How to Degas Wine: Methods, Timing and the Shake Test

To degas wine, agitate it hard enough to knock the dissolved carbon dioxide out of solution once fermentation has finished. The quickest way is a degassing wand on a cordless drill, run at medium speed for 2 to 4 minutes while you switch direction; the slower way is about 10 minutes of vigorous stirring with a long spoon. Those are the times in Winexpert’s 4 to 8 week kit instructions. When a shaken sample only goes “pfft” instead of popping, and the wine no longer feels spritzy on your tongue, it is done.

Why Wine Needs Degassing

Yeast makes carbon dioxide as well as alcohol, and a lot of that gas stays dissolved in the wine after fermentation stops. A wine that still holds it tastes prickly or spritzy, and the gas keeps particles in suspension, so the wine is slow to clear. WineMaker Magazine’s tips for kit winemakers puts it plainly: too little degassing and the wine may have trouble clearing or feel spritzy on the tongue.

Wine aged in a carboy for many months loses most of its gas on its own, which is why traditional fruit wine recipes rarely mention degassing. Kit wines are another story. Their schedules go from fermentation to bottling in four to eight weeks, and the same WineMaker article advises against leaving kit wines to degas naturally because the timing becomes unpredictable and the wine sits longer at risk of oxidation and infection.

When to degas

Degas once fermentation is complete and the gravity has stopped moving. In the Winexpert schedule that is day 14, the stabilizing and degassing step, with the clearing agents going in on day 15. RJS Craft Winemaking’s process guide pairs degassing with the clarification step and again before bottling, and tells you to degas only until fizz is no longer detectable on the palate. For fresh fruit or grape wine, degas when you stabilize, before fining, and check again before bottling.

How to Degas Wine, Step by Step

1. Confirm fermentation has finished

Take hydrometer readings a few days apart; they should match. Degassing a wine that is still fermenting just releases gas the yeast will replace. Our guide on how to use a hydrometer explains the readings.

2. Rack off the heavy sediment first

A wand spinning in a thick layer of lees stirs it all back up. Rack the wine into a clean carboy first; see how to rack wine. Leave a little headspace, because degassing foams.

3. Sanitize the wand and start slowly

Fit the sanitized wand to a cordless drill, lower it into the carboy and start at low speed. A full carboy of gassy wine can foam up through the neck in seconds. Increase to medium speed once the first rush of foam has settled.

4. Agitate for 2 to 4 minutes, changing direction

Winexpert gives 2 to 4 minutes at medium speed. WineMaker Magazine adds two rules: switch directions to agitate the whole carboy, and keep the prongs of the wand well below the surface, so you are not beating oxygen into the wine. Some wands come with their own timing; the Mix-Stir, for example, is meant for short 10 to 15 second bursts, so follow the maker’s instructions for your tool. Without a drill, stir hard with a long spoon or the handle of a winemaking spoon, changing direction, for about 10 minutes.

5. Add the fining agents if your recipe calls for them

Kit instructions add the clearing agents right after degassing and stir again. RJS, for example, adds kieselsol, then chitosan, then degasses for another 5 minutes by stirring. Our guide on how to clear wine covers the agents and their order.

6. Test, and repeat if needed

Use the shake test below. If the wine still pops, degas again for a couple of minutes, rest it, and test again.

How to Tell When Wine Is Degassed

Both Winexpert and WineMaker Magazine use the same two checks.

1. The shake test. Draw a sample with a wine thief, fill a test jar about halfway, cover the top with your hand and shake. A noticeable pop when you lift your hand means there is still gas. A small “pfft” means the wine is sufficiently degassed.
2. The taste test. Taste a small sample. If it feels spritzy on your tongue, degas again.

If you find the wine still gassy at bottling time, WineMaker suggests racking it off any sediment first, degassing, then giving it 48 hours to settle before you bottle.

Degassing Methods Compared

Degassing wand	Clean Bottle Express Wine/Beer DeGasser Editor's ChoiceTop pick	VINUM 17.5" Stainless Steel Degassing Stirrer	Mix-Stir Agitator Rod
Product
Material	Not stated	316 stainless steel (maker)	Not stated
Fits	Carboys, with an electric drill (maker)	1 to 6 gallon carboys, 3/8 inch drill (maker)	Carboys, with a drill
Maker's note	Listed for use with PET carboys	Paddles fold in to pass the carboy neck	Use in 10 to 15 second bursts to avoid adding oxygen
Price tier	$	$	$
Buy	Check price	Check price	Check price

Editor's Choice

Clean Bottle Express Wine/Beer DeGasser

Material

Not stated

Fits

Carboys, with an electric drill (maker)

Maker's note

Listed for use with PET carboys

Price tier

$

Check price

VINUM 17.5" Stainless Steel Degassing Stirrer

Material

316 stainless steel (maker)

Fits

1 to 6 gallon carboys, 3/8 inch drill (maker)

Maker's note

Paddles fold in to pass the carboy neck

Price tier

$

Check price

Mix-Stir Agitator Rod

Material

Not stated

Fits

Carboys, with a drill

Maker's note

Use in 10 to 15 second bursts to avoid adding oxygen

Price tier

$

Check price

Common Degassing Mistakes

• Degassing before fermentation has finished. The yeast keeps making gas; wait for stable gravity readings.
• Spinning the wand in the lees. Rack first, or you will cloud the wine you are trying to clear.
• Starting at full speed in a full carboy. Start slow and leave some headspace.
• Whipping air into the wine. Keep the wand submerged and time each session.
• Skipping the test. A 30-second shake test tells you more than guessing from the airlock.

Once the wine is degassed and clear, the next steps are backsweetening if you like it sweeter, and bottling and corking.