Hyperdecanting

[Chris Amirault]

Well, um, they recommend a Büchner funnel and filter set-up. I've got one.

[Pierogi]

What do the assembled geeks....ermmmm...experts think about the idea of using a stick blender in a carafe (not thin crystal, obviously) or sturdy pitcher? Easier clean-up you know, for the more laid-back of us.

[vice]

(Not having tried it) it seems to me that anything that rapidly moves air through the wine will achieve a similar result. Give the stick blender a go and report back!

[Amida0616]

Stick blender would work but probably not as well unless you held it it near the surface.

[Kouign Aman]

They sell a special funnel that will do this for you, without dirtying the blender. eGullet had a grand good time a few years, trashtalking about it.

[Gregg]

Tried the stick blender last night with spectacular results. A bottle of very inexpensive (like $9) Martini cab, poured one glass then the rest in a glass pitcher. Hit it with the blender. Amida0616 was right, you need to keep the blades near the surface. So much aeration that a froth formed, but immediately dissipated when the blender was shut off. Ran for 30 seconds, waited about a minute just because then poured a glass. DW and I both found a remarkable difference (the "hyperdecanted" glass was better). Still a little nervous about doing this with something like Colgin or Mouton, but probably going to make it standard issue for our normal quaffing selections.

Edited March 12, 2011 by Gregg (log)

[Gregg]

Follow up: My wife said the cheap bottle we hit with the stick blender "tightened back up" and wasn't as good by the end of the evening. Knowing we wouldn't finish that bottle that night I had poured it from the blending pitcher back into the bottle, although I did not re-cork or seal the bottle in any way. Thought that was interesting.

[dcarch]

Home Depot sells bottled oxygen for welding torches. The bottle fits regular propane torch.

Anyone like to actually use full oxygen to do this?

dcarch

[fledflew]

The bottled oxygen (or any of the other gasses for that matter) used for welding is almost always sold in unlined tanks. That is, the oxygen will have a slight metallic taste to it. I know this because one of my CO2 tanks ran empty mid-party once and I grabbed a CO2 tank that was intended for welding that I happened to have around to tap a keg. The taste was noticeable. The CO2 tanks used for pushing beer, soda, etc. are lined so that the gas doesn't take on that metallic taste.

[violetfox]

Tried this yesterday with a young Bordeaux as the idea itself made sense. I think it worked well overall in terms of taste, with the tannins a lot softer.

However the colour of the wine was definitely a different shade - maybe if I left it for a while, it mught get back to the original colour - which kind of defeats the point:-)

The question of changing the color is the only reason I can see for not trying this with a younger, less-expensive wine. I intend to try it as soon as possible. Fascinating!

[nickrey]

My suspicion is that the colour difference is partly a result of residual bubbles. It seems to rectify itself if you let it sit for a while.

[HowardLi]

Home Depot sells bottled oxygen for welding torches. The bottle fits regular propane torch.

Anyone like to actually use full oxygen to do this?

dcarch

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