Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:
If you are asking how ... I degass using Mix-Stir Agitator Rod (has plastic blades) mounted in a power drill.
There are a number of ways to degas wine, some quicker, some longer, some more effective, some less effective.
In time, your wine will degas naturally, just as a can of soda looses its fizz once opened and left to sit, though it may take months for a wine. This is my preferred method, as my wines sit around for a year or more in barrels before bottling.
Agitation is also a method, stirring vigorously with a spoon, a drill mounted agitation device, and splash racking. These methods are faster than just letting it sit, but is typically not instantaneous, and may take several sessions over a period of time depending upon the agitation method and the wine itself. Caution should be used here, as excessive agitation can cause the sulfites in your wine to be used up, depleting your protection against microbial invaders and oxidation.
Vacuum degassing (creating a vacuum in the airspace above the wine) is another option, accomplished with various devices, such as the electrically powered All In One Wine Pump sold by one of our members, @vacuumpumpman . The AIO accomplishes degassing through racking under vacuum and typically requires just a few vacuum rackings to effectively degas your wine, a good many of our members are loyal AIO users, it's a great tool and performs other functions as well, such as bottling. His website is here: https://www.allinonewinepump.com/
Some folks use a Vacuvin hand pump or hand operated brake bleeder to create a vacuum to degas, also effective with a fair amount of hand labor.
Others use an electric vacuum pump like the ones A/C technicians use to evacuate refrigerant lines, or medical vacuum pumps, both require an investment in the equipment, and are very effective.
Regardless of your chosen technique, making sure that your wine is degassed is important, as it will allow your wine to clear thoroughly and quickly. The presence of CO2 in your wine gives it a sharp, zingy taste that won't go away if you bottle it that way. You should endeavor to only bottle your wine once it is crystal clear and degassed.
Tasting it and / or the "Poof Test". Put a small amount of wine in a test tube or similar container, put your thumb over the hole, and shake it up vigorously. When you release your thumb pressure, if it emits a "poof" of CO2, you know your wine still has CO2 in it.
I should have mentioned it above, wine will give up its CO2 a lot easier, with all of the methods, when its temperature is higher, so degassing in the mid 70's make degassing a lot easier.............
If you don't have a place to store it with the ambient temps in the mid 70's, you could use a brew belt, or set it on a heating pad, maybe put the carboy in some warm water for a period of time. Just make sure you don't overheat it, don't really want to be getting into the upper 70's or 80's.
I do not have a red kit to recommend, as that is very much up to personal taste. That said, the below may help you as you consider your options.
Four-week kits are typically concentrate-only kits. A good bit of water is required to reconstitute the concentrate. These are the least expensive kits. They ferment relatively quickly and can be consumed young (without much aging).
Five- to six-week kits are often a blend of concentrate and juice. Less water is required to reconstitute. These wines will have more body than the 4-week kits, yet can be enjoyed fairly young, but will likely improve with some aging -- maybe a few months. And they are typically priced a bit higher than 4-week kits.
Six-week premium kits are commonly a blend of concentrate and varietal grape juice. They require even less water to reconstitute (some require no additional water). These may come with grape skins which are intended to enhance mouthfeel and color. These are more full-bodied than the prior and may well require more aging to reach their full potential.
Eight-week ultra or premium-plus kits are similar to the above, but are likely to have more of the varietal juice and may well be sourced from an identified location. These also have skins which enhance the body, color, and mouthfeel of the wine. These wines may well need to be aged 12-18 months to reach their full potential, which can match or surpass some very nice commercial wines. These, as you might imagine, are the most expensive of the kits.
Of course, there are exceptions to the above. But, perhaps this will help you in your decision making.
Four-week kits are typically concentrate-only kits. A good bit of water is required to reconstitute the concentrate. These are the least expensive kits. They ferment relatively quickly and can be consumed young (without much aging).
Five- to six-week kits are often a blend of concentrate and juice. Less water is required to reconstitute. These wines will have more body than the 4-week kits, yet can be enjoyed fairly young, but will likely improve with some aging -- maybe a few months. And they are typically priced a bit higher than 4-week kits.
Six-week premium kits are commonly a blend of concentrate and varietal grape juice. They require even less water to reconstitute (some require no additional water). These may come with grape skins which are intended to enhance mouthfeel and color. These are more full-bodied than the prior and may well require more aging to reach their full potential.
Eight-week ultra or premium-plus kits are similar to the above, but are likely to have more of the varietal juice and may well be sourced from an identified location. These also have skins which enhance the body, color, and mouthfeel of the wine. These wines may well need to be aged 12-18 months to reach their full potential, which can match or surpass some very nice commercial wines. These, as you might imagine, are the most expensive of the kits.
Of course, there are exceptions to the above. But, perhaps this will help you in your decision making.
Tori webb
Junior
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2019
- Messages
- 16
- Reaction score
- 0
Thank you that helps a lot! I got the belvino kit with the equiptment. I was thinking going for a Solomon Grundy next
As for the wine im making now.. ive heated it up to 26 degrees and poured it from tub to tub as thats how the instruction said to do it. And it's still fizzy!
As for the wine im making now.. ive heated it up to 26 degrees and poured it from tub to tub as thats how the instruction said to do it. And it's still fizzy!
The first ingredient in winemaking - patience.
You might put it under air lock and wait (JohnD’s first suggested option). Dose with kmeta and let it sit for 3 months in a 70* + room. Rack it after 3 months and taste it. If it tastes like wine (not fizzy or acidic), dose and bottle.
I never found beating the co2 out of the wine to be very effective. These days I vacuum pump my wine at racking and let time do the rest.
Karol Bonine
KB
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2019
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 0
Karol Bonine
KB
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2019
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 0
We have always used a Vacu Vin to degass our wine kits. The rubber stopper is placed on top of the rubber bung and the vacu pump is used to dispel the gas. Be sure to pump frequently to remove all gas before proceeding with any of the clearing agents. You can buy one in most stores where wine kits are sold or from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Original-Vac...7364&s=gateway&sprefix=vacuvin,aps,199&sr=8-5
There's a thread here called "tweaking cheap kits" and it's one of my favorite on the forum. I made a few kits before with pretty meh results. But then I started tweaking and they really came to life.Thank you for your help! Do you have any red wine kits you would recommend?
It's not a recommendation in itself, but if you read through that, you'll get some good ideas for wines that are inexpensive, drink young and are fun to make.
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
-
Been keeping a chart of EC-1118 Vs Youngs Vs Kit Yeast- Latest: Grape Expectations
-
-
-
-
Free SO2 by Aeration / Oxidation- Latest: David Violante