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***Yooper*** · 04-08-2012, 01:51 AM

I normally would +1 every thing that ScottSingleton just said. BUT............. I have an Endless Gas ChokeCherry 2011 that has been gassy, and it's not a kit wine.

I've degassed, more than once. I've warmed it up and degassed. I've let it sit (again) and it's still gassy! It's not infected (which was my first thought) and tastes great when the gas is shaken out of it.

With kit wines, you usually get most of the gas with a couple of 15 minute sessions. But I had one kit that took a couple of days last fall. But this chokecherry is killing me! It's not bubbling out of the airlock, so it's not under a lot of pressure. But it is gassy.

I don't have an S02 meter, so I'm guestimating the S02 levels based on additions and the degassing.

I'm going to add some more campden and degas AGAIN this week and hopefully get it to bottle. This wine has been in the carboy over a year, and is not undergoing MLF. This is the first time this has happened to me, after many years of making wine and specifically THIS wine.

The good news is that even though it's a pain, the good wine that will come out of it is worth it- and this sort of thing is incredibly rare. Most of my "homemade" wines never need degassing at all, just the kits, and even the kits are usually pretty routine and easy. So don't give up!

ScottSingleton · 04-08-2012, 02:15 AM

I'm ususally the one that's gassy!!

I rarely ever have issues with a gassy homemade wine -- it's probably because I let them bulk age so long. The kits are the ones that I always find are gassy -- but man degassing 15 minutes for two weeks straight? That's just plain crazy-talk right there. I'd think there would have to be something else going on.

I've been doing wine for 7 years or so and never had one be that difficult, though there's always a first.

***Yooper*** · 04-08-2012, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottSingleton

I've been doing wine for 7 years or so and never had one be that difficult, though there's always a first.

That's why I'm trying to be encouraging to the OP. In all the years of winemaking, I've NEVER had a wine that needed degassing, unless it was particularly cold and even then a little degassing would fix it right up.

This wine has been done a long time. No MLF, completely dry at .990, and my usual recipe. It has great taste, but it's so flippin' gassy. The "litter mates", all of my other wines in the same area, are fine. This wine is over a year old and still gassy. I've never seen anything like it, and have no idea why it would be doing this. Without any infection, or even signs of infection, and being done for a year, you'd think it would release the gas easily while sitting.

Anyway, the wine is in a carboy in my living room (warmest place in the house) and every once in a while I walk by and consider kicking it.

D_Nyholm · 04-08-2012, 11:22 PM

Well, i went back down to check on the wine today. I racked a little into a beer bottle, shook it with my thumb over the top, and when i removed it, 'Pop!'. There was a lot more gas in there than I thought I would hear.

I also took a picture while I was degassing. This was at the end of about 15 minutes. Of course, I can't spin the drill at full speed or it will overflow the carboy with the rotation, but I usually spin at 1/3 throttle, then when it gets toward the top, i switch to the other direction and give it a couple of full throttle bursts to get the liquid to stop spinning that direction.

***Yooper*** · 04-08-2012, 11:29 PM

Oh, yeah, that's a gassy SOB alright.

Keep at it. If you don't have an S02 meter (I don't), you could guestimate your ppm and add more campden if it's been a while since you added some.

ScottSingleton · 04-09-2012, 01:47 AM

Wowzers man... I would say gassy is an understatement. That would almost make me want to go buy a vacuum pump! Keep at it man!

D_Nyholm · 04-09-2012, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottSingleton

Wowzers man... I would say gassy is an understatement. That would almost make me want to go buy a vacuum pump! Keep at it man!

Can I use a vacuum pump with a better bottle if I don't go crazy or is it just an implosion waiting to happen? If so, I would consider buying one to make this part easier. I need to have this wine ready for the end of July and would like to bottle it soon so that it can age in the bottles as well and get rid of any bottle shock. I'd like to have it bottled for at least 3 months which means I really need to get this bottled by the end of this month at the latest.

rawlus · 04-09-2012, 06:40 PM

cant use vacuum with better bottle, about the only thing they are not good for. you'd need a glass carboy to do vacuum degassing.

D_Nyholm · 04-09-2012, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawlus

cant use vacuum with better bottle, about the only thing they are not good for. you'd need a glass carboy to do vacuum degassing.

Yeah, figured as much. I might consider getting a glass carboy just for bulk aging wine and degassing. Might be better in the long run anyway.

D_Nyholm · 06-11-2012, 08:37 PM

Just an update on this one. I degassed a little more after my last post then let it sit for about a month and have been degassing once a week or so since then. Still just as gassy as the pics above. Do you think it would pop a cork if I just bottled it? What about if I bottle and just make sure I decant each bottle when I open it? I have another kit I want to make but this one is holding it up. I wanted this one bottled by may!