113 replies to this topic

[Wade's Wines]

My pump cost me $10 at a yard sale. I finally bought a few elbows and hooked it up. Fast! Never moved wine so fast and with so little effort! Completely different and faster than the Buon Vino!
I'm sold on vac racking!

[tater1337]

someone got some how-to links on this process?

[S Hofner]

My pump cost me $10 at a yard sale. I finally bought a few elbows and hooked it up. Fast! Never moved wine so fast and with so little effort! Completely different and faster than the Buon Vino!
I'm sold on vac racking!

Love my vac...I'm looking at upgrading my hoses and fittings. I did mine on the cheap and I am having a hard time hitting my potential due to lose of pressure. It's not too bad when racking/de-gassing, but I have to be very careful when bottling. The seal around the fittings is getting worse as the hoses are broke in and it will pull air into the line.

[DrunkSkunk]

I am using a 1 hp shopvac that my mil gave me as a gift. It's perfect. There are no fittings, just 2 hoses and 2 carboy caps so no sucking in air with the wine.

[White cobra]

Everyone keep posting about vacuum racking but I never see anyone posting about using air pressure to rack. Some(Most) times I use a small fish tank air compressor to rack or start a gravity racking. Works great and I don't have to suck on the hose to get it started. Same as vacuum racking just in reverse but be warned, you can introduce air into the wine same as vacuum racking can.








Don't get me wrong, I love my vacuum pumps(I have 4 of them),just the fish tank air compressor is so small and light weight and quick to connect, I just find it easyer to use it!

[Wade's Wines]

White Cobra, The only real difference I can see between vacuum and pumping air is with the vac the air is room air, not air that's been put through a pump. If it's a sanitary pump that gives no odors to the air I'd say no problem. Probably better than either approach is having a tank of Nitrogen, Argon or co2 pushing like your pump does.

Scott, you might try going down a size on hose, so it's a little hard to put on the fittings. I haven't tried to bottle with it yet.

Tater, I got the idea here on one of a few threads on the subject. Do a search and you should be able to find a good diagram. It's a very simple system. If you don't find a diagram I'll describe it better, but I don't seem to be able to downsize my pictures enough to post them right now.

[S Hofner]

Scott, you might try going down a size on hose, so it's a little hard to put on the fittings. I haven't tried to bottle with it yet.

I tried that, put I had a terrible time getting them apart again. I'm looking at food grade quick disconnects and braided hose. I'm routinely collapsing 3/8" hose between 18" and 20" oh hmg when degassing, so I was going to go with a braided hose. Less of a curling problem as well.

[voon]

I use thick wall pressure tubing between the pump and the overflow container and between the overflow and the receiving carboy. This is the blue or red tubing that is commonly used to connect a CO2 cylinder to kegs or to secondary valves and distributor in a kegerator. It will not collapse. Then I use food grade vinyl tubing between the receiving carboy and the source carboy for racking. A strong vacuum is not needed to rack, so there is no problem with the line collapsing.

I'm using 5/16th ID vinyl line attached to 3/8th inch OD plastic racking canes inserted through orange carboy caps. It's a very tight fit, so much so that I have to cut it if I want to get it off of the racking cane. I have to dip the vinyl line in boiling water to make it pliable enough to slip onto the racking cane. There is no chance of an air leak at the connection.

I'm going to try switching to 3/8th inch ID vinyl line instead. It slips over the 3/8th inch OD racking cane very easily, but I'm concerned it may not seal well and I might draw air into the line. I think a worm gear hose clamp should prevent that and make the connection very secure with no danger of slipping off while in use.

Do any of you use 3/8th ID line with the plastic 3/8th inch OD racking canes? Do you have problems with loose connection and have you tried a clamp to address it?

The reason I want to try 3/8th inch line is so I add an inline cartridge filter (10 inch housing with 1/2 inch MPT to 3/8th inch barb fitting on either side, 5 or 1 micron spun poly filter). I think the larger line will help the flow through the filter better with slightly higher volume and less restriction than 5/16th ID line. If I have a problem with it collapsing, I'll try stiffer line.

[rawlus]

i have not had good success with 3/8" line and 3/8" racking cane - it leaks as you suspected. 5/16" ID line is the cure.

as to tubing choices - mcmaster.com has a great online tool that allows you to pick flexible tubing, then vacuum-rated, then food rated, then size, then type, etc and slowly narrow your search until you get specs on exactly what you're looking for. they have virtually everything available and their prices are not bad either. they stock WAY more than any wine-related retailer. you'll also be able to choose from a ton of different barb fittings, in all sorts of materials.

[voon]

Thanks for the lowdown on the 3/8th line and racking cane marriage, rawlus. Did you ever try clamping the connection to prevent leaks? I still think that might work.

I second McMaster Carr. They have literally everything you could possibly want, very well organized, and most parts with drawings that detail all the important measurements. I bought nearly all the fittings to build my 10 gallon brewery from them.

[rawlus]

Thanks for the lowdown on the 3/8th line and racking cane marriage, rawlus. Did you ever try clamping the connection to prevent leaks? I still think that might work.

I second McMaster Carr. They have literally everything you could possibly want, very well organized, and most parts with drawings that detail all the important measurements. I bought nearly all the fittings to build my 10 gallon brewery from them.

voon. i did try 1" hose clamps with no success, they appeared to sort of pinch the hose near the worm screw just enough to create a less than perfect seal - i wrestled with the 3/8" line conundrum for some time before i exhausts all my options... 5/16" proved the ticket, i have to heat the line well to make it pliable enough to put onto the racking cane and this little effort makes all the difference.

my vacuum lines, the lines that go between pump and overflow and overflow and receiving vessel, are medical vacuum lines that came with my disposable overflow canister - they are ribbed for reinforcement (collapse resistant) and they have white silicone ends on them that are pre-designed for use with barb fittings, so i can actually get them to work with just about any size barb fitting from the tiny ones i use on my bottling stopper to large ones i use on carboy transfer. sorta like this

[Hammered]

someone got some how-to links on this process?

Here's a video clip of my vacuum pump in action.

http://www.stevehugh...ge_2008.html#13

[tater1337]

Tater, I got the idea here on one of a few threads on the subject. Do a search and you should be able to find a good diagram. It's a very simple system. If you don't find a diagram I'll describe it better, but I don't seem to be able to downsize my pictures enough to post them right now.

tried to search under vacuum racking and got too many results. i would like to see a link if you can dig one up

[tater1337]

Here's a video clip of my vacuum pump in action.

http://www.stevehugh...ge_2008.html#13

heh, i should have guessed

Hey Steve, I am cloning you bottle washer, but to run a whole case at a time, but only 750ml bottles, so it is a bit snugger. thanks for the inspiration

[NorthernWiner]

tried to search under vacuum racking and got too many results. i would like to see a link if you can dig one up

There's a diagram here as well:

http://valleyvintner...nstructions.pdf

And here's a photo: