topping off questions

[betnwar]

I've got a gallon of mixed berry country wine that's going to be ready for its first racking tomorrow or the next day. I'm afraid of adding too much water to top it off and at the same time I'm worried about spoilage from having too much air. I've read up and have come to the conclusion that topping off is a matter of choice. Some say that it dillutes the batch and some say they've never topped a wine off. I've been reading that over a few cups of water would be too much...
I also saw a post where someone was putting marbles in the fermenter which was a great idea I hadnt heard/thought of! I'm leaning on this last idea but would like to consider my options.

So I have a very quick choice to make with very little knowledge and absolutely zero experience. If I could get a handful of replies to the following questions that'd be awesome!

1. How long (in your opinion/experience) would it take to possibly spoil the wine?
2. How much water (if indeed I used water) would be too much?
3. How much topping off should be done?
4. How many wines have you made?

Any and all feedback is appreciated!

 

[FTC Wines]

I never top off with water, I either use a similar wine, [homemade or have even used a cheap Cab. to top off a berry wine carboy]. Or I use a berry juice, from the food store to top off berry wine, or apple juice to top off apple etc. I have been making wine for 5 yrs. & make 60-80 gals. a yr. The similar juice dillutes the wine abv, but the flavor may even improve. Roy

 

[Julie]

I won't be using water especially for a one gallon batch. Like FTC, add similar juice or if you can not get that use Welch's white grape concentrate to top up with. Also, if the wine has completed fermentation, then make sure you add k-meta and sorbate before adding additional juices. If this wine is not done ferementing then you do not need to worry about topping up at this point.

How much wine have I made, a lot, why is that relative?

 

[SBWs]

Without knowing if your wine is done fermenting it's hard to give a answer but I'll give it a shot.

If your wine is done fermenting and is stablized (k-meta & sorbate);
I got to go along with not using water, most fruit wines need to be sweetened any way so either, simple syrup, juice are all good ways to top off. Same kind of wine is also great if you have it. As for the marbles, I don't like the idea. I got to much money in my carboys to take a chance of chipping one with a marble. Also there is no way of knowing what is really in/on those little round things.

If your wine is not done fermenting (Specific Gravity above 0.999 and sill dropping);
Then you got to be careful what you add, juice store bought wine etc may have sulfite/sorbate in it and you will end up with a stuck ferment. If it's not done fermenting then it won't hurt to have a little space as long as it's under a airlock.

Now for what I do;
I just about always make enough extra so I have top off wine. I keep different size wine bottles (1500, 750, 500. 375 ml) so each time I rack the extra goes into a smaller bottle. I know that won't help you now but maybe down the road look at getting a bunch of drilled #2 stoppers they fit wine bottles. If I don't use it all on the batch I'm making, I add a pinch of k-meta, cork the bottle and label it as top off wine for later use.

As for how many wines I've made, you will have to go to my BLOG they are listed on there some place.

 

[betnwar]

Awesome thanks guys.

How many wines you've made is not relative to topping off... but we're here to talk about wine and I'm new here so I figured id ask a personal question without asking about kids, vacations, work.