Degassing using brake bleeder??

It's getting to the point to where I need to start degassing my wine and I have read where some people use a food saver to degas their wine, so I have looked in to trying something like that because im afraid if I stir it with a spoon or something I might be adding too much oxygen to it. So while reading I read where somebody degassed using a brake bleader for car brakes, would that cause my carboy to break sucking that much air out? Or would I just be better off just stiring my wine? Thanks

a lot of the big winerys bubble food grade nitrogen through to strip out CO2. The traditional method is to bulk store the wine for at least a year under an airlock. I have thought about rigging up a line to my shopvac to try applying some vacuum - I don't think it would be enough vacuum to break the carboy - alternatively you could try a plastic carboy.
If you stir then you will introduce some oxygen - this is not necessarily a bad thing depending on your style of wine.
In general - in white wines you don't ever have to worry about degassing since some "sparkle" is not considered a big flaw.

I think yooper is one proponent of the brake bleeder, though I am not sure. She is however a wine encyclopedia walking and talking, so try getting her attention with a pm.

I have never used a brake bleeder, but have heard many comments on them. They do work, but are a lot of work to get a wine properly de-gassed. I have also heard of people using a shop vac to create the vacuum needed to properly de-gass and from what I have seen and heard, it does work.

I use a 2cfm vacuum pump with a manual valve to control the level of vacuum being used. It works very well and I can actually de-gass my wines (all carboys) quickly and as often as I choose.

Any method you employ will aid in the removal of CO2 from your wine. Just letting them sit will accomplish the same effect, just taking much more time.

I also gently shake my carboys with the airlock still in place and am able to release CO2 from my wines without allowing air to enter the carboy.

Good luck in whatever method you choose.

Salute!

PS: I never use a vacuum lower than 20" as it may cause alcohol to boil off from your wines if maintained for any lengthy period of time.

So a normal glass carboy can take that amount of vacuum and be OK?

I use a brake bleeder to degass some of my wine, though it is kind of a PIA. It works well but it takes some time.

Ok thank you for all your replys I might let the wine sit for a little bit longer and see if that will help then, if not then I will try the shop-vac method since I already have one of those. Thanks to all who replied you guys help out alot!

TopsyKrett said:

I might let the wine sit for a little bit longer

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You know, really, this is what I do anymore. I just let my wines and meads bulk age for 10-14 months. I don't worry about gassy wines and meads after they age for this long. I currently have 6 carboys in various stages of bulk aging.

A food-saver type vaccum pump works fine, it CAN* suck the rubber stopper into the carboy, but I doubt that it could break a carboy.

*Trust me on this.

conpewter said:

So a normal glass carboy can take that amount of vacuum and be OK?

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Yeah as long as you have liquid in the carboy, you will be safe pulling a deep vacuum. Below 20" you are likely to boil off alcohol as it boils at lower temperature than water does.

I would be reluctant to pull a deep (lower than 20") vacuum on better bottles or plastic containers as they do not have the inherent strength of a carboy.

Salute!

I think Yuri Rage has a detailed post about how to degas using a vacuum sealer.

1. Add brake fluid to the Motive Power Brake Bleeder tank.

2. Firmly connect the supplied adapter to brake master cylinder and pump the Motive Power Brake Bleeder to pressurize.

3. Starting with the furthest away brake bleeder valve (typically on the rear of the vehicle), open brake bleeder valve and purge the air and old brake fluid from your brake system.

For more info visit: http://www.buybrakes.com/motive

Just please use a clean bleeder.

bmckee56 said:

I would be reluctant to pull a deep (lower than 20") vacuum on better bottles or plastic containers as they do not have the inherent strength of a carboy.

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yea... um... it doesn't work...

I can say that using a drill mounted degassing wand, done right, you don't add any O2.

Its just a fast burst at moderate speed...then wait for the CO2 volcano to subside. It does sound 'scary' until you actually do it and see how non-invasive it is. Its no rougher than racking.