When making homemade wine, a water seal is used to remove carbon dioxide. All experienced winemakers and even beginners know this. For these purposes, they take the device from the store or make it at home, and often use something intended for other purposes. Most often, a rubber medical glove is used. It can also be a cotton swab, syringe, dropper.
What is a water seal for wine
A water seal for wine is a device that is placed on a container with wort to remove carbon dioxide from it and to prevent oxygen from entering the vessel. If this is not done, the wine will turn into vinegar, and the product will be irretrievably damaged. In rare cases, the bottle may rupture due to excess accumulated gas.
The quality of the wine will not suffer depending on which device is used, as long as it is properly manufactured and used. Along with self-made water seals, they use factory ones, which can be bought in the store. There is no difference, but you have to make a choice - spend time or money.
Areas of use
The water seal is used in the production of grape or fruit wines. Regardless of what kind of wine you end up with: dry, semi-dry, dessert or fortified, a water seal is a must. It ensures the constant removal of carbon dioxide formed as a result of fermentation and prevents oxygen from coming into contact with the wort. Without its use, good wine will never be made.
How to make it yourself
Making a water seal at home is not difficult. You need to take the necessary items, such as a nylon cap and a rubber tube, for the classic and “quiet” option. Otherwise, you will need a dropper and two syringes. The simplest thing is a medical rubber glove or cotton wool from which you can create closures.
Classic version
To make a water seal, you need to prepare nylon caps in the required quantity, one per bottle. The same number of rubber tubes, half-liter jars and a little plasticine. The length of the tube depends on the height of the bottle.
A hole is made in the middle of the lid around the circumference of the tube, where it is inserted.To prevent air from escaping from the container, the place where the tube enters the hole must be coated with plasticine. The lid is put on the bottle, the other end of the tube is lowered into a jar half filled with water, which should be added as it evaporates.
As long as the water in the jar gurgles and bubbles, you can be sure that the fermentation process continues.
After it is finished, there will be no more bubbles, which means you can continue the process of making wine.
Medical glove
When using a rubber medical glove, the cap and accessories associated with it will not be needed. The glove is placed on the neck of the jar and secured with insulating tape or tape. A couple of fingers or all five are pierced with a needle.
During fermentation, the glove inflates, so it will be easy to determine when the fermentation process is complete. At this time, it will sag due to the lack of air in it.
Cotton plug
If it is not possible to install a water seal, you can use a cotton plug. To do this, the neck of the bottle with raw materials is tightly plugged with cotton wool. During the fermentation process, carbon dioxide escapes and air does not enter the container. This method is not reliable, as there is a danger of air getting inside.
Quiet model
To get rid of the unpleasant gurgling, you can make an inexpensive device. A hole is made in the lid, a tube is inserted into it, which must be made into a small loop and secured with a plaster. Insulate the connection between the base of the tube and the lid. After pouring some water into the tube, the “quiet” model is ready.
A device consisting of a syringe and a dropper
To make a simple design you will need two syringes, a dropper, and plasticine.In the lid from under the container where the wort will be located, cut a hole that will be the same size as the diameter of the syringe. The first is inserted into the hole with the spout up, the second is attached with tape to the first, with the spout down.
The syringes are connected to each other by a tube from under the dropper. One syringe is half filled with water, preventing air from entering the jar, and the second is used to remove carbon dioxide.
Wine magazine
In the store you can see several types of water seals, differing from each other in price, appearance and quality.
- The cheapest purchase will be a lid with a hole and a hose attached inside. The disadvantage of this design is the loud gurgling noise during fermentation and the unpleasant odor.
- Within two hundred rubles you can buy an S-shaped water seal. The main disadvantage occurs during strong fermentation, when pressure pushes water out.
- One of the best is considered to be a glass-type shutter. It is silent, does not transmit any unpleasant odor during fermentation, and the water in it almost does not evaporate. The price ranges from 200 to 600 rubles.
If you set a goal, then most of the water seals offered in the store can be made yourself, while saving the family budget.
Terms of use
A water seal made independently is practically no different from a device purchased in a store. Before using it, you need to check how tightly the parts of the structure are in contact with each other. To ensure a tight seal, it is better to coat the joint of the parts with glue, plasticine, and wax.
- When installing a special lid on a container with wort, you need to make sure that the tube does not rest against the bottom of the jar of water.
- The glove can be used on glass containers with a volume of no more than twenty liters.
- You can put a balloon on a jar with a narrow neck.
To make wine, it is better to use a simple homemade water seal and not take on complex production of the product.
The end result is identical, and you can save money and time.
