On Dec 4, 1:30*pm, wrote:
> You need to degass the wine before bottling. The theory on wine in the
> bottle, as I understand it at least, is that the oxygen added at
> bottling should be the only oxygen added. There should be no
> "breathing" from the cork or you would never be able to keep wine for
> any length of time. Once bottled, no more oxygen should touch the
> wine. What you need to make sure tho, is that all fermentation is done
> and the wine is totally degassed.
>
> On Dec 3, 6:09*pm, jim c > wrote:
>
> > On Dec 3, 2:25*pm, wrote:
>
> > > It really all depends on the seal of the bottle. If you used screw
> > > tops, I would just sulfite at 1 campden per gallon and bottle being
> > > that no air would probably seep into the bottle, If your going to use
> > > corks , if it was my wine, *I *would use all synthetic corks and
> > > sulfite at 2 campden tablets per gallon.. That should give you 100ppm
> > > and the synthetic corks should keep a good seal. I wouldn't use real
> > > cork. Cork is only a tradition and there is no advantages of using it
> > > unless you want to impress your friends with the unexpected elderberry/
> > > blackberry sherry every once in a while.
>
> > > On Dec 2, 9:04*am, jim c > wrote:
>
> > > > Hi.
>
> > > > I made three batches (15 gallons each) of dried elderberry /
> > > > blackberry / summer fruits wine (some oaked with oak dust/granules,
> > > > some with oak cubes and some with oak staves) with a six month
> > > > interval between each batch. *I have now racked the first batch 4
> > > > times (since it entered the primary fermentation container) over the
> > > > last 2 years. *It has been sitting in better bottles since and is
> > > > looking, smelling and tasting quite good.
>
> > > > I now plan to bottle the first batch faily soon (the subsequent two
> > > > batches will follow at 6 month intervals). *I planned to rack a final
> > > > time before bottling and am beginning to consider how much sulfite or
> > > > campden tablets *(if any) I should add in this last rack - per 5 (UK)
> > > > gallon batch. *I added some (I think a campden per gallon) at must
> > > > stage and I think the same quantity again after about a year but I
> > > > confess I have lost the paperwork. (I also have no access to sulfite
> > > > tests that I know of).
>
> > > > I invite suggestions of a suitable addition per 5 gallon batch to help
> > > > this wine age. *The wine is medium heavy with dried elderberries and
> > > > other fruit and I plan to age it in bottle at least a further year
> > > > before drinking any more - it is still pretty tannic (as an ex-smoker
> > > > and tannin lover that is perfect - I like that in a wine), but I would
> > > > like the wine to survive at least a further 3 years in bottle after
> > > > that - preferably more. *I plan to bottle some with high end colmated
> > > > cork, some with natural cork and some with synthetic seals as an
> > > > experiment unless anyone has definitive arguments for a single high
> > > > quality and sourceable seal for my recycled bottles.
>
> > > > Suggestions please and thank you
>
> > Thanks very much for the advice. *I was planning to go all synthetic,
> > but then I had so much counter advice bemoaning the problems of having
> > a complete seal so I started to feel that maybe the best quality cork
> > was the way forward. *Synthetic cork is far easier to source at a fair
> > price here. *The best quality cork my most local wine-supplies store
> > sells are colmated. *He said he trusts them far more than the natural
> > cork he can stock.
>
> > I tend to leave more ullage in bottles sealed synthetically as I have
> > had problems at corking with the seal being so airtight that the cork
> > pops back as the gas fights the compression! *I guess that's less of a
> > problem than failed corks.
>
> > Jim

Sure, thanks. (in case I was ambiguous) the gas I referred to was
just the gas (air) above the wine - point taken on the need to degass
though...