De-gassing wines?

[Peapodmaster]

How do you degass wines? ive seen multiple places say you need to stir a lot, some say dont stir because oxygen will get in, is there a quicker was then the simple hand over the top of the FV and shaking it?

Cheers

Andy

 

[Moley]

Some people use whizzy paddle things mounted in electric drills, you can buy degassing paddles from proper homebrew shops or online suppliers.

Some people use vacuum devices like the Vacuvin wine savers, but that's only going to work if you're using a rigid fermenter like a glass DJ, and then I'd be worried about pumping too much and the jar imploding.

I put my hand over the top and give it a good shaking.

 

[Marrsy86]

I put my hand over the top and give it a good shaking.

I do the same and never had any problems.

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

Some people use vacuum devices like the Vacuvin wine savers, but that's only going to work if you're using a rigid fermenter like a glass DJ, and then I'd be worried about pumping too much and the jar imploding.

That's extremely unlikely given the amount of headspace we're talking about in a DJ and the kinds of pressures that one of those wine savers can actually produce (which are quite small).

It's the method I use, and I can honestly say that the remoteness of this even being possible at the pressures we're talking about, let alone the chances of it happening, have meant that I have never even considered it before!

EDIT: BUT It is worth remembering that DJs are not pressure containers, and should not be used to store carbonating brews.

 

[Moley]

It probably is highly unlikely, I don't have one and I've never used one so I don't know what sort of negative pressure they are capable of creating or (reading between your lines) just how feeble they might be.

As most of my shorter term wines tend to be in plastic, and I don't bother degassing the long-term stuff which is in glass, it's not an approach which I am likely to try.

 

[adomant]

http://www.hopandgrape.com/public/detai ... IZ20012114

This will do the trick, do not use drill on high speed or the floor, walls and ceiling will be soaked with foaming wine!
A cordless drill on low speed is ideal, the wine will foam and drive all the CO2 out, which will also keep the oxygen away.

It's worth doing as clarification and filtering will be much easier.

good luck!

 

[hypnoticmonkey]

I don't know what sort of negative pressure they are capable of creating or (reading between your lines) just how feeble they might be.

The one I have has a kind of safety cut off when it gets to a certain pressure. (Mine isn't particularly fancy so I imagine most would have this) however it does still draw out quite a lot of gas, so I don't think it's useless either.

I don't (currently) have any PET demijohns (will do once I can get some lids for the bottles I just bought) so I don't have the same reasons not to use one as you.

 

[Peapodmaster]

i did the hand method. it worked quite well. left the Wine overnight and it's de-gassed now, Cheers guys!

 

[klaus]

When racking I make sure that the wine splashes in the DJ - again this works for me - thread just shows how many different techniques are being used.
Not an exact science.

 

[Dave Ne]

I went over to the cordless drill method a couple of years ago, a popping cork hitting the ceiling is a wake up call, i made my own twirler from plastic rod and i can de-gas in about 2 minutes (5 galls) but you have to stop from time to time as the liquid comes up to the rim (foaming) before settling down again, cheers Dave NE

 

[The Goatreich]

Trying to do this by hand with a plastic spoon at the moment. Giving it a right old mix up for a couple of minutes, then settle, then come back a couple of minutes later and repeat, which is pretty much what the instructions say to do, but how do I know when all the CO2 has gone?

 

[hedgerow pete]

i have the vacuvin at home and dont worry about getting massive vaccuum pressures it never fits properly many of my demi jons always rubbish sealing etc,

plastic whizzy stick jobbie made at home and used in a battery drill easiest to make and deal with every time

 

[alanwh]

I use the shake method, the co2 given off after each shake will expell any air from the FV, so you don't have to worry about oxidisation.

 

[BigYin]

I just shake the fermenter a few times a day during degassing, the resultant bubbling through the air lock of escaping gas is a good indicator of the amount of gas coming out of solution each time.

 

[yellafella]

Sorry to reopen an old thread, but I bought one of those fancy metal drill attachments and I dont think I will be using it again until I move up to 5 gallon containers, ended up with a gallon DJ spinning and it all got a little hairy and I ended up smelling like a brewery.

Sticking with the hand over and give it a good shake method, question is, how many times and for how long do you need to do it for? The Beaverdale kit instructions say at least 3 times a day for 3-4 days, is this a little excessive?

 

[alanwh]

Yes probably a bit over the top, in my experience much depends on the ferment quick volcanic ferments tend to take much longer to degas than slow ones. Just do it till no more gas is generated, when you think its done, leave for an hour and re-check. It is important it is degassed properly though or finings just won't work.

 

[texteditor]

I syphon my wine into a plastic water container (5 litre), put the top on and shake, the bottle pressurises from the gas coming out and I release it by loosening the top, I then repeat till the container doesn't pressurise.
texteditor.

 

[Mark1964]

i dont bother at all and they are fine ok maybe a shake now and again but thats it

 

[cf.]

i dont bother at all and they are fine ok maybe a shake now and again but thats it

I don't I have a really bad back problem I tried it crippled me for 3 days so I can not physically do this . I honestly can not see it make a difference My wines are not oxidising at all . I do try and give it a little shake but that would be as far as it went .