Degassing and Oxidation

[jamest22]

I have been brewing beer regularly for two years. In the world of brewing you take care never to aerate your wort/beer after fermentation.

I am fermenting my first kit wine (An RJ Spagnols Heritage Estates Vino Del Vida kit) and it is almost time to transfer to secondary (gravity is at ~1.00) according to my instructions. After racking to secondary and adding the clarifiers and sulfites, they tell me to "degass the wine vigorously for 5 mins using a spoon or drill mounted device".

I am concerned that the degassing/aerating after primary fermentation has completed will oxidize my wine. Why should I not be concerned about aeration at this stage of the game?

Thanks

 

[Runningwolf]

James welcome to the forum. Practically every kit will have you do this. Adding the stabilizing agents will protet your wine through this process. Without degassing it your wine will not clear.

 

[surlees]

James,

I am concerned that the degassing/aerating after primary fermentation has completed will oxidize my wine. Why should I not be concerned about aeration at this stage of the game?

The degassing is to remove CO2, otherwise the wine will be bubbly and fizzy (as in beer). You're not trying to aerate the wine, but to get the CO2 out. After degassing you do need to avoid exposing the wine to air as much as possible by keeping it under an airlock and racking quickly and in a manner that avoids exposure to air as much as possible (impossible to completely avoid some exposure during racking). The combination of SO2 and avoiding air helps prevent oxidation and browning of wine (especially whites).

 

[winemaker_3352]

If given enough time - the CO2 will dissipate out of the wine and will be clear. There are several folks in there that don't degass or add fining agents and have never had a problem . But they age for close to 2 years.

 

[Wade E]

With beer you dont do this because it dont matter as youll be carbonating it anyway. With wine you usually dont want this as most wine the carbonation wont taste good. Doing this degassing will greatly improve the wines clearing ability. Also with beer you dont ferment it nearly as much and dont produce his C02 in great amounts.