Seeing possible start of bubbles in wine!

[cespinos77]

I just finished fermenting my red wine added campden tablets and sorbate a week ago. The carboys have been in a room at about 57 degrees. I bottled them and brought a batch upstairs where it is about 65 degrees. They have sat there for about a week and a half. I opened a bottle tonite and noticed a few bubbles rising to the top of my glass!!! Should I be concerned has fermentation started again and can i do anything about it now that the wine has been bottled? There is no change in taste at the moment and I hope to keep it that way. Please help! thanks

 

[Coaster]

It could be CO2 or re-fermentation. The temp change could have sparked a renewed fermentation or released trapped CO2. Did you take SG readings? Were they stable on consecutive days? How did you degass (spoon, drill mounted stirrer, etc)? Edited by: Coaster

 

[smurfe]

I am sure you are describing CO2 suspended in the wine. Even if you did degas vigorously, the temps you describe will make it hard to expel all the gas. When you warmed the bottles up the CO2 is releasing. It is recommended that the temp of the bulk wine be brought up to the 70-75F range before degassing is attempted. You did degas right?


Smurfe

 

[cespinos77]

Unfortunately I did not degass. The person teaching me failed to mention that or the old timers don't do that I don't know!! Any clue as to what that will mean for the future of my bottled wine? Does this mean popped corks? Bad taste? Is there any remedy? Any help would be appreciated by this uninformed newbie! Thanks again!

 

[masta]

Since it is bottled already the easiest solution is to decant the wine after opening and let the dissolved gas escape before drinking. Getting yourself a Vacu-Vin will also help speed up this process when you open the bottles. This tool is also very useful to store a unfinished bottle so it doesn't become oxidized.


http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=4317

 

[Wade E]

Words of wisdom above! Colder temps are good for clearing and warmer temps for fermenting and degassing.

 

[grapeman]

First of all WELCOME to the forum!
A lot of the old timers probably didn't degas. Techniques and tools have changed a lot over the years. They didn't use a lot of clearing agents and the wine would stay in a keg or glass for several month while clearing. As a sresult, they degassed naturally.
If you decant like Masta says, the wine will be fine. In the future, learn how to degas and you will get bubble free wine. Edited by: appleman

 

[Wade E]

If you do make a kit wine or just decide to use a clearing agent( fining), it is very important to degas first or it will not work properly.

 

[cespinos77]

First off this is a great site and thanks for the prompt help! The wine I made wasn't made from a kit and it sat for 6 months. I'm hoping its only CO2 and not refermentation. I will decant as told and thanks again for all the tips much appreciated!

 

[Wade E]

Do you have a hydrometer? This is detrimental tool to making wine and
can help you determine the abv, and if you have a stuck fermentation,
and when your wine is stable and not fermenting anymore. This is a
great resource and place to buy supplies and to make friends.

 

[PeterZ]

All gases are inversely soluble in liquid with respect to temperature. That's a fancy way of saying that the warmer the liquid is, the less gas (any gas) will dissolve in it. You have just described one example ot it. It's the same thing that happens to a Coke when you open it after it has been sitting in the car in the sun on a hot summer day in Memphis.

If the wine doesn't taste fizzy, don't worry about it. If it does, decant as recommended above.