Degassing your wine is a key step in the final stages of the wine making process. Simply put it’s the process of removing suspended carbon dioxide left over from fermentation.
Before we talk about how to degas your wine let’s take a minute to talk about why it’s so important to get it done right.
Potassium sorbate (or k-sorbate) is a common additive used in wine kits. It’s usually added in the form of a power after fermentation has completed. But what does it do? What precautions should winemakers be taking when using it?
The two most traditional vessels to age wine in at the amateur level is in either glass carboys or small oak barrels. Which is better? You’ll have to be the judge.
Glass Carboys
Glass carboys have been used as far back as the early 1800’s (per some historians), mainly to hold strong chemicals such as acids. Eventually these vessels were used in water coolers and by amateur wine makers.
Their use in wine making stemmed from the need to have a small and affordable container to ferment and age wine in. Plastic carboys did not come onto the scene until very recently. Thus amateur wine makers had to choose between a glass carboy or an oak barrel. Continue reading “Glass Carboys vs Oak Barrels”
The best way to learn from past successes and failures is by taking detailed notes in a wine making log. Previously I shared how to create a log using a notebook here.
Over time I found that I wanted a more structured document to keep track of all the important measurements. To that end I created a free wine making log that fits on a single sheet of paper that I’d like to share with you.