Foodsaver for degassing to remove O2 and C02

[sdrilling]

Hello

I was doing some research to see if there was an easy way to remove excess oxygen from the carboy after racking. I have a food saver which removes air from plastic bags and I wondered if this might be a solution.

A google search for food saver and wine found several videos about people using the food saver for degassing -- specifically removing c02 not oxygen from wine and mead. -- Though one would think if you remove co2 you would also remove o2. Maybe.....A bit confusing though because I see instructions for adding co2 as a blanket. This is apparently more physics than I am capable of understanding

Here are two videos for example

Degassing mead with handheld food saver -

Degassing wine using Kenmore Food Saver -

Does anyone on use a food saver for degassing? Have you used it to remove oxygen or co2 after racking?

Opinion -- a good (or dumb) idea?

Thank you for your suggestions.

Steph

 

[rowsdower44]

I feel that having equipment to degas wine/mead is very important. When I started brewing, I have had a few ruined bottles of mead due to my impatience to bottle when I had felt my batches were done.

Degassing mead is important to get the stillness you need to bottle. Of course, you can just wait for the CO2 to eventually leave your brew naturally but that may take months. I've found degassing to help clarify quicker as well and to prevent the corks from my bottles from popping off when the CO2 does naturally leave if I had bottled prematurely.

I use a brake bleeder I picked up at a local hardware store. It functions like a vacuum pump, similar to a foodsaver. I use it when my meads are just about done and bottling is in the near future. I typically degas a week or 2 before I bottle because degassing sometimes kicks up some sediment that I would need to wait to resettle.

 

[JustinCider]

Thank you for posting this. Anything that can stop me from stirring with the wine whip for a 1/2 hour plus would be very nice. When i bottled my strawberry vanilla it took forever to make any progress degassing.

 

[vNmd]

I have a food saver that I use for food and stuff in little baggies (DME) but I degas with a Mityvac. I am sure the food saver thing will work, but to what extent I don't know. One thing would be how full the carboy is and how much it will take to get to a certain level of vacuum. I have a carboy now that is full up to the neck. It takes 10 - 15 pumps with the mityvac to get to 20 (as far as I go). Another carboy with maybe an inch or two less liquid I am sitting there pumping like crazy to get to get to 20.
Other concerns:
I don't know how much of a vacuum the food savers will go to.
I don't know how long the food savers will run before it does damage to the unit.

 

[Descender]

You guys are gonna implode your carboys lol ;-)

 

[skadalajara]

You guys are gonna implode your carboys lol ;-)

You'd need a Robinair for that. It'll bring a carboy down to interstellar vacuum in about 30 min.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[newbiewinemaker]

I use a brake bleeder I picked up at a local hardware store. It functions like a vacuum pump, similar to a foodsaver. I use it when my meads are just about done and bottling is in the near future. I typically degas a week or 2 before I bottle because degassing sometimes kicks up some sediment that I would need to wait to resettle.

Curious as to how this works? Can you explain your process for this if you don't mind?

Thanks!

 

[vNmd]

Curious as to how this works? Can you explain your process for this if you don't mind?

Thanks!

I did a video. Hope it helps

 

[newbiewinemaker]

Would this MityVac work? I have never used one of these before. Thanks

 

[TyTanium]

I don't know how long the food savers will run before it does damage to the unit.

Right. I did quite a bit of research when I first started out, and this was the general consensus - it will eventually break your foodsaver.

Would this MityVac work? I have never used one of these before. Thanks

Absolutely. Works like a champ. The gauge is nice too so you don't put too much negative pressure on your carboy.

 

[sdrilling]

Great info! Thank you all for replying.

The mityvac appears to be the way to go. Checked it out on Amazon. I think less than $40 and with free shipping/ no tax.

Stephanie

 

[kevinb]

Has anyone tried using an acquarium pump?