Skipping Degassing

[jsbeckton]

I was degassing my kits and bottling after about 4-6 months. Once I had a good stock built up I decided to move to a 1yr bulk aging before bottling so I wasn’t worried about degassing.

Will the wine completely degas on its own over 1 year with just racking every 90 days? I should also mention that I am bulk aging in a cellar at 60F year round temp.

thanks!

 

[NorCal]

I think it depends. 1 year is pretty safe, but I’ve had wines that I still felt had some effervescence at that time. Vacuum racking and vacuum bottling has eliminated my concern. The proof is filling a bottle 1/2 full, put your thumb over the top and shake vigorously.

 

[jsbeckton]

I haven’t had much luck with the shake test. Seems I can get water to “poof” after shaking so I haven’t used it.

I prefer the vacuvin but the problem is it needs to be well into the 70’s for proper degassing and I have carboys topped 1/2” from the bung. If I raised the temp to 75 they would overflow.

 

[jgmann67]

I haven’t had much luck with the shake test. Seems I can get water to “poof” after shaking so I haven’t used it.

I prefer the vacuvin but the problem is it needs to be well into the 70’s for proper degassing and I have carboys topped 1/2” from the bung. If I raised the temp to 75 they would overflow.

You've got to find a happy medium. Either raise your temps or get a better vacuum. Otherwise, NorCal is right, your wine will be like a box of chocolates...

If an AIO or other electric pump is out of reach, go to Harbor Freight and pick up their brake bleeder. Pump until you get to 25' of vacuum and gently agitate your wine. Taste some of your wine first (get it 2" below the bottom of the bung).

 

[sour_grapes]

Well, you could use a wine thief to remove a bit before warming.

 

[jsbeckton]

Will the AIO or the brake bleeder remove all of the CO2 at 60F or will it still require raising the temp?

 

[Floandgary]

No matter which method you use, vacuum or gravity, try allowing a little "splash" when you rack-over. I too do most all of mine in the cellar which is usually in the 60's and I too carboy age for about a year with rack-overs @90 day intervals. While there are exceptions, most all have degassed by the time I'm ready to bottle

 

[garymc]

I use an Allinone. I transfer from bucket to carboy when I press, then rack in a month, more or less, and every 3 months thereafter. I've never had carbon dioxide after that one month rack. My basement is in the 60s.

 

[jsbeckton]

Thanks for the responses. Think I’ll try warming it up after the final racking and vacuvin while there is a little headspace.

On a slightly related topic I also started skipping the clearing agents. Should I expect any sediment after a year?

 

[NorCal]

Thanks for the responses. Think I’ll try warming it up after the final racking and vacuvin while there is a little headspace.

On a slightly related topic I also started skipping the clearing agents. Should I expect any sediment after a year?

I have had some on some wines and none on others, especially after the bottle is 3-4 years old. I think careful racking, before bottling is really important.

 

[offdagrid]

I just bottled some after 2 years in carboy i agitated it several times in that time with one of them drill attachments and it still had co2 in it. I would like to find a way of degassing "without spending much money"
I hate it when corks start popping "note i dont have a basement"

 

[PandemoniumWines]

That sounds more like refermentation than not degassed.

 

[Charlie Little]

I'm not sure if this is any help in degassing but I noticed awhile back, water being drawn up into the vent tube after fermentation with my airlock just hanging there. It appears there's a negative pressure effect due to some cause, perhaps drop in temperature after fermentation or something. It's not much of a vacuum or it would collapse the tubing in my thinking but is it enough to help with degassing if just left like this?

 

[jsbeckton]

A slight change in temp will change the volume of the air and wine, that’s likely what you are seeing.

 

[Arne]

Change in air pressure will do this also. Check the barometer readings as it raises and lowers. Arne.

 

[sour_grapes]

I'm not sure if this is any help in degassing but I noticed awhile back, water being drawn up into the vent tube after fermentation with my airlock just hanging there. It appears there's a negative pressure effect due to some cause, perhaps drop in temperature after fermentation or something. It's not much of a vacuum or it would collapse the tubing in my thinking but is it enough to help with degassing if just left like this?

View attachment 45280

The others have explained the origin, but let me directly address your question about whether the reduced pressure will aid in the degassing. It will be of negligible assistance. It looks like your water column is about, what, 1/2" in the tube? That corresponds to decreasing the pressure in your wine by about 0.1% (or about 0.04 inHg). While it is in the correct direction, that is not really enough to make any difference.

 

[benchmstr]

I honeslty think I degass too much....I always do it more than once..sometime 3 times

the bench

 

[NorCal]

I honeslty think I degass too much....I always do it more than once..sometime 3 times

the bench

In the Sierra Foothills we struggle with acid retention vs. brix. (Warmer nights vs. Napa) Even with aciduation at ferment, the wine always seems to find its way back to 4.0 pH. The wines tend to lack acid in the backend, which some describe as flabby. If I can have just a hint of CO2, I think it gives the appearance of a better wine. For this reason, I try not to over de-gas.

 

[balatonwine]

In the Sierra Foothills we struggle with acid retention vs. brix. (Warmer nights vs. Napa) Even with aciduation at ferment, the wine always seems to find its way back to 4.0 pH.

How much research has gone into finding varieties that are adapted to such a local climate and can retain their acidity? Maybe more Spanish or Portuguese wines for example?

 

[NorCal]

How much research has gone into finding varieties that are adapted to such a local climate and can retain their acidity? Maybe more Spanish or Portuguese wines for example?

Ah, good question. The only grape variety that we have found (so far) that retains its acid, up to the 25-26 range in this area is Barbera. I over oaked my portion of Barbera we made, @4score won a best of class at the CA State Fair with it.