Should You Degas Wine? Make Better Wine at Home

[@stephenbracken]

Thanks for taking the time to produce these videos. The information you share is excellent, I'm very new to home winemaking and the technical information you provide is very helpful.

[@JayDeeChannel]

I could watch these wine making vids for hours! Thnx I’ve learnt a lot.

[@jamesreynold6711]

This is the best channel for winemaking Amazing videos and the effort that goes into them doesn’t go unnoticed

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

Thank you James!

[@richardwolske2015]

I’ve been degassing when I transferred the wine to a fresh carboy, starting when the new carboy is half full being carful not degas after the jug gets to full . No volcano’s yet 👍. Love your videos thank you !

[@michaelfinnegan4301]

I don't know if you have ever tried it but a vacuum transfer from one carboy to another will degas a wine very well and if done correctly, will also expose the wine to minimal oxygen.

[@gabonicocinando6075]

Interesting, how works that vacuum transfer?

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

Thanks! I had not considered that as a secondary benefit of vacuum transfers but it makes sense. I have a vacuum pump for degassing the urethane resin for the punch down tool handles. I may have to think about doing vacuum transfers on the gassier wines...

[@michaelfinnegan4301]

@@TheHomeWinemakingChannel If you really wanted to get carried away and have no oxygen exposure, you could push out of the carboy with argon and pull with vacuum into the other vessel. I have not seen the need for that personally but if you are really worried about oxygen exposure, it could be done. Also, I gave up with the stirring method a couple years ago. After a vacuum transfer I put a one hole bung on top of the carboy and use the pump to remove any extra saturated CO2. Under vacuum the CO2 will release from the wine with large bubbles. It's also a good idea to make a wine trap in case you get some overflow, it won't make it to the pump. The system is pretty simple, very easy to do and yields excellent results.

[@Koolmoto]

Another great, informative video. I have just decided to get into wine making after deciding to plant a vineyard in the back yard and have watched every one of your videos just about twice. Thanks!

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

Awesome, thanks for the great feedback!

[@Koolmoto]

@@TheHomeWinemakingChannel Any way to reduce the oxidation that occurs when doing this power drill method? Is the oxidation OK as long as you add enough sulfite back in?

[@MrBuddAIR]

Super good information! I am close to bottling and this helped a lot.

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

Awesome. Glad it could help

[@MrPhatties]

Some advice - drain a bit of wine out of the carboy, insert the rod through the bung and that will prevent stirring air into the wine since the co2 will stay in the top layer

[@jwmmitch]

I think you answered all the questions I was going to ask... except if the bung is fixed into the carboy spinning the drill shaft through it would break the bung down.

[@MrPhatties]

@@jwmmitch this is more for the rubber bungs with the hole for the bubbler. Conveniently, the shaft for the paddle bit is slightly smaller than the hole in the bung.

[@302475]

Do you keep degassing a red wine until it stops foaming completely? Is that when you know all the co2 is out?

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

You don't have to go that far with it. Just work it until the bubbles are a lot less. A little dissolved CO2 is not a problem and will not be noticeable or visible. If you stir it lightly but hand and it bubbles, it is too much.

[@RichardL-1973]

Great video, and thank you (again) for the time and effort you put into helping us newbies. Was wondering whether you have any opinions on other degassing options e.g. between primary fermentation and before MLF, or after MLF before long term aging. (I age reds for about a year in carboy, and they always end up a little fizzy. Looking to do something about it this season.) Thanks again!!

[@Seththebot]

Wow great stuff as usual! Thanks for continuing to make these videos.

[@kendallwillis]

I am going through this right now. I could not figure out why my wine was burning my throat and tasted soooo sour. After going through all the possibilities, I found that there is a lot of gas in my 2 year old wine! I keep it cold.

[@johnbassett9282]

Wondering when your degassing mixer will be back in stock?

[@craigm2273]

I just racked my red wine that I plan on bottling in May. I tasted it and could tell there's CO2 in it. I've made wine for years and there's normally no noticeable CO2 at this point, so I expect I'll have to degas before I bottle. If I degas with the degassing tool, should I be able to notice the removal of CO2 in my mouth (or using any method of CO2 measurement) immediately after I degas, or does it take some time for the CO2 to come out? I'm just trying to determine when know I've degassed enough before bottling.

[@richardbastetvseries2780]

Most of your videos shared was very informative and useful really good to me as a beginner in wine making at home 🏠🏠

[@kevinbane3588]

Degassing by an engineer 😎

[@inambaguum]

That's a cool tool, but it seems like it would introduce quite a bit of oxygen to the wine. Have you tested DO before and after using it to see what the effect is?

[@JamesJon1187]

Another channel mentioned that C02 is heavier than oxygen so it should form a protective layer. Might not be completely protective, but the oxygen exposure is probably not as bad you might initially think.

[@pdfbrander]

SS wine degasser, aka the carboy smasher! I'd say the "wizzers" are plastic for a reason on every other degassing wand on the market.

[@broccoli5408]

An helpful film thankyou. You didn't mention the long hose method

[@klongfritz]

Questions: I’m in the process of making my very first batch of wine from a Cabernet juice kit I got for Christmas. The kit did not come with Bentonite nor is it required in the instructions, however, I do know it seems to be used a lot in the final clearing stage. Also, I just racked it from the secondary fermenter to a carboy and the instructions say to let it rest for 8 days before bottling. Can I let it age a lot longer in the carboy if I want and should I treat it with bentonite before I start the additional aging? Thanks very much! Your videos are really informative and helpful!

[@DbzTO]

Wouldn’t that degassing tool you built potentially smash a carboy if you hit the side wall when spinning fast inside one? I would think the plastic paddles ones would be safer

[@jeffferry9297]

Thanks for the help sir, great video!!

[@staceyw4007]

Do you degas wine before or after when using bentonite

[@elvisabreu1429]

I just started making my first batch prejuiced red grapes cabin...sov.. day 14 I'm getting a reading of 106 and still bubbling alot.... Is this normal

[@beescheeseandwineplease889]

Another super helpful video! Also, store is a great idea, will get those tools for sure. You should find the best tools from the industry and offer them on your website also. I have a pile of winemaking stuff I purchased through the years just collecting dust because I wasn’t sure what to purchase when I started winemaking. Would be good to buy a “premium” kit or other “premium” tools from someone who knows 1st hand what the best equipment is.

[@jeffjohnson1464]

Do i add campden before or after i degass?

[@DavidAbraham504]

What about fruits wines? Would you recommend degas those wines?

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

Chilled wines which would include most fruit wines can benefit from a light degassing if bottled before about 1 year. Beyond that they should be fine. Chilled wines can hide a lot of CO2 since it is more soluble at cold temps. A tiny bit of dissolved CO2 in a chilled wine can change the mouth feel slightly without actually a noticeable effervescence. In a wine served at 60-70F the effervescence will show if it isn't degassed quite good which is a generally perceived as a negative.

[@PaulAmeliaIsland]

If the wine has been in a carboy for 6 months without any bubbles going through the airlock…would it be safe to say it doesn't need to be Degassed?

[@lyn1896]

If I have a smaller amount of wine, could I just use a kitchen machine with paddle or kneading attachment or maybe just a blender?

[@richardwolske2015]

I’m looking into degassing with a vacuuming system, can you shine some light on the subject ? I trust you input. Thank you .

[@Timmiller166]

I have this tool of yours and have been generally degassing for around 20 minutes for my reds. Am I beating it too much or is that just about the right amount of time. Also, I have been adding sulphates after degassing. Is that correct? Thanks

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

It depends on how long the wine has aged. 20 minutes is about the most you would want to degas though. A young red can go for about five or six good whips. A red that had aged more than about a year and a half in bulk will probably not need any. A young white (3-5mo) is good for about four or five whips. You don't need to get every bit of CO2 out but want to get enough that there is no perceived effervescence. If the wine will be drank cold (white), the bubbles will remain dissolved better so the can handle a little more dissolved CO2. If it will be drank a little warmer, the bubbles are more likely to come out of solution and create a little fizz around the rim. Gasses are more soluble in liquids at cold temps and less soluble at warm temps.

[@steveday4797]

Wouldn't using a spinning chain in a glass carboy be a bit dangerous? At the very least it could scratch up the sides

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

The diameter of the spinning chain is about 6.5 inches which leaves about two inches per side of clearance for the glass. Even so, if the chain were to contact the side it is very unlikely to scratch. Each link weighs about 13 grams which carries very little inertia and is polished smooth. If it were to brush the side on a smooth carboy, it is not going to exert much force. I wouldn't bang it against the side all day on a ridged carboy. As for scratching, the hardness of the two materials is very close, depending on the type of glass and the type of stainless. While dirt or sand can easily scratch glass, stainless steel generally will not. I use a stainless butter knife to scrape labels off bottles and have never had any scratching.

[@davecummings6328]

Your website says you are out of the degassing tools you demonstrate in this video. Do you have any plans to make more in the near future? Thanks for the great videos!

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

I do actually have some being made right now. I hope to have them up on the website in the next couple weeks, once I have them in hand.

[@davecummings6328]

@@TheHomeWinemakingChannel Thanks Rick!

[@asimplelifeinthephilippine1465]

Is Using a vaccum pump one of the best ways to degass wine.

[@jackkerouac8439]

It's also worth asking whether wine that imparts a minor amount of co2 around the rim of a glass could fully degas inside the wine bottle over time itself given the bottle does in fact breath in relation to temperature?

[@marciomaia4020]

Won't it degass on its own if you rack it long enough?

[@onkarmane8760]

Yes that's why he advised that it's not necessary if you are gonna keep it in carboy for 1-1.5 years Demanding is to be done if you are gonna bottle and consume the wine within 1 year

[@petergrodziak4282]

Awesome content. You noted a drop of 10-15 ppm of sulfate with racking and degassing. For those of us who dont have capability yet to determine sulfite levels, would you recommend adding sulfite, and if so how much? Getting ready to bottle a Pinot Nior and Casa de Rosa red blend.

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

When in doubt I would generally add a little more sulfite. The threshold to smell it is about 200ppm depending on how good your sniffer is. Adding about 1/4tsp at the time of bottling will generally allow the wine to age at least a year or two unless the pH is very high.

[@Tootnscoot]

Question here... After stabilizing a 1 gallon batch of muscadine wine with campden tabs and potassium sorbate I have consistent fine trailing bubbles ( like sparkling wine) in my wine. I used EC-1118 yeast and there is fermentation sugar still left but not alot ( this was on purpose.) While my airlock doesn't move except maybe once or twice in 5-10 minutes and my gravity readings have stayed the same it continues to bubble. I have degassed it twice already and it starts back the same making me think it fermentation kicking back up but nothing is changing over the last 1.5 weeks and I'd figure I'd have some kind of difference. What could be the causes?

[@theulsterexpat]

complete novice to wine here. But if you are making a white wine kid with the express intention of putting it in a corny keg to carbonate for a faux prosecco, is it a necessary step?

[@jackkerouac8439]

Nice video. So I've racked my wine once so far and there's still some sediment. You mentioned making sure there is no lees while degassing. My question is, Is there an optimal time to degas? I have a couple hundred gallons I intend to store in carboys and bottle over the course of a year or so. Would it be okay to degas at the end of a wine's storage? I like your degas tool. The ones I've seen are plastic crap. If you have them for sale I'll get a couple. Thanks.

[@michaelbereny6783]

So how do you degas wine that is in plastic carboys?

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

Rack it into a plastic bucket first or use a degassing tool right in the carboy. In either case you won't want to bang the tool off the sides which is pretty easy to avoid. You can't use the vacuum method in a plastic carboy but the other methods are fine. You will want to rack anyways to get off any lees before Degassing.

[@dank6905]

If you can't afford to buy anything,I use a wooden spoon in drill,it work quite well.

[@aboujaoudecharles1468]

What exactly the CO2 can do Healthy wise ?

[@Kberrysal]

Better bottling my wine should I use pure nitrogen gas in the bottles before putting the wine in it

[@jackkerouac8439]

My other question is, if you could make a degassing rod to accomodate a 30 gallon barrel, do you think it would be possible to degass that much effectively at once with a high powered drill? I'm looking to save time, a lot of time. lol Maybe wishful thinking.

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

With a barrel you can usually switch to a solid bung once you are confident that MLF is complete. As the wine slowly evaporates through the pores of the wood, the headspace will become a slight vacuum that will naturally degas. You could hook up a vacuum pump got he bung for a little faster. I would think it would take a long while to degas a barrel with the mixer, but it would be useful for churning up the lees on a young wine.

[@claudedesnoyers8545]

WHAT ABOUT A VACUUM PUMP. COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT

[@danielhughes6896]

I bottle after 6 month in carboy, never had any noticeable C02

[@jimdent351]

I did on one occasion. It was a Chilean wine that I made in April and bottled in Dec. Eight months in the carboy and bottling during a cold time of the year, I just didn't notice the CO2. Now I just wait about 11 months, and I allow the wine to come up to room temp. for a good 24 hours before bottling.

[@StoneyardVineyards]

Cheers we always de gass

[@kaya5168]

Hello, I have a question that I cant find an answer anywhere. If I want my wine to be sparkling wine can I leave the degassing step out instead of degassing first then using priming sugars to gas again ? What will be the effects of this if I do it like this instead of the standart method ?

[@TheHomeWinemakingChannel]

If you are going to make a sparkling wine, there is no sense in degassing it. You can prime the wine with a yeast and sugar slurry using the traditional champagne method or you can force carbonate it which is a lot easier and allows you to carbonate a wine that is intended to keep some residual sugar if you want.

[@terrymaret694]

Be careful when degassing fruit wines. I had a lot of CO2 in my 6 gallons of apricot wine so I stirred the wine that had completed fermentation at 70F in a large bucket. Using a drill and whip stirrer the wine started to turn color from a bright yellow to brown after about 5 minutes. Before degassing the wine tasted tart and fruity but now after degassing it was flat tasting with a pH 0 3.9. Seems I just ruined my batch due to excessive oxidation. Brewer beware...should have waited for it to naturally degass.

[@GXG420]

chain links in a glass carboy is a scary idea

[@JustSamOfficial]

Awesome...!

[@fatcake328]

I come from the beer making world, so wine is new thing for me. I get why you’d want to degas, but isn’t this just introducing a ton of oxygen and thus oxidation?

[@mantaszmenskis5619]

Click the top of the glass jug like you would a beer bottle, not too hard, and it's thoroughly degassed.

[@groundup001]

This is murr’s cousin from impractical jokers

[@gizmorepairs]

Is this not introducing lots of co2 into the wine ?