3 Tips For Degassing Homemade Wine

Everyone who has ever purchased a wine kit and read the instructions probably know that degassing wine is an important step before adding clarification ingredients. At the same time, many have questions about this process. But first, what is this gas and where does it come from?

All home winemakers likely know that in order to make wine, the juice needs to be inoculated with yeast. The yeast produce alcohol while consuming the sugar in the juice. Alcohol is not the only bi-product however. Carbon dioxide is also produced by yeast. When the fermentation is vigorous, considerable amounts of carbon dioxide gas are released into the air through the airlock. Due to a variety of circumstances, the wine can hold quite a bit of gas after the fermentation is completed. In still wines, the presence of carbon dioxide in anything but very small amounts is undesirable.

For those who don't have a vacuum pump, removing the carbon dioxide (or degassing as the method is referred to) can be a time consuming process. As well, the winemaker needs to be cautious about too much oxygen coming into contact with the wine while trying to help along the process of degassing. So what should you do?

Tip #1 - Sulfite

Before you begin degassing, always add sulfite to your wine. Degassing with a method that involves stirring or agitating the wine with the air lock removed from the carboy will increase contact with air. Too much contact with air can cause oxidation and allow for a greater possibility of bacteria spoilage. The addition of sulfite to the wine will provide it with protection against this.

Tip #2 - Warmth

At cooler temperatures, carbon dioxide is more difficult to remove from any liquid. If you have kept your wine in a cool cellar, it will have retained much more gas than it would have if it had been in a warm location. The ideal temperature to degas wine is about 75 F (about 24 C). Try to find a warm spot to store your carboy for a few days before you start the degassing process.

Tip #3 - Racking

Racking the wine a couple of times in between vigorous stirring can help drive off carbon dioxide. Splash the wine coming out of the end of the siphon tube against the sides of the carboy. As you do this, much of the gas will be driven out.

Degassing wine is one part of the winemaking process that can be frustrating to some. But it is an important step especially for those who want their wines to clarify and then be bottled in 4 to 8 weeks.