Slight fizz in Red wine -Help!

[Jason Curran]

Hi,

I have read through quite a few threads, but haven't quite found an answer for my problem. I have read about using campden tablets and sorbate, but not quite sure when or how much or if they would help with my problem of slightly fizzy wine. Its not mad bubbling but its there!

First off my problem is with my red wine kits, I have used Vintners Diablo Rojo and Vintners Merlot, after bottling and leaving for approx 6 months a fizz is there in the wine. Others have said the wine is lovely but I'm not encouraged by this fizz. After it has been opened and left a day or two with just the cork pressed in, it loses its fizz and is much more pleasant to drink. I would really like to try the more expensive kits and age them for a year or two but need help to figure this problem out first before I spend the money. White wines have been excellent so far with no problems. I brew beer kits as well and sanitise everything constantly.

What is causing my wine to do this?

I have spent about 20 minutes degassing with the degasser attached to a hand drill. I have used the packets of metabisulphate and sorbet that came with the kit, added when asked. I have not used anything else up to this point extra that did not come with the kit.

Should I be using campden tablets when transferring to the secondary carboy and then again at bottling?

Should I be using more sorbate to stabilise it as well?

How much campden or sorbate or both, should I use when I eventually move to the more expensive kits when ageing them longer?

Anything else I should add or is recommended to use when wine making?

Also do I age the wine in the secondary carboy or rack it to a third vessel and age it there before bottling?

Thank you all for reading this its a bit long but any help is much appreciated.

 

[Dgallo]

the fizz is certainly coming from something eating remaining sugars in the wine. This could be the yeast or a wild bacteria or yeast in the wine. Are you sure the wine fermented out before bottling? Are you taking all the steps of proper steps of sanitation at the time of bottling?

 

[Blacksmith1]

I believe you are bottling with just enough residual sugar and active yeast to bottle carb, or not fully degassing your wine prior to bottling.
Just re read that and you are degassing so, bottle carbing. The sulfite and sorbate do not kill the yeast. They basically neuter it. So whatever remains , while it doesn't reproduce, can and will ferment any sugars available.More time and rackings to reduce the Sg and viable yeast.

 

[RPh_Guy]

May I assume these are dry wines?
Fizz after degassing means that there is still fermentation taking place. That means it was bottled too soon.

How long are you leaving it in the primary vessel? Are you taking specific gravity measurements days-weeks apart to confirm fermentation has finished?

When have you been adding sulfite and how much?
Sulfite (campden) does not stop or prevent fermentation; it is to prevent oxidation. It also prevents MLF (bacteria changing the acid profile) and most other contamination-related problems.
Sorbate is not needed in a dry wine because there is no reason to prevent yeast growth when there's nothing to ferment.

Edit: quote removed

 

[Jason Curran]

After the first batch happened, I took to double sanitising everything and spraying everything down with sanitiser as I went as well. The reading was coming in around 0.998 as recommended in the instructions and I left it for a few more days before bottling.

Should I leave it for longer before bottling just to be sure?

How long should degassing take, should I go back every few minutes to degass, say spread over an hour or so?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Should I leave it for longer before bottling just to be sure?

Yes, take another gravity reading several days later to make sure it's identical.

Just guessing on the degassing since I haven't rushed anything to bottling, but about 10 minutes should be adequate. Take a small sample and test it with your mouth

 

[FunkedOut]

I don’t think you have enough information to decidedly confirm whether your fizz is from bottling with sugars remaining and some little guys ate them, or if your degassing was incomplete.

After degassing with a whip on a drill until no more bubbles (~5min), I inserted a bung modified to accept a vacuuvin.
Pumping for days would pull more bubbles out.

Search the internet for using a vacuum pump to degass wines. Seems like the only foolproof way to degass quickly.
The other option is to let time do it’s thing. Everyone seems pretty satisfied with 1 year in the carboy as enough time for the gas to gas off.

 

[Seamonkey84]

I’ve only bottled one gallon so far, and my bottles were still petillant since I didn’t degas enough. I’ve since read some articles on degassing, and there’s several mentions of it taking much longer than 20mins of using the drill whip to fully degas the batch. Have to taste it before you decide it’s done. Really depending on the temp of the wine when your doing the degassing. Gases are more soluble in colder temps, so it won’t come out as readily if it’s below room temp. Otherwise letting it bulk age under airlock for several months will let it gas out over time.
Most recipes bulk age for several months in secondary and include a few racking, letting it degas naturally and through a little agitation.

 

[JimRausch]

My best guess is that you're bottling too soon. How long do you bulk age them before bottling? How many rackings? Over what period of time?

 

[Jason Curran]

Ok, so on my last batch it went like this, I take a gravity reading at the start which comes in at 1.094 below the recommended 1.097. Primary fermentation I let sit for 9 days, 7th and 9th day reading was 1.004 below the recommended 1.010. racked to carboy. Left it for 14 days, day 12 and 14 read 0.996 recommended 0.996 or below. Added metabisulphite and sorbate which came with kit. degassed. Then left for 14 days and bottled. Left in bottle for about 6 months.

I want to bulk age longer in the carboy for the more expensive kits but just trying to figure out what Im doing wrong. should I rack a third time and add campden and bulk age under airlock before bottling instead? I think I was afraid bulk ageing for longer and then bottling would allow oxidation in some way. still just learning

Maybe I am just rushing it and it needs longer than the instructions. Its great hearing everyones opinions and thoughts, much appreciated.

 

[Seamonkey84]

At that gravity there should be no sugars left to have caused the fermentation to continue in the bottles. The gases left over from the fermentation is what your most likely experiencing. I’m still new too, but I’ve read many kits tend to rush people to bottling since most beginners don’t want to have to wait months.

 

[JimRausch]

Is there a lot of sediment in the bottles? If so, then you definitely need another racking and aging stage before bottling. I have always followed Yoopers advice which is to rack every time the lees are 1/4 inch or more, using camden every other racking to help controll oxygenation. When it is not throwing lees anymore and is clear enough to read the newspaper through, then it's time to bottle. For me, that usually 2-3 rackings over a 3-4 month time period. But it has sometimes been longer than that.

 

[Jason Curran]

No sediment, wine is really clear, which Im glad about, got another kit coming so I will take this advice on, more patience and more racking using the campden. Thank you

 

[Mr_S_Jerusalem]

My dad made Sloe Wine once which had a slight fizz to it. It was excellent, and a delightful pink colour as I recall.