Update & Questions!

[CapeBretonWino]

Hello all

My original post was:

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f5/degassing-top-off-18322/

I left my wine in my fermenting area for a while after unsucessful attempts at degassing. Someone said to leave it for a few days and try again (and that with time it may actually degas anyway?). It has been 2 weeks since I put my packages 3, etc in. Tonight, I took a sample and tested it for gas (using my hydrometer jar) and when I released my hand I got another puff of gas. Should I mix again?

After I get it to degas, how do I know if it has cleared enough? It does seem crystal clear, very similar to wines I have bought in stores, but I'm not sure if this is a thing that has to be exact or not.

In my kit it says to top off the glass carboy with water. In my last post, I mentioned how my wine is not at the level of the carboy that it says it is in the manual. Someone told me that the glass carboys are oversized anyway. My question is, how much water should do I put in now that my wine is different compared to the manual. I don't want it to be watered down.

Right now, there is sediment on the bottom. Doesn't look like there is much but is it normal or by the end should all sediment be gone?

 

[CapeBretonWino]

Okay, I forgot about the part of the manual that mentions about the sediment. It says if I want to I can put the wine another another fermenter if I'm nervous about disturbing the bottom. Is this what everyone here does?

 

[Wade E]

To degas you will want to rack off the sediment if its clearing or almost there and has a good layer of sediment. Now, as far as degassing that wine. You will almsot always get a poof by doing that with wine so disregard that method! You could grab any commercial wine and get that poof. You actually want some gas in your wine, just not a lot. You really need to get your wine into the mid 70's temp wise to degas your wine sufficiently. You dont want to really stir your wine asyou want to disturb your wine. Do not create a vortex in your wine either as this just exposes your wine to more 02. Hope that helps.