Mosti Mondiale Bulk Aging and Degassing

[hartm]

I'm in the middle of making an All-Juice Merlot kit. I modified my procedure just a little. Instead of adding the oak chips when directed I waited until the fermentation was completed (Kept it in the primary until it was finished). Then I racked it into a glass carboy and added the oak chips. After sitting for a few weeks I'm ready to rack off of the oak and bulk age the wine until next summer.


Here is my question, Do I need to worry about degassing the wine if I'm going to bulk age it? I thought I remember reading somewhere that wineries don't need to worry about degassing because the wine is bulk aged. Is this true? If so, can I get away without degassing if I let it sit for six months?


Thanks for the help.

 

[Tom]

YES. Rack it and degas (better to be safe than sorry). Then add K-meta. If aging you should not need Sorbate. Just remember to add 1/4 tsp of k-meta every 3 months.

 

[Wade E]

I like to degas when its done fermenting as this helps the wine clear by ;letting trapped C02 out which holds solids in suspension. Wineries use big open fermenters and press the grapes when making wine which aids an awful lot in the degassing of the wine which we dont do cause we are usually not dealing with enough grapes or any at all depending on which kit youre making to have the need for using a press. If you dont degas now then you may need to do so later. Ive had a few wines that degassed them selves over time but most even at a year of aging needed to be degassed and when i did so dropped a little more lees afterwards.

 

[ibglowin]

It will clear better if it has been degassed as well.

 

[Tom]

Well there you go!
It's unanimous. DEGAS 1 ST !
Good luck. Let us know what happens.

 

[hartm]

Awesome. Thanks Everyone

I will be racking and degassing today.

 

[RickC]

It may be just me but the kit wines that I have not degassed well enough maintained a bit of an off taste thatthey never seemed to lose.

 

[Bartman]

It has been discussed previously, but I find that several months of bulk aging can eliminate the need to degas. Out of 20+ kits, only the first one, which was the only one not bulk aged, was fizzy or seemed to have any residual gas. I usually bulk age 5-6 months, racking at least twice. Haven't had any trouble with clearing either.
I hope this doesn't create too much controversy.

Bart

 

[Goodfella]

I guess A FEW would say there is no need to degass.... first, I would say WHY NOT DEGASS? There is no downfall to doing it, and it only takes a few minutes. Second, I agree with RickC, I think it throws an off flavor to some wines if you don't do it.


My vote= Degass!!!

 

[hartm]

The next question is about clarifying, though Bart already commented on this.


"Should I bother with the siligel and liquigel if I'm going to bulk age for 6 months?"


It seems to me that everything will precipitate if you wait long enough and going without the clarifier may give a better tasting wine.


Any thougts?

 

[Goodfella]

If you degass, it will probably clear in that amount of time. Use it later if not...