A question about natural degassing

[BernardSmith]

After all the residual sugars have been fermented will the natural degassing process result in any activity in the fermentation lock or is this process so slow that we are unlikely to see anything bubbling. Alternatively, if we see activity in the fermentation lock when the gravity is .995 or lower is that because the dissolved SO2 is dissipating?

 

[robie]

After all the residual sugars have been fermented will the natural degassing process result in any activity in the fermentation lock or is this process so slow that we are unlikely to see anything bubbling. Alternatively, if we see activity in the fermentation lock when the gravity is .995 or lower is that because the dissolved SO2 is dissipating?

After fermentation completes, CO2 will continue to bubble (blow) off for several days or weeks, so you might see an occasional burp of the air lock. It eventually will slow to the point you might never catch a burp, but that doesn't mean the wine is degassed.

 

[shoelesst]

After fermentation completes, CO2 will continue to bubble (blow) off for several days or weeks, so you might see an occasional burp of the air lock. It eventually will slow to the point you might never catch a burp, but that doesn't mean the wine is degassed.

Agreed. Trapped CO2 can bubble for a while. Degassing goes beyond this to get the trapped CO2 out that doesn't come out so easily. If stored in a carboy, it's tough to say whether wine will degas on its own. It certainly won't happen quickly. It probably will depend on how many times you rack. If you are going to rack 3 or 4 times, degassing via other means may not be necessary. If you go to bottle fairly quickly with only 1-2 racking, then degassing with some sort of tool is recommended.

 

[saramc]

It is also quite common to see airlock activity on a confirmed degassed wine when there are barometric pressure changes. Big blurps/burps escaping that just go away as the front moves on through. One of the most important things I can say about degassing is... your wine will seem like it is quite flat, but that is due to the act of degassing (as opposed to letting time handle it naturally, ie 12 months bulk aging usually does the trick) so make sure you allow some recovery time if you used a manual/vacuum degassing method. And, if you think you degassed your wine manually after just one round, think again (or if you did, you are THE MAN or THE WOMAN and have a glass to celebrate).

Can check these out also: http://blog.eckraus.com/blog/wine-making-tricks-and-tips/degassing-homemade-wine & http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/finishin.asp

 

[shoelesst]

It is also quite common to see airlock activity on a confirmed degassed wine when there are barometric pressure changes. Big blurps/burps escaping that just go away as the front moves on through. One of the most important things I can say about degassing is... your wine will seem like it is quite flat, but that is due to the act of degassing (as opposed to letting time handle it naturally, ie 12 months bulk aging usually does the trick) so make sure you allow some recovery time if you used a manual/vacuum degassing method. And, if you think you degassed your wine manually after just one round, think again (or if you did, you are THE MAN or THE WOMAN and have a glass to celebrate).

Can check these out also: http://blog.eckraus.com/blog/wine-making-tricks-and-tips/degassing-homemade-wine & http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/finishin.asp

I am guessing the flatness you describe is also what some people call bottle shock. Some people have said that after their wine travels in a plane, is shipped, just bottled or handle roughly, it needs recovery time.

Also, the movie Bottle Shock is an absolute must see for any wine maker.