Other Vacuum degassing is the only way to go

[Cibb]

I used a drill and whip to degas some wine and then decided to build a DIY vacuum degasser. It was amazing how much more the vacuum was able to pull out. I knew there would be some left but it was far more than I anticipated.

 

[bkisel]

I do vacuum degassing, by use of a Vacu Vin, but don't believe vacuum degassing is the only way to go.

 

[Mismost]

many of my early wines still have gas in the bottle....no biggie really...shake it out, let it sit for an hour or so and the CO2 goes away.

Then I got the AIO pump and use it to rack....and often double rack from carboy to carboy just because it so fast and easy to do so. NO MORE CO2...it is just not there anymore.

I also learned to raise the temps to 70-75 and actually test a half a bottle before I bottle a whole batch....I'm a slow learner, but I get there.

 

[StBlGT]

AIO is fantastic. My winemaking has improved greatly since vacuum degassing.

 

[Brickhouse]

I do some whipping to get it started, but finish with the Vacu Vin and am very happy with the results. Takes a little elbow grease, but it's worth it.

 

[GaDawg]

AIO is great! My only problem is not getting one several years ago!

 

[TallTexan]

I do some whipping to get it started, but finish with the Vacu Vin and am very happy with the results. Takes a little elbow grease, but it's worth it.

I do this as well. My current kit is a WE Select Petit Verdot. I used a drill mounted stirring device to whip it when adding the KMeta, sorbate and chitosan. Got very few tiny bubbles when Vacuvin first applied. Added oak cubes 24 hours later, and have kept under Vacuvin for past 4 days, pumping a couple of times a day. As soon as oak cubes entered the picture I have consistently gotten a good ring of foam each time that I pump. The foam is subsided after a few hours, then reappears when I pump again and the cubes are still afloat. I'm thinking there is still a lot of CO2, even though I stirred it good and hard with the drill mounted rod. Any idea if I would hurt anything if I went ahead and stirred it again? Or should I just continue to keep under Vacuvin? It will be due for another racking in 4 days.

 

[Mismost]

hear that hummmmm....that's my AIO....vac racking 4 batches this evening...started about 5, almost done.

Should have washed and sanitiazed two empty carboys....that would have speeded things up.

 

[TallTexan]

hear that hummmmm....that's my AIO....vac racking 4 batches this evening...started about 5, almost done.

Should have washed and sanitiazed two empty carboys....that would have speeded things up.

Wish I could afford an AIO. Maybe after the daughter's wedding in May I can start saving up for one...

 

[tbayav8er]

Wish I could afford an AIO. With the exchange rate, it would cost over $300 CAD.

 

[michael-s]

I use a stainless wand on a drill and finish up with a vacuum pump. That is my personal routine I use every time.

 

[freqflyer]

I use a Harbor Freight air vacuum pump. It works great.

 

[Wall_of_Paul]

I've only done winexpert kits so far but they are ridiculous when it comes to degassing. I'm quite confident that they can't be degassed without a vacuum pump and I did buy the drill mounted whip for far longer than I'm willing to admit. The owner of my local home brew store tells me that it's the yeast nutrient that these kits contain but I'm unless it's added into the juice pack before packaging then I don't know what nutrient he is talking about. Either way, I bit the bullet and bought an AIO pump and my first kit took 13 transfers between carboys before the foam and bubbles were down to almost nothing. I've been extremely careful to maintain the temps around 73-74 degrees but that hasn't made a difference from what I could tell. My second kit played the same way and I'll be moving to the fining stage on my third kit very soon which seems like it will also do the same.

 

[Bodenski]

I'm discovering that even the Vacuvin doesn't work so well on a plastic carboy, which is what all my 3 & 5 gallon ones are. I guess i'll need to stick with the whip for those.

 

[Cibb]

I've only done winexpert kits so far but they are ridiculous when it comes to degassing. I'm quite confident that they can't be degassed without a vacuum pump and I did buy the drill mounted whip for far longer than I'm willing to admit. The owner of my local home brew store tells me that it's the yeast nutrient that these kits contain but I'm unless it's added into the juice pack before packaging then I don't know what nutrient he is talking about. Either way, I bit the bullet and bought an AIO pump and my first kit took 13 transfers between carboys before the foam and bubbles were down to almost nothing. I've been extremely careful to maintain the temps around 73-74 degrees but that hasn't made a difference from what I could tell. My second kit played the same way and I'll be moving to the fining stage on my third kit very soon which seems like it will also do the same.

That was my experience as well. I used a whip on a drill and then vacuumed and it was staggering how much gas came out of them.

 

[Cibb]

I use a Harbor Freight air vacuum pump. It works great.

My father was a farmer and did A/C work on the side his older vacuum pump has worked great for this.

 

[meadmaker1]

I do this as well. My current kit is a WE Select Petit Verdot. I used a drill mounted stirring device to whip it when adding the KMeta, sorbate and chitosan. Got very few tiny bubbles when Vacuvin first applied. Added oak cubes 24 hours later, and have kept under Vacuvin for past 4 days, pumping a couple of times a day. As soon as oak cubes entered the picture I have consistently gotten a good ring of foam each time that I pump. The foam is subsided after a few hours, then reappears when I pump again and the cubes are still afloat. I'm thinking there is still a lot of CO2, even though I stirred it good and hard with the drill mounted rod. Any idea if I would hurt anything if I went ahead and stirred it again? Or should I just continue to keep under Vacuvin? It will be due for another racking in 4 days.

My experiance is after a good long vacuum, if I still get gas doing it again after two weeks and more in tow more weeks, its not done with fermentation.

 

[meadmaker1]

I am an hvac guy. I hsve a couple of pumps that will no dought draw enough vacuum to collapse a glass carboy, so be carfull and build in a relief.
There are aslo some low pressure paint compressers that will pull vacuum. nicely compact also.
Iv seem old hvac pumps in second hand stores for 50 bucks.
Every hvac co. I know of has a few that wont pull the 500 microns we need. Contact their installor service managers. The ownet of the co. I work for would probably give you one if you had a hand full of trading varieties with you.
These require oil so get a bottle from them while you there. It lasts a long time and you wont need to change it for youe purpose.
No wories about oil in wine. More likely to pull wine into oil.
Just put a container between them to catch the bubble rush

 

[sour_grapes]

I am an hvac guy. I hsve a couple of pumps that will no dought draw enough vacuum to collapse a glass carboy, so be carfull and build in a relief.

Actually, glass carboys are quite strong. I have evacuated them effectively as low as you can go, to no ill effect. (I am a vacuum guy.)

Personally, I do not favor using oil-sealed pumps on wine, due to not wanting backstreamed oil vapors in my wine, but whatever floats your boat!

 

[Cibb]

Actually, glass carboys are quite strong. I have evacuated them effectively as low as you can go, to no ill effect. (I am a vacuum guy.)

Personally, I do not favor using oil-sealed pumps on wine, due to not wanting backstreamed oil vapors in my wine, but whatever floats your boat!

I pull my hose connection so the the back flow comes from straight air instead. It isn't something I like doing though. I'm considering a check valve or where it will pull air though a filter. We hope to move in a year and I intend to set up a full degass station then. I will say I've found vacuum degassing to be far superior to the wand. Now for finish taste between the two I honestly can't taste a difference provided I wand it well.