To degas or not to degas

[makaholic]

Is it true that if we age our wines then degassing is unnecessary?? I read this somewhere and wondered if it were true, as it seems that old time wine makers didn't or don't degas and neither do the big boys as time dispels the gas naturally, but I don't know if that is true or not, must say if it is then I would be happy not have to do it to anything that sits for a couple of years!!

[NorthernWiner]

Depends on how you age your wine. If you age it in a barrel, de-gassing is unnecessary. However, if you age it in a carboy/DJ, then you will probably have to manually de-gas it.

[jayv]

If you add Vinclear just after you rack it, do you still need to degass? The wine will be clear, but will the CO2 affect the flavour?

[NorthernWiner]

Vinclear is Isinglass, which is a clearing agent. It won't do anything to dissipate CO2. In fact, you will usually achieve clearing more quickly if you degas before adding your clearing agent, as dissolved CO2 keeps smaller particles of sediment buoyed and prevents it from sinking to the bottom.

CO2 can affect the flavor adversely, particularly in dry wines.

[medpretzel]

Some Geordie got everyone scared of not degassing their wines about 5 or 6 years ago, saying that it really improves the wine when doing it.

So, I alwyas at least try to degas a bit of the wine.

I'm sure this Geordie can be found somewhere on this forum.

[lockwood1956]

but will the CO2 affect the flavour?

Yes it will,

excessive CO2 in the wine will give it a sharpness on the tongue due to the high concentration of carbonic acid.

Mesasures should be taken to degas, just dont go crazy with it.

regards
Geordie

[makaholic]

Yes it will,

excessive CO2 in the wine will give it a sharpness on the tongue due to the high concentration of carbonic acid.

Mesasures should be taken to degas, just dont go crazy with it.

regards
Geordie

Ah now that's interesting, I don't have to shake until purple in the face!! as long as it has had a few shakes or stirs and some of the gas has been let out then it should be fine?? I am not a drill and whizz person and always worried if I was not getting "all" of the gas out then it may spoil, but then after hearing that only "young" wines needed degasing I though yippee just leave em and dont worry about it, but looks like I will continue to shake it up a bit until the fizz dies down.

[goldseal]

This should help:

http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=81338&postcount=552

[makaholic]

This should help:

http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/s...&postcount=552

Helps LOADS thank you!!

[Cellar_Rat]

IMO. The answer lies in the vast array of commercial degassing machines.

[lockwood1956]

Many commercial wines are saturated with CO2 (ones that are properly aged aren't of cpourse, they lose the CO2 through barrel maturation)

in fact in white wine production they are often injecting CO2 "into" the wine to give it a fruit lift


but a great many reds are not degassed, and prickle on the tongue....do the shake test and see for yourself.


pour a glass from the bottle, pop your thumb over the opening of the bottle shake and see how much CO2 is released.

I dont want to set off another batch of paranoid winemakers, but the wine tastes considerably better without the CO2 in it, so efforts should be taken to ensure you have most of it out, barrel ageing takes care of it, but without it you need to degas.

If you arent currently degassing, and are not barrel ageing (this applies to anyone) bring a bottle of your wine (or send it) to grapefest and I will demonstrate how it can be improved by degassing

[Cellar_Rat]

Another good test is to use a vacuvin with a clear bottle and see if bubbles rise - sometimes it is quite dramatic.

[lockwood1956]

indeedy

[makaholic]

Certainly one notices the prickle from a "Beaujolais Nouveau " being so young and it does make sense that the gas would dissipate through a barrel, now if one is doing this on a fairly regular basis would you recommend the " Vacu Vin" system over the " shake n fizz"?? to be honest I usually immerse a sanitised long stainless steel handled cooking spatula which has a hook on the end for hanging up, it fits nicely into a DJ but cant fall in as the spatulas is wide, this I then vigorously swing back & forth which does froth up the wine considerable and I think works but.......tough on the arms and fingers after a bit

[Darren]

I can smell the gas in the wine try a wine that isn't degassed and one that is you can smell and taste the difference i say always degass you don't have to go mad but it does improve the wine so much. Especially as my wine does not get much chance to age.