Topping Off

[rrs26ja]

I am in the middle of step 3. I have transferred the wine from the primary to the seconday. I let it sit for 10 days. I added all of the items in step 3 and used the drill to degass and topped the wine off but only to the 6 gallon point on the carboy. It has been sitting in the carbouy for 7 of the 14 days.
I have been reading that I should have topped it off to within 2 inches of the bung. Is this right or is it okay at the 6 gallon point on the carboy?




This is my first kit......

 

[hannabarn]

If you are close to the 2" margin, I wouldn't worry about it. However if you are too far down, you should add some like wine to bring it up. You don't want to expose it to oxygen at this point. You can use water to top up if you don't have wine and it is only a small amount.

 

[smurfe]

What size carboy are you using? How much space do you have right now?I am guessing you topped off already with water to the 6 gallon point?

 

[rrs26ja]

Smurf,


It is a 6.5 gallon carboy and yes I to[pped off to the 6 gallon mark. It looks to be about 4 inches below the bung, maybe a liitle less.

 

[Wade E]

You really should be using a 6 gallon carboy for 6 gallon batches. You can either get a like wine or use sanitized non painted glass marbles to displace the difference.

 

[Vince]

Marbles are great, used em a few times myself. I'veevenused the tube my wine theif came in one to top a wine off for a few weeks as I didn't have a like wine.

 

[rrs26ja]

I just checked with my local supplier and the carboy I purchased was a 6 gallon not a 6.5 gallon carboy. With water weighing 8.35 lbs per gallon and the carboy weighing 14 labs. I filled the carboy until the weight was 64.1 lbs on my digital bathroom scale. I then made a mark at the 6 gallon level. This is where I topped off the wine in step three. It seems to be more than the recommended of 2 inches. Maybe 3 inches.

 

[grapeman]

There is always a bit of variation in the exact amount carboys hold. It sounds to me like you are very close to where you should be. Is the 3 inces from the top of the carboy or from where the bung bottom sits? The aim of topping up is to get it just below the neck of the carboy. If you fill into the neck, it can expand and go into the airlock. By filling to slightly below, there is adequate room for expansion and contraction of the wine. In a perfect storage area you would always have exactly the same temperature, air pressure and humidity. Not many of us how such conditions.