first-timer questions: airlock, post-ferment temperature, degassing

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

sleepyslug

New Member
Joined
May 29, 2016
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
San Francisco
Hi all, thanks for considering my questions. I'd be happy to be directed to FAQs etc.

I am at the degassing step of my first-ever batch. I am making a Cabernet Sauvignon from a Master Vintner kit. Things seem mostly ok, but I want to learn from the process and there are a few things that I wonder about.

First ... Will an airlock, properly used, keep fumes/odors from the surrounding area out of my wine, or can fumes/odors get into the wine through the airlock?

Background/details: I built a little temperature control box (think of a large-volume styrofoam cooler with a heating pad and a thermostat) out of polystyrene insulation, using some insulation adhesive to put it together. I let it sit for several days before use, but the inside of the box does still smell somewhat of the adhesive. My wine smells/tastes a little chemically to me--maybe just normal, I don't really know what to expect.​

Second ... what temperature should I aim for during degassing and stabilization/clarification? The kit specified a target of 72-76F during primary and secondary, but doesn't specify a temperature for the later stages. Does it help to maintain a fairly constant temperature at this point, or not matter that much?

Third ... when 'stirring vigorously' to promote degassing (3-4 times per day for 2 days), should I be trying to aerate? Trying to not aerate? Not worry about it? (I've added potassium metabisulfate as instructed, and specific gravity is 0.995, which was the (maximum) target.)

Many thanks!
 
Kits have specific instructions about degassing and things- degassing is not normally done in non-kit wines.

The temperature you have is ok and should work fine for your kit. After degassing and topping up, you can lower the temperature a bit if you'd like but it's not imperative for a kit.

As long as your airlock has water in it, the environment it is in will be fine.
 
Thanks Yooper!

The instructions in my kit did not make clear whether stirring so vigorous as to result in some splashing/surface agitation/etc would be a good thing (more gas released) or a bad thing (oxidation and/or promotion of bacterial growth).

Having poked around on the web more, I'll try to answer my own question: it sounds like the goal in kit-wine 'stirring' to promote degassing is to get a lot of under-the-surface motion, while minimizing the mixing in of air through splashing/vortex/etc, in order to avoid oxidation. Various people suggest that oxidation may not be that big an issue, due either to off-gassed CO2 keeping air (oxygen) out or to KMS preventing oxidation, but others caution against it. A wine whip seems to be the preferred tool.
 
in a young wine, some air getting in when de-gassing is not a huge deal because of co2, kms and to be honest,i am guessing you will be using oak chips? and since carboys are usually glass and have not way for gas to get in they do not act like oak barrels do.long story short even if you do introduce a bit of oxygen, that is no huge stress compared then letting it age in barrel (tho this is macro oxygenation vs micro oxygenation). and BTW some tannins themselves are antioxidants in a small way but you still need KMS to do the grunt of the work
 
Back
Top