Fizzy

[Voltron]

Concord wine in secondary for 1 month decided to degas and add some potassium metabisulfite..

Tried a quarter of a glass and it was very fizzy.. I'm guessing this is from the CO2??

I plan on degassing again before I rack again.. Should I add potassium metabisulfite every time i degas or open up the carboy??

Thanks ahead of time for your reply!!

 

[ceeaton]

Concord wine in secondary for 1 month decided to degas and add some potassium metabisulfite..

Tried a quarter of a glass and it was very fizzy.. I'm guessing this is from the CO2??

I plan on degassing again before I rack again.. Should I add potassium metabisulfite every time i degas or open up the carboy??

Thanks ahead of time for your reply!!

Depending on the degassing method and temperature of the wine it can take quite a few tries to degas. Many on this site just age the wine for an extended period of time and the gas will naturally escape over time (unless the wine is stored in the 50's or 60's F).

After your initial post-fermentation Kmeta addition, it is usually good to add additional Kmeta dosages about every three months while you are bulk aging the wine.

 

[Arne]

Is it done fermenting? As in what is the specific gravity. And how did you degas? Like Craig says, the temp. is a big thing when degassing. Is it clear? When it falls clear, the gas is usually pretty well gone. The gas helps hold solids in suspension. Time will usually degas it for you. My winter wines do not degass very well til about April when the basement warms back up. Then they generally degas on their own. For your k-meta question, I usually add a quarter tsp. every 3 months or so. As long as you are not leaving the carboy open it should protect it. Arne.

 

[Voltron]

SG at .990

Temp between 67-72..unfortunately no basement..so i store in kitchen till bottling

When bottled.. I take them in cartons that allow them to lay sideways and put them in a friend's basement 2 store at least another three to six months

I do have some skins still left in and they r floating..did not put in a bag so I'm going to rack to another car boy again this weekend

I use a whip and drill to degas

 

[Voltron]

I added the potassium metabisulfite after degassing cuz I was worried about oxidation.. I guess I will just add a little bit more...1/4 tsp per 6 gal..sure seems like not much..right before bottling in 2 more months

 

[Arne]

When you rack it helps degas also. 72 degrees might be just a bit cool. It will still degas at that temp. but will probably take a bit longer than if it was a little warmer. Keep your eye on it, you will know when the gas is gone. Sometimes it just takes time. Good luck with it, Arne.