WineXpert Trouble degassing Cab completely

[RandyR]

I have been working on a Winexpert Lodi Cabernet kit. I have done 14 kits before with few issues degassing. I spent 1 hour with this Cab kit using a drill stirrer and a gas-getter, and I still do not think I got it all.

Can I degass again later, say after racking, or after filtering and right before bottling. I doesn't seem there would be an issue, except getting more air mixed with the wine. However, I could use the gas getter and the wine would not be stirred.

Any opinions? Thanks.

 

[ibglowin]

What makes you think you haven't gotten it all? If you have spent and hour degassing I am pretty confident you have it all and are just pulling air through the wine.

Pour a few ounces into a small bottle that you can put your thumb over and shake it up and listen for a thhpfttttt release of gas. A 375ml split wine bottle will work as well.

 

[robie]

Good advice from Mike.

When you tried to degas, did you have the wine's temperature at least in the mid 70's F? Very hard to degas at a lower temperature.

If you end up needing to, you can degas again anytime between now and bottling. It's best if the temperature is brought back up to the mid 70's before you try again.

 

[RandyR]

Good info, guys. The cab is about a week into clearing, but I did test it with a 375 ml bottle, and it does build a little pressure and has a rim of CO2 bubbles after shaking. You have a great point with the temperature - my workroom in the basement right now is about 68F and that may have caused the hard degassing. Question - it is impractical for me to lug the carboys into a warmer part ofthe house. I know there are strap heaters available. How about having a light bulb shine on the carboys, and let the radiant heat warm them up slowly. Any negative effects to the wine doing this? I know there is to beer, but never asked the question about wine.

Thanks for the responses.

Randy

 

[robie]

Not supposed to subject wine to UV light; don't know about UV output from a light bulb, though.

Many of us use a brew belt, which George sells. If you can't get one, a heating pad will work, as long as you don't get it wet or set anything heavy on the pad, just be careful with it.

Really, you will not be able to easily get all the gas out unless you get the wine's temp up a little more to the mid 70's.

 

[ibglowin]

I am using a heating pad right now to clear my CC Showcase Syrah.

 

[Wade E]

That bottle pressure thing is bogus IMO. It will almost always do that even if youve degassed the snot out of it. Taste a commercial wine that you know is degassed and then try that shake the bottle trick and I guaranty it will poof when done so. There will always be some small amount of C02 in your wine and believe it or not you do want a very little or your wine will be flabby. I, like Mike believe you should be well degassed at this time as long as you degassed in decent temps like somewhere very close to 75*.

 

[v1rotate]

Another test that has worked well for me is to just pour a glass. If there are small bubbles on the side of the glass when you swirl it and maybe a thin layer of bubbles after you pour it, then you probably have gassy wine. I made the Lodi Cab kit a couple of years ago and, surprise, it was gassy as well. It was August in Austin, Tx when I degassed, so no problem with being too cold to degas well.

Your idea of degassing again later is sound. Just add the extra 1/4 tsp of KMeta when you bottle. Gassy wine is VERY disappointing.

 

[RandyR]

Thanks for all the ideas. My AC ducts run through my workroom, and the temp stays around 67F most of the summer here in Indiana - and that was the temperature I was trying to de-gass at. I found that just a simple incandescent light bulb left on 24/7 and directed at my carboy and fermenter bucket from about 18" away increased the wine temp to a more workable 73F inside that room. I should have a less stressful de-gassing in the future, and my shiraz in the bucket began fermenting faster than I have seen in the past.

To close the loop on the original gassy cab question, I took the suggestion on the heating pad and used that to get the carboy up to 76F prior to my first racking after clearing. I racked the wine, and then used the gas-getter to pull a vacuum again and do another de-gass without stirring. I did get more CO2 out, but not as much as I was anticipating. But the result was what I consider a very smooth wine for being so young. Now I have put it on the shelf in my wine cellar to age another 3 months before bottling. Looking forward to a great cabernet in about a year.

Thanks again, Randy