Co2 after a year

[RButch]

I need some advice. I started a Chilean Carmenere juice bucket in April of 2001. I used RC-202 yeast. Right at the end of primary fermentation I started MLF. It sat in room temperature of 65 degrees with water trap. The trap showed slight pressure on liquid and would bubble if I shook it. Did Chromography test and has not finished. Now I have it at 70 Drew’s and am using AIO vacuum every other day and still getting lots of bubbles after a year. What could be going on?

 

[RButch]

I need some advice. I started a Chilean Carmenere juice bucket in April of 2001. I used RC-202 yeast. Right at the end of primary fermentation I started MLF. It sat in room temperature of 65 degrees with water trap. The trap showed slight pressure on liquid and would bubble if I shook it. Did Chromography test and has not finished. Now I have it at 70 Drew’s and am using AIO vacuum every other day and still getting lots of bubbles after a year. What could be going on?

 

[RButch]

Sorry, checked my notes and it was D254 yeast with 5 grams of Go Ferm and 6 grams of FT Rouge. Not RC-212.

 

[Rice_Guy]

* experience on my part is I can usually get some gas when I pull a vacuum on home wine and small regional wines. ,,, Slight gas really doesn’t impact flavor or score when being judged
* a check valve when pulling a vacuum helps the degassing process, my first example of this was a head space eliminator, but Grainger sells just the check valve.
* a working definition of good enough degassing is; the wine will hold -5 inches Hg for thirty minutes (AKA the head space eliminator stays pulled in for thirty minutes). This is enough that I can apply a vacuum to the ullage and get a cork inserted.
* a wine which has gone through summer should be degassed by itself, dissolved gas is related to the temperature and “good enough” is where you can serve it in summer without having bubbles form.
* it is useful to keep CO2 in the wine if you have a vacuum pump, ,,, I currently don’t degas until I am getting ready to bottle using vacuum corking tools.
=====
* I am concerned that you started MLF and think it isn’t finished, as a kill step I hope you have sulphited the wine before bottling.
* I am curious what your TA was with the Chilean juice bucket, the Chilean buckets I see through the vinters club are low on acid and we suggest adding acid to get closer to 0.5%

 

[RButch]

* experience on my part is I can usually get some gas when I pull a vacuum on home wine and small regional wines. ,,, Slight gas really doesn’t impact flavor or score when being judged
* a check valve when pulling a vacuum helps the degassing process, my first example of this was a head space eliminator, but Grainger sells just the check valve.
* a working definition of good enough degassing is; the wine will hold -5 inches Hg for thirty minutes (AKA the head space eliminator stays pulled in for thirty minutes). This is enough that I can apply a vacuum to the ullage and get a cork inserted.
* a wine which has gone through summer should be degassed by itself, dissolved gas is related to the temperature and “good enough” is where you can serve it in summer without having bubbles form.
* it is useful to keep CO2 in the wine if you have a vacuum pump, ,,, I currently don’t degas until I am getting ready to bottle using vacuum corking tools.
=====
* I am concerned that you started MLF and think it isn’t finished, as a kill step I hope you have sulphited the wine before bottling.
* I am curious what your TA was with the Chilean juice bucket, the Chilean buckets I see through the vinters club are low on acid and we suggest adding acid to get closer to 0.5%

* experience on my part is I can usually get some gas when I pull a vacuum on home wine and small regional wines. ,,, Slight gas really doesn’t impact flavor or score when being judged
* a check valve when pulling a vacuum helps the degassing process, my first example of this was a head space eliminator, but Grainger sells just the check valve.
* a working definition of good enough degassing is; the wine will hold -5 inches Hg for thirty minutes (AKA the head space eliminator stays pulled in for thirty minutes). This is enough that I can apply a vacuum to the ullage and get a cork inserted.
* a wine which has gone through summer should be degassed by itself, dissolved gas is related to the temperature and “good enough” is where you can serve it in summer without having bubbles form.
* it is useful to keep CO2 in the wine if you have a vacuum pump, ,,, I currently don’t degas until I am getting ready to bottle using vacuum corking tools.
=====
* I am concerned that you started MLF and think it isn’t finished, as a kill step I hope you have sulphited the wine before bottling.
* I am curious what your TA was with the Chilean juice bucket, the Chilean buckets I see through the vinters club are low on acid and we suggest adding acid to get closer to 0.5%

 

[RButch]

Thanks Rice Guy. My acid is .53 and I have not added Meta yet because I kept waiting for the MLF to finish. I keep pulling up BB sized bubbles and smaller to the point the foam covers the surface of the wine at the neck of my carboy when vacuum degassing. Should I add Meta even though the MLF hasn’t completed?

 

[Rice_Guy]

A finished wine needs to be judged based on taste, > do you like the acid/ sweet balance? ,, (note tartaric gives acid flavors and alcohol tastes sweet) If you like the taste then by all means kill the MLF and start on getting ready to bottle. If you have gas coming off (forced gas with vacuum) I expect some suspended solids which is cosmetic. For myself I might ignore a slight haze but if it is a contest wine I try to get it crystal clear. ,,,,

.Should I add Meta even though the MLF hasn’t completed?

My opinion on gas is that it is a useful tool when one owns a vacuum pump and check valve therefore I don’t care if all of it is gone! / squeaky clean CO2 isn’t worth the effort.
For your wine Is it actively losing gas without the vacuum? also does it have a carbonic flavor? ,, No then it should be good enough.