ready to bottle?

[kanio]

I made a 6 gallon batch of chad. It finished dry, I added sulfites, clarifiers, degas, and rack several times. I did not add sorbate. It is very clear, no sediment at the bottom. I did not back sweeten as well. It been aging for a month in my 5 gallon carboy with a solid stopper. There is only about 1” between the stopper bottom and the wine.

I didn’t use a air lock because I didn’t want to keep check the water level.

Every 4 to 5 days, the stopper will get push out. I wonder if I am ready to bottle. I don’t want 25 time bombs. I like to bottle this weekend and wonder if it is okay to bottle as is.

 

[winemaker_3352]

The solid bung will popup with different barometric pressures.

It will also pop out if there is CO2 in the wine still.

Have you degassed??

You should always use a bung with airlock to avoid this popping out - it will let the CO2 be released and allow the the changes in atmospheric pressure..

 

[Dend78]

Wine is right, from what I am reading though it should be ready if its clear and sediment has stopped falling out, if you plan to backsweeten though i would do it now and airlock it just in case it takes off again. if you aren't going to back sweeten then i would say bottle it.

 

[kanio]

thanks guys. i plan to bottle this weekend. the wine is crystal clear, the clearest i ever made. i whipped the living daylight out of it, so it is degas. believe, i had wine that i didn't whip well, the bubbles are completely different

 

[robie]

thanks guys. i plan to bottle this weekend. the wine is crystal clear, the clearest i ever made. i whipped the living daylight out of it, so it is degas. believe, i had wine that i didn't whip well, the bubbles are completely different

The only true test that the wine is degassed is tasting it. If tasting gives you a fizz on the end of your tongue, it still needs degassed.

Also, a solid bung, if it and the inside of the neck of the carboy is even slightly wet, the bung will slip out. Dry it, push it in, then twist the bung until it won;t twist anymore.

As was mentioned, always use an air lock on wine for at least the first 6 months in the carboy. If you use the S-type air lock, the solution won't evaporate nearly as fast.