Most Common Wine Problem SOLVED - Racking and Topping Wine - Too much Headspace in Carboy

So if you are making wine you will have this most common wine making problem. The carboy has too much headspace and now what do you do. We are going to discuss the best things to do in this most common wine problem.
The Wine making hobby is fun and you need to know a few little tricks to make wine a success. That's what this video is about headspace and oxygen in your carboy and how to fix it.
If you have other suggestions please comment.
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[@TheOriginalDroid]

This... Was the single most helpful video I've seen I had so many questions, thanks for all the answers!

[@HowToDoneRight]

Your so welcome.👍👍

[@shawte78]

Thank God for you! It's like you hear and automatically answers my questions.

[@HowToDoneRight]

Lol... I do try and answer all my comments.

[@user-sl4xr3zs3d]

Thank you so much for this video. I have a 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket and 6 gallon carboys. I was concerned about the head space. This video cleared it up. Thanks again

[@HowToDoneRight]

Your quite welcome. Good luck. 🍷🍷

[@sewnonny2721]

This is very helpful thank you

[@JFunk717]

I love watching along with your videos. It’s cool knowing we live very close to each other too! Keep up the good work!!

[@HowToDoneRight]

Thanks so much Jason for being a loyal viewer... means so much. Have a great weekend👍👍😁😁

[@eangel1201]

I just found your channel!! I am watching a few a day. 😊 I made wine from the pears from our pear tree last year from another KZbin video, but can't wait to try your method! I'm in the middle of this year's batch and although I started my pear wine using the video from before...I am going to adapt it by using your process!! 👍🏾

[@HowToDoneRight]

Welcome aboard.... thanks for finding us... we one awards in this wine.. I try and keep it simple. That pear wine will be delicious. 👍👍😊😊❤️❤️

[@lindleyarmiger350]

I don't use 5 gallon glass carboys anymore. I just can't lift them. Since I use the food-grade plastic, I have found that the borosilicate glass marbles work great. I love using them! Added bonus is that when clearing the wine, the sediment goes into the bottom and when siphoning out the finished wine I find it easier to make sure I don't get any sediment into my finished wine.

[@HowToDoneRight]

Great tips. 👍👍

[@scotthibbs]

Learn everyday. Now I know that when I rack, headspace is an issue. I have been fighting off flavors for a while now and I think you solved it. Thank you.

[@HowToDoneRight]

Oh yeah oxygen will turn your wine quickly.

[@scottm5167]

I heard about marbles breaking and there were micro shards of glass in the batch. I make it stronger in flavor to compensate and top with water.

[@HowToDoneRight]

Yeah that's what my recipes account for.

[@user-dg7kz4gz2p]

Hi Todd, your videos are MUCH appreciated. I have made pineapple wine from extra sweet pineapple variety. It tasted DELICIOUS however the wine acidity seemed low. Do you think increasing the dose of acid blend would enhance its acidity and if yes what rate would you recommend to try. Again we love and appreciate your videos !!

[@RobertMacCready]

I have the all-in-one pump that I like very much. You can get a headspace eliminator that goes on the carboy. You can extract the excess air and it even de-gasses your wine too. Great tool to have.

[@HowToDoneRight]

Great tips. 👍

[@jscancella]

I just found your channel and am loving it, thank you for making all these great videos. I made some fig wine (my first time making wine) and it has a kind of bitter taste. Any idea what i did wrong to cause this bitter aftertaste?

[@HowToDoneRight]

Thanks for watching the channel. Wine that is bitter is usually the result of tannins in your wine. Did you use the recommended amount when adding tannin?. Also some figs have a hard skin that need to be peeled before fermenting. If you added the skins thats going to give you extra Tannin Making it bitter.

[@jscancella]

@@HowToDoneRight I didn't add any tannin to the must, I just used figs that grew in my backyard (Chicago Hardy is the variety). I mashed them with my hands to break open the fruit and left it about a week before re-racking. I'll try peeling them next time, thanks! Let me know if you have any other suggestions too!

[@HowToDoneRight]

That's really the only thing it could be... Tannins in the skin of your fruit. Maybe figs are high in tannins like grape skins are.

[@vitollock575]

i have used co2 from my kegerator to purge the headspace in the carboy of O2. it has worked well for me and ive read its how the big boys do it. i dont use an airlock if bulk aging just a bung...if its seconcary with headspace ill purge and add the airlock.

[@HowToDoneRight]

Yes that is a great way to do it adding co2 to carboy. Lots of people do it that way.

[@joelcastillon5869]

Hello, as you always bring us quality videos, I have learned a lot from watching your videos, I am about to sweeten a red fruit mead again following your steps, at this moment the bentonite is working, but I have some doubts when sweetening my mead again. mead, I have seen in other channels and groups on Facebook that when they stabilize the wine or mead with the campden tablets and potassium sorbate, they mention that you have to wait 24 hours to be able to sweeten it again, then they let it rest for a few more days with the airlook put to then bottle, but watching your videos you do it differently, stabilizing, sweetening again and bottling the same day, my question is what is the best way? Will it have to do with the type of bottling? I do not have bottles for corks, my bottles have a hermetic mechanical stopper since I also use them for beer that I make at home, I hope my question is understood and you can help me, you are my most reliable source and I have learned a lot from your videos and tips.

[@HowToDoneRight]

Thanks so much Joel for supporting our channel. Mead making is very similar to wine and always backsweeten before Bottling more control that way... sounds like you have swing top bottles. Would always recommend corking which allows wine or mead to breathe.. make sure you Stabilize those bottles so don't explode.

[@joelcastillon5869]

@@HowToDoneRight Hello, it's me again, yesterday I stabilized and back-sweetened my red fruit mead following your steps, I previously clarified with bentonite, at that moment it was super crystalline, but when I stabilized and back-sweeten my mead it became somewhat cloudy again, It is normal? Will it become crystal clear again in the bottle over the days? I really appreciate your response, greetings

[@BlueBellyAcres]

We are racking tomorrow and using marbles...thankfully we are using a plastic carboy. Didn't think of breakage. Have already added wine and water and 5 lbs of marbles when we transferred from bucket. I am worried about watering it down! lol Great info and timing for us.

[@HowToDoneRight]

If you followed one of my recipes will be fine. Thanks for watching our channel. 👍👍

[@BlueBellyAcres]

@@HowToDoneRight I did follow your making wine from fruit. Just commented on your making wine from grapes...wish that one was uploaded a month ago lol. Great information and your videos keep getting better and better!

[@HowToDoneRight]

Allllllll thank you so much.

[@jamiegaudet6008]

@@HowToDoneRight what's done in your recipes that allows water to be added? Trying to understand why others have said not to add water to top off?

[@HowToDoneRight]

We add extra fruit which allows for more natural juice which accounts for adding water later in the process.

[@erminiadeleganzza3089]

Hi Dear friend thanks to you I made successful 3 baches of wine from pineapple and PEACH but now I have problem with my last batch I use d the Super- kleer stuff in the beginning my wine was clear but after bottling one week later I checked it and I founded that it have white sediments floating. it test, smell good I have 100 bottles I don't know what to do with it. Please let me know what I should do thanks.

[@HowToDoneRight]

That will settle out over time and is safe. That will happen sometimes for different fruit and batches..

[@Authenticallyher1]

Question when I click on the link for getting more stabilizer the picture that comes up in Amazon is Lemmon grass essential oils. Is that correct ?

[@HowToDoneRight]

Nope that is wrong. They must have changed the link... Here you go. amzn.to/45tTQNx

[@patrickhawkinson8399]

If just doing 1 gallon batches, would that same level of headspace in a 1 gallon carboy be less of an issue since it's less volume overall?

[@HowToDoneRight]

Always want to get that wine level up to the neck of that carboy. Or will quickly turn to vinegar. No matter the size of carboy.

[@christianhudson6493]

Have you ever had the 2 part clarifier not work? I added it to my wine as directed and after 24 hours it didn’t do a thing. Any tips on this?

[@HowToDoneRight]

I have a batch of wine now that it done nothing too... will not clear for nothing. I'll be doing a video on it. Stay tuned.

[@Trotbot93]

Question! I’m new to this. I literally just found out about it less than a week ago. I’m a bit skeptical about using all the chemicals. I understand the yeast nutrient and the clay like substance (the name escapes me) at the end get the last of the sediment out. But, is it possible get a similar wine without the chemicals?

[@HowToDoneRight]

Everyone of these additives has a purpose for healthy wine... if you do not use campden tablets you are riskng bacteria issues in your wine that can cause health issues. I'll be doing a video on these soon but I would not skimp on any of these for a healthy full bodied wine.

[@gabriellamf3812]

All of the chemicals you are adding are natural and appear everywhere in nature. Just because something is using their chemical name doesn't mean it is a bad thing. Is there a specific chemical you are worried about? If so I would recommend researching it and why it is important to making wines. Chemicals can seem scary, but they are everything we come into contact with. Something as simple as baking soda can have a relatively concerning chemical name of Sodium bicarbonate. Let me know if you have any questions though.

[@rachelcargill6235]

What about using plastic 5 gallon carboy to rack wine instead of using glass carboy. Please reply how much air space to maintain using plastic carboy?

[@HowToDoneRight]

Some people do.. I prefer glass.

[@sonnywinstead9977]

Can you please share the link to your long auto syphon? I received two but one gets air in it and doesn't flow, the other one didn't come with the Auto syphon.

[@HowToDoneRight]

I have links in the description... but I think this is the longer one I have. RACKING CANE amzn.to/3teQMo5

[@brentweiss5134]

When I am racking, I have a tough time some times of getting the flow started. I use the same rack you use. Any solutions?

[@HowToDoneRight]

Your bottle your racking into has to be much lower to get flow going. No kinks in house all lower than where wine is.

[@user-rw7xw9km6f]

In your mead video you back sweetened with sugar rather than honey, was that because honey will cause a haze/cloudiness? If i do use honey will it clear in the bottles later without sediment?

[@HowToDoneRight]

Honey is a great backsweetener... you may get some sediment but don't worry about that.. you will find sediment in the most expensive wine or mead too. 👍👍

[@user-rw7xw9km6f]

@@HowToDoneRight awesome thank you

[@tedlofland3446]

Well, adding a bottle of wine from the same wine recipe sounds ok, topping off with water could restart fermentation after racking due to lowering alcohol level in the batch, since some yeasts have an alcohol tolerance level that stops further fermentation, the same with fruit juice by adding sugars and water, fermentation will restart and make extra lees to rack off of. If you have not degassed head space should not matter since the CO2 on top of the wine will protect it from oxidation. If I were that worried about head space I would rack into smaller fermenter(s). I have never had a problem with head space since I do not degas my wine and I rack two to three times, slowly degassing it over time and lastly during bottling.

[@Bhoxmine]

Can I just rack into a smaller carboy (6 gallon down to a 3 gallon) or whatever size I need?

[@HowToDoneRight]

Yes you can rack to 2 three gallons no problem.

[@Bhoxmine]

Yay!

[@jooiprn]

And what abt stabilisation if water is added

[@user-ip5vp7lz7r]

Could you give an approximate temperature that you ferment your wines at.

[@HowToDoneRight]

Always room temperature... strand of yeast will usually work from 60 to 90F

[@Kira-dj8dj]

Hello, fermentation expert, I have a question for you, if you allow me. I fermented a liter of natural grape juice, added 250 grams of sugar, and used wild yeast. I know that the amount of sugar is large, but what are the expected results? Note that it has 17 days in the fermentation container and it has not finished yet! I would love to hear advice from you, thank you

[@HowToDoneRight]

You need to know your beginning sg and ending sg to do any calculation. If anything and extra sugar may be high abv and sweet wine. Good luck.

[@Kira-dj8dj]

@@HowToDoneRightim sorry but last question, can i use Angel yellow label yeast for red wine? ( grape juice from market ) Thanx a lot.. 🌹

[@HowToDoneRight]

Not suggested.. mainly used to ferment grains not fruit.

[@StonerSmurfin]

Glass colorful marbles don't use dye to color them, they use colored glass for the color. Not even colored glass doesn't use dye, they use different minerals to make these colors.

[@HowToDoneRight]

Great info.

[@theghostofsw6276]

I just make 1 or 2 more gallons of wine in my primary, and have them in gallon jugs....I'll top up with that. Anything left over can be put into beer bottles, backsweetened, primed for carbonation, and then pasteurized (why not have a little 'taste' while you're bulk aging)?

[@HowToDoneRight]

Great tips and ideas. 👍👍

[@user-rw7xw9km6f]

That's what I do, I make a bit more than I need and use it to top off.

[@linear7d]

I haven't made wine yet but I am collecting everything I need. Your videos are fun and informative and I am glad I found your channel. The passion you have for wine making is amazing and contagious!! Many blessings to you and your wife!

[@HowToDoneRight]

Allllll thanks so much and welcome to the channel. Make sure to follow us on instagram too.. 👍👍❤️❤️😀😀

[@Rundvelt]

Man, you're rubbing that carboy like it bought you dinner.

[@HowToDoneRight]

Comes to dinner every night.

[@LynxGenisys]

I like how you're just all mad scientist "bit of this, pinch of that, lets see what we get!" Its how most of my recipes go.. pick some fruits n berries, mash em together, toss in a carboy, tweak with a bit of this or that, add suger to desired SG, and GO! 😂

[@HowToDoneRight]

Lol.... sometimes that's the best.👍👍

[@user-dv4zo4yo2l]

Can you leave it like that without adding any thing to it

[@HowToDoneRight]

Not suggested... you risk it turning to vinegar with too much headspace.

[@youderp7256]

Not only do colored marbles have dyes, some foreign made marbles contain lead.

[@HowToDoneRight]

Yep got to get ones made for wine making.

[@paulgrendall5138]

Or just add sugar water??

[@HowToDoneRight]

That could start fermentation and change your abv... not suggested at this point.

[@rachelcargill6235]

Are you on your second Racking in this video?

[@newwavepressure6478]

Iv heard of ur peach wine but can't find a video 😕 its for the wife

[@HowToDoneRight]

No video of my peach wine. Have to do that one.

[@cokemillion]

3:12 marbles don't have dye, it would burn up as they were being made. Glass is colored using minerals. Nobody's worried about their wine bottles being blue, green, or amber.

[@hamoostaffat]

Tbf people should put more thought into the colour of the bottles, they are different colours for a reason, each colour has a job for a different liquid, most liquids will be fine in any colour but sometimes the glass colour matters a lot ✌️

[@HowToDoneRight]

Only if you are storing where there Is sunlight of some sort.. if storing in a dark basement or closet... bottle color does not matter.

[@joshuakolb5251]

Great Videos! How do I get in contact with you? I tried your email listed but it was rejected. I want to post your videos on my Web Page for my brewing supply, but wanted to obtain permission before I did so. Pitch Perfect Brewing Supply. Thanks

[@HowToDoneRight]

You can reach us privately on instagram that is the best way. instagram.com/howtodoneright