Dave,
It sounds like your on the right track. Keep degassing until there are no
more bubbles (co2). Most people stir their wine vigorously or use a Fizz-X
rod on a drill to do this. I have seen somewhere, a vacuum device like the
one you've made advertised somewhere on the net so it should work ok. Just
make sure you don't pull enough vacuum to implode a carboy!!
BTW, excess co2 is usually the result of lower fermentation/storage
temperatures (below 70F I believe). Your kit probably recommends a 65-70
fermentation temp after the first racking anyway everything you've done
sound normal.
Hope this helps.
Al

"Dave" > wrote in message
...
> I'm still learning how to make wine from kits. I have a chianti in a
carboy
> with airlock that I started in October. Whenever I take a little sample
it
> tastes fizzy. I tried degassing by vigorously stirring the wine a few
> months ago, but I suspect that I didn't have the patience or strength to
do
> it enough.
>
> So recently I rigged up a little vacuum system using a Vacuvin device,
some
> tubing, bung, and carboy cap. I did that 3 nights ago. It took a bit of
> time to master, but now I can apply a fairly good vacuum. Each time I
> refresh the vacuum I get a large number of bubbles racing to the surface.
> On the one hand I'm really happy because I think this is what I wanted.
On
> the other hand I'm wondering if this is right. Why is there so much CO2?
> Can I be sure that it's CO2? Am I doing something wrong? How many more
> days will it take to draw it all out?
>
> Does anyone here have any experience using this degassing method? Is what
> I'm seeing normal?
>
> Thanks,
> Dave
>
>