Wine Tasting "Fizzy"

[Brent2489]

Hi all,
Just opened a bottle of the Selections Merlot/Cab that was the first wine I made (way back in April!!). Tastes a little carbonated. When I decanted and let sit for awhile the fizz is much less. Did I not stir enough to degas? Could I have been too aggressive with the drill and actually added gas? Or should I have simple been more patient and let it sit longer before bottling??

 

[grapeman]

Most new winemakers are impatient to bottle their first wines. You may not have stirred enough. You didn't add gas to it when degassing with the drill. Leave it longer before bottling and you will have less gas.

 

[cpfan]

Brent:


You did not degas enough. Personally I do not think that stirring with a drill does a very good job of degassing. Back and forth with a spoon is better than round and round with a drill.


Steve

 

[Wade E]

Time and better job degassing is all that is needed.

 

[Bartman]

I had the same problem with my first wine several years back. Laziness, expressed by failing/forgetting to bottle the wine and leaving it in the carboy instead, has eliminated this problem for me.

Bart

 

[PolishWineP]

There you go, Bart! Let time do your work. However, proper degassing is essential. But, once that is done, time will help.

 

[Brent2489]

Thanks for the comments. Guess I will forget about the ones I have in carboy right now. Any suggestions about when to 'remember' and bottle them? Should I be adding some metabisulfite? I did rack both of them into bucket then back in to carboy over the weekend.

 

[Big Ike]

Brent,

I did the same thing with my first batch. I was too anxious to get the stuff in bottles.

I've found that degassing a six gallon carboy takes about 30+ minutes for me alternating between the whip and vacuum.

I've been stabilizing them with the metabisulfite and letting them sit. I have extra oak in all of mine, so I'm letting them extract what they can for a couple of months.

I spoke with a home winemaker on Friday who leaves his wines in carboys for a year. He bottles right before the next crop comes in.

Hope I'm accurate and that this helps.

Ike

 

[RickC]

I have struggled with the same problem. For some reason I have not been able to sufficiently degas only with the whip so have started using the whipin combination with vacuum plus more time in bulk storage. I was amazed how much gas was still in my last wine after I thought I had it degassed with the whip. Good luck with your next one.

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the comments. Guess I will forget about the ones I have in carboy right now. Any suggestions about when to 'remember' and bottle them? Should I be adding some metabisulfite? I did rack both of them into bucket then back in to carboy over the weekend.

Remember every 3 months add 1/4tsp K=meta per 6 gallons.
DEGAS right after the secondary and every time you rack depending on the wine.