Degassing - Great Exercise!

[pracz]

I degassed and stabilized two kits yesterday. Wow...that was some serious exercise...

I racked to a primary bucket and used the mix-stir and a drill for a little while. That did not seem to get it going too well. Switched to a spoon and elbow grease. That did the trick. I stirred those babies for quite a while (off and on). For some reason the mix-stir did not generate much foam. However, by hand, I was able to really get a lot of the gas out of the wine. It was an effort though...

Is it me or does it seem that some wines need to be degassed for an eternity while others do not take much effort at all. The chardonnay that I degassed first took a long time. Between the mix-stir and the spoon, I degassed that batch for about 30 minutes (off and on waiting for the foam to die down). While the cabernet did not take much effort at all. Weird...

After all that effort I sure hope I got all the gas out...

Pete

 

[surlees]

Usually, allowing an interval of a few hours between stirrings also helps (also lets your arm rest)rather than trying to degas it all at once. Also, it degasses better when warm rather than if it's cold.


Fred

 

[robie]

I degassed my Cellar Craft Showcase Cab/Shiraz yesterday. I used the drill and mixer for about 20 minutes on and off, but was surprised I didn't get much gas coming to the surface. I was waiting for the fizzing and bubbling to happen, but it just didn't do much. Afterward, I used the vacuvin on it and got nothing.

Maybe it was because I had left it in a carboy for two weeks with it at about 76 degrees with an air lock.

It does seem to me (IMO) that with the drill, you need to stir, then stop long enough to let the bubbles come to the surface, then start again in the opposite direction. Otherwise, the vortex might drive the CO2 back down.

 

[pracz]

I degassed my Cellar Craft Showcase Cab/Shiraz yesterday.

Was that the limited release Cab/Shiraz? How did it turn out? I was looking at that one next...

 

[robie]

No, it's not a limited, it's the showcase addition.



I am only slightly getting where I can taste anything other than the "green" in a green wine. Taking that into consideration, it tasted pretty good right after degassing. IMO it had little discernible oak characteristics, so I added more oak for aging.

In about a month, I'll rack it into a 5-gallon carboy and I'll bulk age for at least 5 months. I'll take the other gallon and bottle it into the 375 ml bottles, so I can sample taste it over the next six months or so.

This week I will start the RJS EN Primeur Delu Ranch Cab/Sav. I am waiting on the yeast to arrive. I am looking forward to starting it, as it will be the first I've started of wines requiring long term aging. My first two kits "say" they are drinkable in six months. My third kit was an a banana/pineapple viognier Orchard Breezin quick-drink kit.

Am I having fun or what!!!

 

[pracz]

No, it's not a limited, it's the showcase addition.



I am only slightly getting where I can taste anything other than the "green" in a green wine. Taking that into consideration, it tasted pretty good right after degassing. IMO it had little discernible oak characteristics, so I added more oak for aging.

In about a month, I'll rack it into a 5-gallon carboy and I'll bulk age for at least 5 months. I'll take the other gallon and bottle it into the 375 ml bottles, so I can sample taste it over the next six months or so.

This week I will start the RJS EN Primeur Delu Ranch Cab/Sav. I am waiting on the yeast to arrive. I am looking forward to starting it, as it will be the first I've started of wines requiring long term aging. My first two kits "say" they are drinkable in six months. My third kit was an a banana/pineapple viognier Orchard Breezin quick-drink kit.

Am I having fun or what!!!

Nice! I know what you mean about green wine. Difficult to tell how it will turn out. When I tasted mine this weekend after degassing it the fruit was very light. I could make out that it was a cab but that is about it. I'm hoping that it will get better over the next 6-8 months.

Let us know about the RJS kit. That one sound good. I just ordered my Showcase Red Mountain Cab. Can't wait to get that baby going!

 

[robie]

Saturday, my wife and I went to a wine tasting of wines from near the Red Mountain area. They were all from the Sonnet Winery, which might help you locate the area. Anyway, they were all good. I'm typically not a merlot person, but their merlot was terrific. I have never tasted that much fruit-forward in a merlot. My wife bought their riezling, which she normally doesn't drink.

As I was tasting I was thinking, "Hm-m-m, maybe I should have bought the Red Mountain instead."

I have heard nothing but good about the Red Mountain.