this sucks, so I had to build one

[Olustee bus]

I wanted a way to pump wine from one carboy to the other without having to lift a heavy azz carboy full of wine, or even half full. So, I found where this winemaker had a unique approach without spending the $150 to $200 for a wine pump. You never know when you may need it.

It makes use of 12 volt tire inflator and some nylon barbs and hoses. I bought an inflator from Harbor freight for 8 bucks and got the rest of the stuff I needed (except for a carboy cap) from lowes.



So, if you ever need something that will suck, you heard it from ol Bus

Tire Inflator Hacked To Vacuum Pump For Transfer/degassing - WinePress.US Winemaking and Grape Growing Forum (http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php?/topic/50870-tire-inflator-hacked-to-vacuum-pump-for-transferdegassing/page__p__1058771995__hl__hack__fromsearch__1#entry105)

[Blademaker]

When I brew beer, I just suck it up and lift the carboy and let gravity do the rest.

[Olustee bus]

I just did not like the possibility of breaking a carboy. Prior to the pump I sat the two carboys together and siphoned off of one into the other, that way I had to only lift a half of carboy.

A lazy man always finds an easier way.

[Blademaker]

I just did not like the possibility of breaking a carboy. Prior to the pump I sat the two carboys together and siphoned off of one into the other, that way I had to only lift a half of carboy.

A lazy man always finds an easier way.

Never broke a carboy.
Had some hellacious messes when a batch of Mead went wrong, though.
:lol:

[Sea Six]

I used an aquarium aerator pump with a paper filter. The hoses fit right on the rubber Carboy caps, used Normally to attach racking canes, bubble pressure relief devices, etc.

Pressurize the gas volume, and the liquid comes
Out of the racking cane.

[Olustee bus]

Damn, and I have a aquarium pump. does the wine or beer go through the pump?

[Sea Six]

Damn, and I have a aquarium pump. does the wine or beer go through the pump?

No.

Use the aquarium pump to pressurize the air space in the carboy. Put a racking cane in the carboy.

The pressure in the vessel drives the liquid out of the carboy, from the racking cane.

The rubber cap on the carboy has two holes; use the center one for the racking cane, and connect the tube from the paper filter, containing the pressurized air, to the other one.

[Olustee bus]

I hooked mine up similiarly but it was vacuum, not air pressure increase. Great idea.

[Sea Six]

I hooked mine up similiarly but it was vacuum, not air pressure increase. Great idea.

:seasix:


When you're brewing beer, it helps the yeast get a nice head start on the fermentation process if you aerate the wort. If you have an aeration stone (also available from aquarium supply stores) you can use the filtered air to aerate the wort after you transfer it.

Just soak the aeration stone in some iodophor solution prior to using it, and it should be sanitized enough to put it in the fresh wort prior to pitching the yeast. After you've used it, backflush it with some filtered water. A gravity-fed system should provide all the pressure you need to accomplish this. Finish up with a soak in iodophor solution, and then dry it with the aeration pump. When you are certain it's absolutely completely dry, store it by covering it loosely in a new piece of saran wrap. Don't wrap it up to make it airtight; you want to keep dust and particles from falling onto the surface of the aeration stone, but still allow air to pass through.

I don't know much about wine making, but I'd assume wine yeast would benefit from aeration as does beer yeast. Check into this before you try it.