaming. That will be your sign that it is degassed.

 

[dsm1212]

I have the system and I think it is great. I am going to use it for the first time on a kit and I am wondering if I can skip the 2 minute manual stirring that are on kit instructions. So, I would be using the allinone twice: I used gravity first to transfer from the primary container to a carboy. my next step would be to use the allinone to go to another carboy and after that using the allinone to bottle. Would those two times be enough to take at out all the co2?

As others have said it takes four rackings to clear the CO2, but I wanted to say this may not mean no stirring at all. Some kits for example need you to stir up the bottom when you mix in the clearing chemicals.

What I'd like to know is, if I have a whole home filter setup could I skip the clearing chemicals altogether?

steve

 

[cooldood]

I like turtles

 

[cooldood]

I still cannot figure out how to delete a post

 

[jojabri]

The hubby and I used MY AIO the night before last to filter and keg HIS beer. What a breeze!

So much in fact, that he immediately said "I can't wait to start my next batch!"

Little did he know, I anticipated this and had already purchased his next kit.

AIO for beer too... I'm Bi-WINNING!!!!

 

[dralarms]

I had to man handle 2 of my carboys that were not ready to bottle out of my house into the new building. I can tell you that I do not miss having to pick those heavy suckers up. The all in one has me spoiled, most of the time I don't lift anything but empties.

 

[Boatboy24]

What I'd like to know is, if I have a whole home filter setup could I skip the clearing chemicals altogether?

steve

Steve,

I know it sounds counterintuitive, but a wine should not be filtered until it is completely clear. In the case of wine, you are filtering to polish, not to remove sediment. If you were to filter a non-clear wine, you'd clog the filter and would risk burning out the pump.

However, the clearing chemicals are technically not necessary at all. What they are is quite helpful and they make a process that could take many months, much shorter. You could skip the chems altogether and just let gravity and time do its work.

 

[Boatboy24]

I still cannot figure out how to delete a post

Hit "edit", then "delete". After you hit "delete", a lower window should show up below the edit window. There are two buttons there - one says "delete message", the other says "do not delete message". Choose "delete message", then hit the button on the right that says "delete this message". It's a bit much to go through, but it can be done.

 

[cooldood]

After I hit edit there is no delete button

 

[Boatboy24]

After I hit edit there is no delete button

Really? Odd. I have "save", "Go Advanced", "Delete" and "Cancel".

 

[cooldood]

I think the man is sticking it to me

 

[Boatboy24]

I think the man is sticking it to me

Hmm. I'm beginning to wonder if you have to have a minimum number of posts before you are allowed to delete your own posts. That makes no sense to me at all, but it's the only thing I can think of.

Anybody know?