Degassing Wine?

[DutchK9]

Could somebody please explain to me the process of degassing wine?
When is it done? Why is it done?
And is hooking a paddle to a drill the best way to do it?

 

[BigKahuna]

The process is simple. Agitate the wine enough to get all the co2 out. Some of what you've seen bubbling up is still stuck in solution. You need to get it out of there, but you gotta be careful not to get air in. They make a whip for degasing and it seems to work pretty great for $14.
I have used many things, the paddle should work very well...unless you have a carboy and can't get it through the neck of the bottle.

 

[DutchK9]

So do you do it after primary fermentation is over and prior to bottling it in the secondary?

 

[summersolstice]

Degassing can be done any time after secondary fermentation is complete and prior to bottling. If using a whip to agitate the wine it's probably best to do it at the end of secondary fermentation when adding k-meta and sorbate. An electric drill mounted whip works well and is much, much easier than stirring with a long handled spoon, but that works too. I've been using a brake line bleeder that also works very well.

FYI - you can also degass a bottled wine prior to serving with a Vacu Vin wine Saver.

 

[DutchK9]

Degassing can be done any time after secondary fermentation is complete and prior to bottling. If using a whip to agitate the wine it's probably best to do it at the end of secondary fermentation when adding k-meta and sorbate. An electric drill mounted whip works well and is much, much easier than stirring with a long handled spoon, but that works too. I've been using a brake line bleeder that also works very well.

FYI - you can also degass a bottled wine prior to serving with a Vacu Vin wine Saver.

So let me see if I understand correctly. When secondary fermentation is complete and just prior to bottling, I put my whip (or whatever method) in the wine and agitate the wine which causes bubbles. Do I continue to do this till there are no more bubbles, or do I let the must sit for a few more days and then do it again over and over till I never get bubbles. The directions on my wine kit don't say anything about degassing, so I am a bit confused. I assume it is for pulling oxygen out of the must.

 

[Níl_fhios_agam]

Whats the suggestion for degassing if using a Carboy? I willi be degassing for the first time soon but I have a Carboy and I wouldn't be able to get much more than a small Syphon tube in there to stir. Should I rack to a bucket and stir it up there then back to a Carbouy?

Help!?

 

[summersolstice]

So let me see if I understand correctly. When secondary fermentation is complete and just prior to bottling, I put my whip (or whatever method) in the wine and agitate the wine which causes bubbles. Do I continue to do this till there are no more bubbles, or do I let the must sit for a few more days and then do it again over and over till I never get bubbles. The directions on my wine kit don't say anything about degassing, so I am a bit confused. I assume it is for pulling oxygen out of the must.

The purpose of degassing is to pull out CO2. With wine kits I allow the fermentation to finish completely - down to .996 or so. When I used a drill mounted whip I degassed when I added the potassium metabilsulfite and sorbate. I degassed for about five minutes straight. Then I added the clarifier and degassed for another five minutes. You'll never see an end to the bubbles so 10 minutes is about good enough. However, after that, I always bulk age for at least 5-6 months and that will allow even more C)2 to escape.

Should I rack to a bucket and stir it up there then back to a Carbouy?

That's what I do and it works well. If you attempt to degass in the carboy the wine will foam up and you'll be forever waiting for the foam to settle and then stirring again.

 

[DutchK9]

The purpose of degassing is to pull out CO2. With wine kits I allow the fermentation to finish completely - down to .996 or so. When I used a drill mounted whip I degassed when I added the potassium metabilsulfite and sorbate. I degassed for about five minutes straight. Then I added the clarifier and degassed for another five minutes. You'll never see an end to the bubbles so 10 minutes is about good enough. However, after that, I always bulk age for at least 5-6 months and that will allow even more C)2 to escape.




That's what I do and it works well. If you attempt to degass in the carboy the wine will foam up and you'll be forever waiting for the foam to settle and then stirring again.

Okay. Thanks again!

 

[Yooper]

Don't forget that you only degas if necessary. For kit wines, generally yes. For other wines, not necessary and in fact can damage the wine due to the aeration. So, follow the directions in you kit concerning degassing.

 

[jameswardpeterson]

Degassing can be done any time after secondary fermentation is complete and prior to bottling. If using a whip to agitate the wine it's probably best to do it at the end of secondary fermentation when adding k-meta and sorbate. An electric drill mounted whip works well and is much, much easier than stirring with a long handled spoon, but that works too. I've been using a brake line bleeder that also works very well.[/URL].

Im guessing all you do with that is pop it onto the stopper and pump away?
That seems like a great way to degas since your not even disturbing the wine in the first place, just applying pressure to remove the CO2.

very smart sir.

 

[shoes45]

what about country wines? blackberry, apple, etc. do these need to be degassed? i've never done it and i'm wondering if i should be doing this. but i dont want to hurt my wines either

 

[Yooper]

what about country wines? blackberry, apple, etc. do these need to be degassed? i've never done it and i'm wondering if i should be doing this. but i dont want to hurt my wines either

Generally, they don't need to be degassed. Kits require it because they sort of rush you from fermentation to bottle with only one racking. Country wines, if racked when there are less, and left to sit in the carboy a bit, usually aren't gassy by bottling time. Sometimes with country wines, if there is some gas, that can be handled by "splash racking", which is just as it sounds, and it's a good idea to use sulfites to prevent oxidation of the wine.

I've made many, many wines, and never really needed to degas anything except a kit. With time, degassing isn't necessary.

 

[gimmebeer]

Sorry if I'm hijacking here, but I thought it better than asking a whole other question as if this thread didn't exist.

Anyhow, I just got a Williams Brewing kit and am surprised the directions make no mention of degassing. Also, it says "contains sulfites" on the box, but doesn't say anything about adding more before bottling. Does this make sense?

The directions only call for one racking, but a 12-week secondary. Would the relatively long secondary (for a kit) make degassing unnecessary? And is it possible that the sulfites contained in the concentrate (or in the oak/nutrients bag) are sufficient?

This is my first stab at winemaking after eight batches of beer, so if I sound ignorant, it's because I still am. Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[Yooper]

Sorry if I'm hijacking here, but I thought it better than asking a whole other question as if this thread didn't exist.

Anyhow, I just got a Williams Brewing kit and am surprised the directions make no mention of degassing. Also, it says "contains sulfites" on the box, but doesn't say anything about adding more before bottling. Does this make sense?

The directions only call for one racking, but a 12-week secondary. Would the relatively long secondary (for a kit) make degassing unnecessary? And is it possible that the sulfites contained in the concentrate (or in the oak/nutrients bag) are sufficient?

This is my first stab at winemaking after eight batches of beer, so if I sound ignorant, it's because I still am. Thanks for any help you can offer.

I'm not familiar with the Williams Brewing kit. But since it has a 12 week secondary, you probably don't need to degas- we're talking about the "30 day kits" here that generally have those instructions. It probably has sulfites in either the concentrate, or in one of the packages you're adding. Campden tablets, or k-meta, or potassium metabisulfite are the words to look for on the package. It might just be in the kit, though. Grapes have naturally occuring sulfites also, so there isn't actually any such thing as a "sulfite free wine" anyway. (Nurmey had a long post about this yesterday- I recommend reading that through).

Sulfites help preserve the wine, so if you're planning on aging it a while (over a year or two), it helps to add some sulfite at bottling. Most kits, at least the "cheaper" ones are better drunk young, though, and won't go bad before you drink them anyway.

 

[gimmebeer]

Thanks, Yoop. I think I'll call the Williams folks. I'm not fighting the need to add sulfites, but rather wondering if I shouldn't be adding more before bottling. I don't know that I'll age any more than a year, but I'd like the option. Again, thanks.

 

[MonB4V]

So what if I do not ferment to completion, do I still need to degas?

 

[captianoats]

Yes, I would degas.

Also, I use a vacuum sealer to degas mine. It's the handheld wand type. I press it over the carboy, hit go, and it sucks all the CO2 out.

 

[ben2010]

Is it okay to degas more than once? My wine expert kit has been degassed and is settled, but I have a feeling I should degas again, as I think i added too much oxygen the first time, is this okay to do? It has been a week since I degassed.

Thanks.

 

[Yooper]

Is it okay to degas more than once? My wine expert kit has been degassed and is settled, but I have a feeling I should degas again, as I think i added too much oxygen the first time, is this okay to do? It has been a week since I degassed.

Thanks.

If it's gassy, you should degas. If it's not gassy, you don't have to.

Just take a sample of the wine out and see if it's got some co2 bubbles rising.

 

[rsa]

For those who have used a brake bleeder, how long do you apply vacuum to a carboy?

 

[Canuckbrewman]

I'm working on a Wine Expert kit right now as well, and they specifically mention taking care to stir up all the sediment while degasing or the wine may not clear correctly. I'm not sure if this has to do with ensuring the clay added in the first step comes back into play, or the fact that CO2 may be trapped in the sediment on the bottom, but I thought I would pass that along. I was going to try vacuum degassing the cheap way: using a spare airlock, but I'm not sure now if I'll try it, as the instructions specifically want me to stir up the sediment back into suspension before degasing, stablizing and fining.

 

[telefunken]

If you can get your hand on an old fridge/freezer, the compressor works like a charm. I got mine for free off a fridge I found abandoned in a lot. One end (the suction) hooks up to your bung via some clear tubing, and the other end (the out) just into an open jar (only because I've had some oil splash out, and you don't want that all over the place).

I hooked it up to an on/off switch. I apply a vacuum to the carboy for about 30 seconds, and go do something for 15 mins.. When I come back, the vacuum is usually gone (filled in with CO2 from the wine) so I do it again for another 30 seconds until the vacuum holds.


I've tried paddles, clothes hangers, everything, and it's always been so frustrating. This way works with minimal effort, and has great results.

 

[RedOctober]

They make a whip for degasing and it seems to work pretty great for $14.

Or, you can take a plastic hanger cut it to size, boil water and bend.

It will fit, as is, in your drill.

Edit: just saw the youtube, this guy will show you .......

 

[JaimesBeam]

Anyone ever try de-gassing a bottle of wine by sticking a (hollow?) needle through the cork? I'd rather not add a bunch more chemicals to my wine, or re-bottle it!

Thanks, Jaimes Beam

 

[WIP]

You would need to exchange your gas for the oxygen. Two needles.

 

[Canuckbrewman]

Yikes, degasing a wine that's already bottled? I would think that if there was much gas left in your wine at bottling time that it would build up and pop your corks back out, or worse bottle-bomb on you. Though I've also read stories of people pouring a glass of wine and it foaming up a head like on a beer, so maybe the corks wouldn't pop for sure?

I think in order for a needle to work there would need to be enough pressure built up in the bottles for the needle to work as a release valve. Also, if it was big enough to let some air out, might it also be big enough to cut a tiny tube of cork on it's way, thus plugging the needle?

If it hasn't been bottled long maybe you could open and dump back into a carboy/primary bucket and try degasing again the traditional way. I think that's probably the easiest and safest, and you don't need to add any extra chems to do it. Just stir it up good till it stops releasing.

 

[SpoiledRotten]

what about country wines? blackberry, apple, etc. do these need to be degassed? i've never done it and i'm wondering if i should be doing this. but i dont want to hurt my wines either

The degassing process will allow the wine to clear better/faster in most cases since the gas will will suspend the particles, preventing them from settling down to the bottom.

 

[pvtpublic]

I second the canuck, you'll need to dump the bottles out and rebottle

 

[JaimesBeam]

These is a long straight needle with the opening in the side of the needle.

I think it was called a varess needle.
It also has a valve at the base of the needle.

I tried one to let out the excess CO2 Pressure in a batch of wine.
It's a slow process, but it works. The cork seals back around
where the needle was. The other drawback is that it tends to
push out a tiny piece of cork into the bottle.

I ended up pulling the corks and recorking the bottles.

Jaimes Beam

 

[allinone]

Hi I am new to this site - but not to wine making. I noticed that you are discussing co2 removal, I will typically remove co2 while doing a vacuum transfer. There is a great video on my site that shows step by step on how that is done .

thanks steve
http://allinonewinepump.com/

 

[Offspring22]

Has anyone used one of these?

It looks like it would be pretty easy to DIY with a spoon handle and some weed wacker string....