So much for the Fizz-x

[canoe]

About 8 batches and the head shears off.

So I take the wine over to my woodturning lathe where I have a vacuum pump and hook it up to the carboy. Yes you get some bubbles initially, but even at 24inches I can only degass by shaking the carboy with the pump running. It doesn't look like it's going to be that much better than the fizz-x.

Anyone have any comments on vacuum degassing.

Bill

 

[Wade E]

If you can hold 24" of vacuum then your wine is degassed as much as it needs to be. I never go over 22" with my vacuum and never have fizzy wines. You will always be able to get some kind of bubbles to come up as you will be pulling air through your wine or whatever is sitting as a gas on top of your wine such as S02 or C02. You have to watch the size bubbles that are being pulled up. The small ones like when you first start are the ones you want out and they eventually get bigger which is then just vacuum being pulled through. You say you sheared off the head of the Fizz-X, is that the metal one as ive had mine for 7 years now any havent had any problems yet. If its the plastic one then they are garbage.

 

[canoe]

Wade, it's the all metal one, snapped right off the end of the shaft.

My vacuum system was set up for a vacuum chuck on a wood lathe. If I turn off the pump I lose vacuum, so while I can pull 27inches with the pump running I don't have a valve I can close between the carboy and the pump to see how long it would hold a vacuum after the pump was turned off. (wood being pores it wouldn't do me any good).

I got a lot of the larger bubbles initially, but not too much of anything now if I just leave it running. If I shake the carboy I get a lot of the fine bubbles and foam you normally associate with co2.

Bill

 

[Tom]

Wade, it's the all metal one, snapped right off the end of the shaft.

Bill

Where did you get it? I would think they will make good on it. You "must" have hit something that it snapped off. I have no problems with mine and I make alot of wine (ask Wade).

 

[Wade E]

I wouldnt use that much vacuum on a wine or a carboy for thet matter as it could implode your carboy. Have you tried tasting the wine now. I dought it is fizzy at this point. What are you using for a drill for the fizz-X. i just use a 18 volt cordless drill on high speed and just hit it with bursts forward and reverse and never get a vortex going. Sounds like you either over powered the fizz-x or had a defect in it.

 

[canoe]

Where did you get it? I would think they will make good on it. You "must" have hit something that it snapped off. I have no problems with mine and I make alot of wine (ask Wade).

Nope didn't hit anything. Just felt the torque go down to nil, pulled it out just the shaft left.

Most winemaking equipment I have to get mail order (I think this one came from Newfoundland)so I don't have a local store I can take it back to.

Bill

 

[canoe]

I wouldnt use that much vacuum on a wine or a carboy for thet matter as it could implode your carboy. Have you tried tasting the wine now. I dought it is fizzy at this point. What are you using for a drill for the fizz-X. i just use a 18 volt cordless drill on high speed and just hit it with bursts forward and reverse and never get a vortex going. Sounds like you either over powered the fizz-x or had a defect in it.

I'm not putting 27 inches on the carboy wade, just could. I'm keeping it around 23.
Just got back upstaires after another round of shaking, seem to be getting a little less foam.

I'm using the fizz-x the same way you are, forward and reverse bursts, but with a 3/8 110v drill. I got tired of changing batteries.

Bill

 

[Wade E]

An electric drill will have much more power and should not be given full speed but its still hard to belive you sheared it! Bummer. Please be careful with the carboy while pulling a vacuum and getting violent with the carboy as 1 wrong bump could implode it.

 

[Madriver Wines]

This is going to sound crazy but I have found a long handled spoon to work great. I insert the handle up to the bowl and hold onto it. I then work it in a circle speeding up slowly as I go. I do create a pretty good vortex but no air is being introduced. Is this too fast ? I usually go for around 10 min. and it is done with the tiny bubbles.

 

[gonzo46307]

I use the drill mounted thingy when I add the k-meta, sorbate, and fining agent (for my kits). Then I hook up a mity-vac and start pumping. I don't usually go over 20 inches. Just check it a few times throughout the day, pump it back up to 20. When it starts holding the vacuum longer, you're there.

Since I'm still so new at this, I'm trying to get my inventory up, then I'll just try bulk aging, and the gas should release over time.

Peace,
Bob