# Easy Sparkling Wine



## Pumpkinman (Feb 21, 2013)

I got this method from Bzac, it is an extremely easy, fast and low sediment method of making sparkling wine.


You will need to buy: 

Encapsulated yeast, Prorestart/ UvaFerm 43, ProElif® QA23 might even be better if you can find it. These are the QA23 baynus strain of yeast used for sparkling wines. 
Find it here for under $20.00
Coopers carbonation drops 
Champagne Bottles
Plastic Champagne stoppers
Wire cages
Stainless steel pipe screens


Put one gram of Encapsulated yeast in the plastic stoppers, pushed the stainless screens in to secure the yeast. 
Rehydrate the yeast in a solution of warm water & sugar ( the instructions will give you the specifics)
Fill the Champagne bottles adding 2 Coopers Carbonation Drops (sugar) per 750 ml bottle, making sure that wine level is an inch or so from the top, put in the cook with the yeast (do not remove the screen, yeast must stay in cork).
Secure cork with wire cage, store bottle on their side.
Every day shake the bottle once or twice.
*In 2-4 weeks, you have perfect sparkling wine with little to no sediment!*
I tested a few bottles and it works well.

Test a bottle or two and you will be surprised!


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## JohnT (Feb 21, 2013)

I asked this question on another thread, but figured that I would ask it here as well. 

Where do you get your "pipe screens". I never heard of this. 

johnT.


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 23, 2013)

We sampled another bottle tonite, flat out amazing!!!!!
Get your Stainless pipe screens here...click me..


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## joeswine (Feb 23, 2013)

*sparkling wine*

I finished making the millennium sparkling wine kit, and the way they perceive to make it wasn't instead of adding the normal chemicals at the end to stop the fermentation process. They add dextrose to the mix then allow the 4 to 6 weeks to pop the cork.

The sparkling wine itself was okay. Better than I expected. However, it did turn cloudy from the addition of the dextrose (should have used simple syrup)
This made a decent sparkling wine semi dry lots carbonation and an hour later, after the bottle was opened still have plenty of bubbles so satisfied with that aspect, so my questions pumpkin man are you saying that no wine was perfectly cleared and then you added sugar pills and then the yeast? Or can you break down the process steps for me would appreciate it goes one to make good sparkling wine finally did you know was a kit and it came out just great but still a little cloudy. I was wondering, if I would use simple syrup in the final stages it would've done the same thing as the dextrose without dissolving aspect, I have 6 gallons of Pinot Noir in the mix right now what I'm going to do that when the file the same aspects or resting at the millennium wine kit. What I'm going to do is take 3 gallons of this Pinot Noir and prior to bottling and added one shot glass of simple syrup then cork wire and let it set. The best champion of ever had was a Pinot Noir. It was exquisite better than the comparison's I had $140 a bottle. So please let me know the steps were that you did not take them under advisement. Meanwhile, if you want to swap bottle to bottle no always open to it. Yours always. JP


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 23, 2013)

Joe! Hey bud, it would be my pleasure to break down the steps for you, but I have to admit, after tasting your wines, it would be an honor my friend!!!
I made a 6 gallon batch of Moscato, but obviously,Pinot Noir would be perfect as well.
The Moscato was perfectly cleared. A finished wine

The wine was a little bit too dry, so i adjusted it with just a little sugar to maintain the sweet Asti Spumante characteristics.
I weighed out exactly one gram of Encapsulated yeast per bottle - Prorestart/ UvaFerm 43. This is a QA23 baynus strain. The yeast almost looks like grains of rice, not powdered.
I put one gram of yeast in each plastic stopper, and pushed a stainless screen in to secure the yeast. 
I rehydrated the yeast in a solution of warm water & sugar ( the instructions will give you the specifics)
I Filled the Champagne bottles adding 2 Coopers Carbonation Drops (sugar) per 750 ml bottle, making sure that wine level is an inch or so from the top, put in the cook with the yeast (do not remove the screen, yeast must stay in cork). 
The coopers carbonation drops supply the sugar that the encapsulated yeast need for the secondary fermentation in bottle and produce the CO2 needed.
The best part Joe, is that there was no visible sediment, the yeast is still in the stopper, still looking like grains of rice.
The wine was fantastic, we opened up the last test bottle last night with friends, it was perfect!


As far as the kit you made using the dextrose, I would have used Simple syrup as well, or...At least when making beer, the dextrose is used as a priming sugar and normally, 5 ounces is used to carbonate 5 gallons of beer, it is boiled in 2 cups of water, making a very watered down syrup, it isn't added before dissolving it, that could have been the reason for your wine becoming cloudy after adding the dextrose.
I am also going to make a few bottles of Sparkling wine with 2 gallons of my Pinot Noir, I've had that many times when I lived in Italy.
I will use this faster method of making sparkling wine, 2 Coopers drops and 1 gram of yeast held in the plastic champagne stopper with a stainless steel pipe screen, it is almost too easy!
Joe, I purchased the yeast from M&M, on their website, although it seems like they have an error on the pricing. MoreWine has 83 grams for $18.95
If you have any questions, we can set up a few mins to talk on the phone, I believe I may have sent you my number, if not, let me know.


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## joeswine (Feb 23, 2013)

*understand*

see the difference ,but I would think that using the sugar drops ,with out adding the chems at the back end would do the same thing with out adding the yeast,the yeast is still abit active without finding and would then be stimulated by the sugar to start the reprocess,just my thoughts,???????????? they did't in the unstructions state to do any thing else with the dextrose ,so on this occausion I stayed the course,....................jp


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 24, 2013)

The issue with using the yeast from the first fermentation is that most of it is dead, plus, Spumante needs that tell tale yeast flavor, I swear, I goggled it to be sure...lol
In theory, I agree with you, but for hundreds of years they have been adding yeast and sugar for the secondary fermentation, it has to do with the amount of carbonation that you will get as well.
I look forward to hearing your results!


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## joeswine (Feb 24, 2013)

*Sparkling wine*

I'll try that the next time out, will be shipping the ports very soon............ remember what I added to my.


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## Boatboy24 (Feb 27, 2013)

Cool idea Tom. Thanks. I assume you need to have a champagne corker to do this - correct?

I have two 1.5L bottles of dragon blood that have no sorbate. I'm going to bottle them in large beer bottles with a little sugar and see what happens. Would love to make some sparkling DB, but am concerned about clarity. Your method would solve that problem, but I don't have a champagne corker.


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## sdb8440 (Feb 27, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> The wine was a little bit too dry, so i adjusted it with just a little sugar to maintain the sweet Asti Spumante characteristics..


 
Hi Tom,

What was your ratio for the backsweetening?
Also, do you think that over time the yeast would continue to eat into the sweetness level or over carbonate? I was thinking that once carbonated it may be prudent to pop them in the freezer upright, pull the corks and the yeast and then recork.

Last question (I think), what diameter were the stainless pipe meshes? The link didn't work ofr me but I did see various sizes on Amazon.

This will save me about $1k per year, thanks!

Scott


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 27, 2013)

*Boatboy24* - no corker needed, use the plastic corks (stoppers) I can push them right in by hand, then I add the wire cage.
*sdb8440 *- The beauty of this is that the yeast stays in the stopper, behind the stainless steel screen, you could just remove the wire cage and stopper and replace the stopper with another, without the yeast, sine the yeast is encapsulated, it looks like small kernels, it doesn't turn to a powder, or sediment.
I bought 1 inch stainless steel pipe screens. The link is here Stainless steel Pipe Screens
As far as back sweetening, for this particular batch, I used 14 grams of sugar (1/2 ounce) per bottle.


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## Fabiola (Mar 7, 2013)

Hi pumpinkman! 
I was about to bottle tonight some riesling from a kit that I want to make into sparkling wine, after reading this thread I am going to try this method, but I have a question: If I use the encapsulated yeast, pipe screens, and carbonation drops, that means that I don't have to get rid of the sediment later?


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## Pumpkinman (Mar 8, 2013)

yep, I had no sediment! This is just another reason why this method is very appealing!


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## Brew and Wine Supply (Mar 8, 2013)

I've been kicking around the idea of tossing some Chardonell into a Corny keg and force carbonating it, then bottling it after a few days. any one else try this? or comments? We like a dry sparkling wine.


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## g8keeper (Mar 8, 2013)

Brew and Wine Supply said:


> I've been kicking around the idea of tossing some Chardonell into a Corny keg and force carbonating it, then bottling it after a few days. any one else try this? or comments? We like a dry sparkling wine.


 
doug, i have done something similar to this in the past, only unfortunately we didn't keep it under pressure long enough, only a couple of hours...doing for a couple of days should work out fine....just 2 tips.....1) be sure once you fill the korney to chill it down, since as we know, colder temps will hold the c02 in suspension better, then go ahead and pressure the korney with co2....2) periodically take the korney out, lap it on your lap, and roll it vigorously up and down along lap, or i guess you could lay it on it's side on the floor and roll it back and forth....either way, that will help the wine take in the co2....with these tips, force carbonation should work out just fine....no, this isn't the methode champanois, but it will still make a fine sparkling wine....


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## FL Steve (Mar 8, 2013)

Okay, keeper, how much carbonation did you lose? I have kept mine at 40psi for a couple of months at near freezing and have occasionally opened it up and done a sampling, and it is boiling as the co2 escapes. I have tried the counter pressure bottling system before but it is a pain and at 40 psi it blows by the seals. I believe commercial sparkling wine is up at around 50 psi or more. Other than chilling the bottles and chilling the wine, how did you keep the pressure up?


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## Fabiola (Mar 8, 2013)

FL Steve said:


> Okay, keeper, how much carbonation did you lose? I have kept mine at 40psi for a couple of months at near freezing and have occasionally opened it up and done a sampling, and it is boiling as the co2 escapes. I have tried the counter pressure bottling system before but it is a pain and at 40 psi it blows by the seals. I believe commercial sparkling wine is up at around 50 psi or more. Other than chilling the bottles and chilling the wine, how did you keep the pressure up?



I read somewhere that adding carbonation to wine makes it taste like cheap wine, and we don't want that in a bottle of champaigne, I don't know if this is true...


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## NashChic (Mar 10, 2013)

Anyone else having trouble finding the smaller quantity of the encapsulated yeast? So far I've only been able to find it in much larger quantities than I would need. Of course, I don't have anything ready now that would be appropriate for a sparkling wine, but I would like to try it at some point.


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## wineman2013 (Mar 11, 2013)

http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php?/topic/48701-tell-me-more-about-making-sparkling-wine/

Here's the original thread of it on wine press , bzac lists more wine as a source of smaller amounts (80g for 20 bucks) otherwise you have to split a kilo .

That's enough for 80 bottles , but you can also make sparkling cider or mead , fruit wines etc in swing top bottles with some of it.


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## Pumpkinman (Mar 11, 2013)

My post has the link for the yeast on more wine....


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## NashChic (Mar 11, 2013)

When I looked the other day it said out of stock & gave an option to sign up to be emailed when it was available. I never received an email, but it looks like its available now. Thanks!


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## wineman2013 (Mar 11, 2013)

The price on encapsulated yeast has come down alot 

The original thread also gives tips about aging the base wine on the fine lees and a high dose of biolees for more of a champagne character

The thread also compares this method with tank carbonating. Encapsulated yeast is less work.


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## sdb8440 (Mar 12, 2013)

Hey wineman, can you post the link you refer please and thanks!

Scott


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## Pumpkinman (Mar 12, 2013)

Trust me when I tell you that I've made Spumante on a larger scale and this tastes fine without bioless. I'm not saying that it may not be needed for other examples, but be familiar with what bioless brings to the table and why you need or don't need to add it.
I made my Moscato wine from a juice bucket, fermented to dry and cold stabilized, after that, i made the "asti spumante" type sparkling wine that came out perfectly.
*Test a few bottle before you start adding and adjusting.*

Tom


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## wineman2013 (Mar 13, 2013)

I like the brioche character lees aging gives , it's what makes champagne taste like it does and not like Sekt.

Biolees also give a little sweetness without actually adding more sugar , this balances out the acid sharpness of the extra co2


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## Pumpkinman (Mar 13, 2013)

Sparkling wines such as Spumante need the acidity to off set the natural sweetness.
I'm a fan of Bioless, I recently used it to mellow a very tart wine that just wouldn't mellow out, no matter what I tried.


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## joeswine (Mar 18, 2013)

*sparkling wine*

OKAY,sparkling wine ran out of sparkle,give me a recap on what was your base and what type corks,and your finishing?????????????/would like to try again....thanks


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## joeswine (Mar 18, 2013)

*sparkling wine*

okay,I went through the initial post but I would like to pm,you on some of it or call.......still have the pino in reserve..


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## Pumpkinman (Mar 18, 2013)

Joe, Sorry for the delay, I've been super busy with my business and getting ready for a few meetings/seminars that I am speaking at.
Message me your number and a good time to call, Thursday I'll have about 10 hrs while driving to talk (yes, on my blue tooth of course!), I'd like to discuss this with you.


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## joeswine (Mar 19, 2013)

*pumpkinman*

finishing up the pics,on sangiovese kit tonight,then I will pm you for next time frame.

thanks JP


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## iVivid (Dec 3, 2013)

Do you just 'scrunch' the pipe screens in there, or do you put them across the bung indent, so that they form a flat screen?


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## Pumpkinman (Dec 3, 2013)

I just use my finger to gently press it in the plastic stopper, just enough that it won't come out. It is real easy, it almost looks like a semi circle with the encapsulated yeast under it.


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## altavino (Dec 9, 2013)

on the back sweetening , wouldn't you have to pull the yeast filled closures out first and then sweeten and recork?

otherwise there would be additional sugar for the yeast and you end up with too much pressure.

asti spumanti isn't bottle fermented , its charmat tanks .


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## Pumpkinman (Dec 9, 2013)

Asti is made several ways, in theory yes (on back sweetening) but I've never had any over carbonated bottles.


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## Fabiola (Dec 9, 2013)

Pumpkinman, I used this method but after 8 months I have no carbonation in my bottles, I made a Chardonnay kit from WinExpert, so I am thinking in doing 2 things: 1) rebottle in regular bottles and use it as any other white wine, but I am afraid they are going to explode later, or just opening every bottle and put yeast and sugar again, what would be the best solution in your experience?


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## altavino (Dec 9, 2013)

in order to be labeled asti , it has to be made charmat and the main base grape is muscat bianco. The muscat grape even when dry gives a sweeter character than the typical champagne grapes.

but hey this is home winemaking there are no DOCG rules.

I've done the encapsulated yeast method ( I knew Larry Patterson who taught bzac) and was a bit heavy handed with sugar additions ( I didn't use the coopers drops) and the wine was too pressurized , open the closure and it came out in a fountain of foam .

the base yeast is uvaferm 43 in prorestart capsules , its used to adverse conditions so can't be 100% sure to stop if given more sugar. safest way if adding more sugar would be to pull the yeast filled closures , sweeten and recork with an empty closure.

be careful , even champagne bottles can become bombs . in my case it just foamed over leaving an inch of wine in the bottle! I'm glad we were on the patio and not in the living room.

3 coopers drops gives me the bubbles I like.


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## altavino (Dec 9, 2013)

Fabiola said:


> Pumpkinman, I used this method but after 8 months I have no carbonation in my bottles, I made a Chardonnay kit from WinExpert, so I am thinking in doing 2 things: 1) rebottle in regular bottles and use it as any other white wine, but I am afraid they are going to explode later, or just opening every bottle and put yeast and sugar again, what would be the best solution in your experience?



did you use the sorbate and sulfite from the kit? if so its unlikley you can make bubbly from the base wine.

did you prep the yeast?

did the encapsulated yeast get stored somewhere hot or in the freezer? if so the yeast was killed.


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## Fabiola (Dec 9, 2013)

altavino said:


> did you use the sorbate and sulfite from the kit? if so its unlikley you can make bubbly from the base wine.
> 
> did you prep the yeast?
> 
> did the encapsulated yeast get stored somewhere hot or in the freezer? if so the yeast was killed.



I did not use sorbate, and the yeast was stored at room temperature, I did not prep the yeast, because I didn't know that, I don't think is in the recipe, maybe that's why I didn't get any carbonation


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## altavino (Dec 9, 2013)

that would be it , in pumpkinmans first post and bzac's orginal instructions it says to hydrate and prep the yeast in water and sugar as per the encapsulated yeast manufacturers instructions

otherwise hydrating the dry encapsulated yeast in wine kills the yeast


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## Fabiola (Dec 9, 2013)

altavino said:


> that would be it , in pumpkinmans first post and bzac's orginal instructions it says to hydrate and prep the yeast in water and sugar as per the encapsulated yeast manufacturers instructions
> 
> otherwise hydrating the dry encapsulated yeast in wine kills the yeast
> 
> Now I remember I soak it in sugar water, but maybe not long enough, do you think it would be wise to hydrate new yeast and replace it in every bottle? and what about adding more sugar to bottles also?


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## altavino (Dec 9, 2013)

if it was hydrated according to the instructions that came with it then not sure why it didn't work 
it could have been a dud batch.

did you shake up the bottles a couple times a day for 2 weeks?

i've heard someone on winepress who did not do this had the co2 build up behind the screed and actually dry out the yeast in a little gas bubble.

not sure if your plan will work, you could run a couple test bottles . I wouldn't think you'd need to add more sugar if yeast didn't eat the first addition.


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## Pumpkinman (Dec 9, 2013)

Ironic enough, when I tried to soak for 30 mins due to lack of time, the wine did not carbonate, I replaced the stoppers with yeast that I soaked for 2 hrs and everything went ok.
One other time I tried using left over encapsulated yeast from last year kept in a very cold fridge and it did not carbonate very well, just slight carbonation, I have a few more bottles that I just left to see if it would carbonate after a few months, I'll try it tonite or tomorrow and let you know
Altovino, I appreciate your knowledge and expertise, is that you in your avatar? Looks like you are having fun in the vineyard.


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## Fabiola (Dec 9, 2013)

altavino said:


> not sure why it didn't work
> 
> did you shake up the bottles a couple times a day for 2 weeks?
> 
> ...



I did shake the bottles, and they were lying down, so all the time the wine was in contact with yeast...


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## Pumpkinman (Dec 9, 2013)

I couldn't wait, good news, the bottles are carbonated enough to help push the stopper out, I'll leave the bottles that are left until Christmas and New Years. I'll take a slow carbonation over a flat sparkling wine any day!
Fabiola, this might have been addressed already, but did the yeast have a date on the package?


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## Fabiola (Dec 9, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> I couldn't wait, good news, the bottles are carbonated enough to help push the stopper out, I'll leave the bottles that are left until Christmas and New Years. I'll take a slow carbonation over a flat sparkling wine any day!
> Fabiola, this might have been addressed already, but did the yeast have a date on the package?



No, no date, I was also trying to figure out if this is an old yeast...


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## Pumpkinman (Dec 9, 2013)

Fabiola,
I would think at this point, after reading that you've done everything correctly, it might have been old yeast.


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## Fabiola (Dec 9, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> Fabiola,
> I would think at this point, after reading that you've done everything correctly, it might have been old yeast.



is there still a fix for those bottles?


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## Pumpkinman (Dec 10, 2013)

I would contact the place where you purchased the yeast and tell them that after 8 months the yeast hasn't carbonated the wine, maybe they will replace it, possibly, but after 8 months, not likely, either way, I'd give it a try. If they replace it, I'd pull the plastic stoppers and replace the yeast, soaking it for 2 hrs in the sugar water as per the instructions.
If you decide against that, you might be able to hydrate a packet of EC-1118 in 12 oz water, add 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) to each 750ml bottle and return the stopper and wire to the bottle, wait a few days and check one bottle.
I base this on the fact that one packet of EC-1118, 5 grams, is used to ferment 5-6 gallons of must, if you made 5 gallons, or 2 cases of sparkling wine use a full packet and 12 oz water.
If you made one case of sparkling wine (12 bottles), I'd weigh out 2-3 grams of yeast and hydrate with 6 ounces of water, and add the same 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) to each 750 ml bottle.
This is what I was going to do until I checked mine yesterday evening and found that they were carbonating slow, you really have nothing to lose except a packet of yeast.


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## Fabiola (Dec 10, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> I would contact the place where you purchased the yeast and tell them that after 8 months the yeast hasn't carbonated the wine, maybe they will replace it, possibly, but after 8 months, not likely, either way, I'd give it a try. If they replace it, I'd pull the plastic stoppers and replace the yeast, soaking it for 2 hrs in the sugar water as per the instructions.
> If you decide against that, you might be able to hydrate a packet of EC-1118 in 12 oz water, add 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) to each 750ml bottle and return the stopper and wire to the bottle, wait a few days and check one bottle.
> I base this on the fact that one packet of EC-1118, 5 grams, is used to ferment 5-6 gallons of must, if you made 5 gallons, or 2 cases of sparkling wine use a full packet and 12 oz water.
> If you made one case of sparkling wine (12 bottles), I'd weigh out 2-3 grams of yeast and hydrate with 6 ounces of water, and add the same 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) to each 750 ml bottle.
> This is what I was going to do until I checked mine yesterday evening and found that they were carbonating slow, you really have nothing to lose except a packet of yeast.



Thanks a lot...


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## tonyt (Dec 30, 2013)

I'm really wanting to do this process but the sparkling wine style we like the best is blanc de noirs or white from Pinot Noir. Does anyone know of a white Pinot Noir kit I could start with.


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## Pumpkinman (Dec 30, 2013)

Tony, Pinot Noir (red) is one of the classic sparkling wines! I cannot wait to make a few bottles of sparkling wine with the Catawba.


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## photoactivist (Jan 9, 2014)

Tonyt, I, too, am looking for a white pinot noir kit I can jump in on this project. If you find one, please do inform us all, as shall I. Also, I'm just about to backsweeten my 2013 Riesling, and was considering making a couple bottles of sparkling wine from it. I'll post if I do.


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## tonyt (Jan 9, 2014)

Came up empty on the white Pinot. Bzac suggests Riesling. Let us know if you try it and where you get all of the supplies.


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## photoactivist (Jan 20, 2014)

tonyt said:


> Came up empty on the white Pinot. Bzac suggests Riesling.



Yeah, I didn't have any luck getting my hands on pressed Pinot noir either. I ended up picking up a Pinot Grigio kit that I'm going to use. I'll post all the details with pictures once it's underway; though I prefer to have finished work before publishing details in case I need to make suggestions to changes or blunders.
Still considering my Riesling. I'll keep you in the loop.
I contacted Scott labs, the producers of the proelif encapsulated yeast. Unfortunately, they only sell it by the kilogram. I don't particularly have the means and motives to make 1,000 bottles as of now. I'm not sure how morewines.com got their 83gram packs of the prorestart uvaferm; but I'll probably start there initially. I'm part of a local wine guild that I might try to pull some resources if I can show them this works, and all of us go in on buying the proelif together.


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## photoactivist (Jan 25, 2014)

Ok, I made a post on winepress & I'll make it here; I'm willing to take the lead on buying a kilo from Scott labs and split with people if they would like to get in on it. It will cost $241 to get the kilo to me; so it would be $2.41 per 10 grams plus shipping to get to anyone interested. We can use PayPal for the transactions.
Any takers?


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 25, 2014)

I'd be willing to get 50 grams from you, for $2.41 per 10 grams, that's a good deal. If you decide to avoid getting a kilo, you can get 83 grams for $29.95 on Morewine, they are currently out of stock, but I'm sure that they'll have it soon.
Here is a tip about this yeast, They say "once opened use immediately.", I've had the same package (83 grams) for over a year, I've sealed it well and ziploc'd it and kept it in a very cold refrigerator, and it is still viable, the big difference is that when fresh, I could rehydrate the beads in 2 hrs, and the Sparkling wine would be ready to drink in 2 weeks, after 1 yr, it took 6-8 weeks to carbonate properly, and this last batch, 5 bottles using Chardonnay and 6 bottles using Pinot Noir, I used 2 grams per bottle instead of 1, and made sure that I soaked the beads in the sugar solution for 4 hrs, I could visibly see the beads swelled; I opened a bottle after 1 week and it was slightly carbonated, so it is working, I'll check again in 2 more weeks. I'm adjusting the quantity and length of hydration to compensate for the age.
That said....I would prefer to purchase fresh ProRestart 43®, I want to make at least a half dozen bottles of sparkling Catawba in the next month or so.
Let me know if you go ahead with the purchase, I'm in for 50 grams, I'll PayPal you the $12.05 plus shipping.


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## photoactivist (Jan 26, 2014)

Pumpkinman said:


> If you decide to avoid getting a kilo, you can get 83 grams for $29.95 on Morewine, they are currently out of stock...


I thought morewine just had the pro restart. Do they carry the pro elif?
Fantastic, pm. I'll keep you in the loop on the purchase. Sounds like we don't have too much of a concern if you're still using yours for a year after opening. I was planning on vacuum packing the parcels for shipment, so that should with freshness as well.


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 27, 2014)

You are correct, I apologize, I used the Uvaferm 43 Prorestart, but the proelif sounds even better, I'll still add the beads to the plastic stopper and use the stainless screen to keep them in place.
I'm still interested, let me know if you decide to move forward with this.


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## tonyt (Jan 27, 2014)

do I get the screens and can they be reused?


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 27, 2014)

Make sure that you get the stainless steel screens, I'm sure that they can be reused, but they were so inexpensive that I toss them along with the stopper when I'm done with the bottle.
You can find them here Click Me , 100 for $5.99.

Here is a link to a PDF on Scott Labs website describing ProElif yeast and its use in making sparkling wines, a very good read,

Click here for ProElif


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## photoactivist (Jan 28, 2014)

Pumpkinman said:


> Make sure that you get the stainless steel screens, I'm sure that they can be reused, but they were so inexpensive that I toss them along with the stopper when I'm done with the bottle.
> You can find them here Click Me , 100 for $5.99.



Indeed. They're just pipe screens for people who smoke pipes, like Popeye. I bought them at the local smoke shop.
I believe I got 3/4", and found it was more than adequate; no need for full 1". You might even be able to use 1/2".

I was reading also that biolees (now called oenolees) from Laffort helps with a smooth mouthfeel. You can find details at http://www.laffort.com/en/yeast-bioproducts/85-biolees.

I was thinking of packaging both together in the parcel packs, if we get enough people to join in the purchase.


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 28, 2014)

I have both the stainless screens and biolees, so I'm good as far as that is concerned.


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## manvsvine (Feb 2, 2014)

Biolees , surlie , booster blanc all release manoproteins / peptides which are the same compounds released in traditional champagne aged on the lees . 
Noblesse according to the product lit is supposed to be the best producer of manoproteins of them all . 

The yeast ageing is what makes champagne a step above other methods , so faking it with an inactivated yeast product like those above should work well.

Another tip , gum Arabic is often used in sparkling wine to improve bubble retention , reduce acidic tones and improve mouthfeel . In a short timeline process like this one it could make a big difference in getting that champagne character , combined with one of the siy products.


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 2, 2014)

ProElif® QA23 was designed for sparkling wine production, it may not be following traditional sparkling wine making processes, but it certainly is not faking it.
I've used biolees on the first batch, and the last two batches I didn't, I didn't really see to much of a difference, but they recommend treating the wine with opti-white is a greater yeast character is desired.


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## manvsvine (Feb 2, 2014)

I was referring to the lees ageing process that traditional champagne goes through . Bottles are left on their sides for a long period , sometimes ten years before disgorging.

This is to let the bottle fermentation stage dead yeast lees have an increased surface area ( increasing contact with the wine and reducing the chance of reductive h2s from forming in the bottle , thinner lees layer , less chance of reduction) and so that as the yeast age and start to decompose , this is known as autolysis

Autolysis refers to the enzymatic self-destruction of yeast cells. The most important aspect of autolysis for sparkling wine is the release of flavour components: e.g. benzaldehyde (nutty, toasty), cis- & trans-farnesol (sunflower) & amino acids, proteins and lipids that act as surfactants. This gives the sparking wine it's nutty and creamy notes , it also triggers the sweetness sensors of our pallet making the wine taste sweeter than it really is , buffering the sharper acidity that most champagne style wines have , this is mort critical with dry styles .

Autolysis is affected by

Percentage alcohol: increases speed of autolysis

pH: higher pH favours quicker autolysis

Temperature: higher temps cause increased speed, but interfere with natural ageing, so optimum is 10 - 15°C

Time: there is very little autolysis for first few months after alcholic fermentation, with the most significant increase in next six months. e.g., wine is 24 % higher in amino acids after 1 year & 30 % after 4 years. After 6- 8 years, there is no further autolytic activity.

By using an inactivated yeast product , you are " faking it" by not needing 6 years of lees contact because these autolosys amino acids , peptides and proteins are already in a free form in the inactivated yeast product and react fairly quickly 1-3 months with the wine , so you get most but not all of the benefits of an extended lees contact ageing without the multi year wait. 

Optiwhite or any of these products will have a similar effect .

I would think optiwhite or booster blanc the primary ferment to improve mouthfeel and promote yeast health would be a good idea , this would help ward off h2s .

During carboy aging would be the time to add biolees or noblesse , an addition at the top end of the manufacturers recommendation , stirred up once a month gently and ageing in the carboy for 3 or 4 months before bottling would give the wine a good base of yeast character . You will want the wines own fine lees as well as these siy products in the carboy during the ageing . 

Even after you filter going into the bottle these siy residues will promote yeast health for the secondary ferment . 

If you are going to use gum Arabic , use a pre filtered brand like Keller or arabanol and add it to your carboy a week or two before filtering and bottling stage.


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 2, 2014)

I actually used biolees to treat a wine not intended for Sparkling wine, it did smooth it out a lot, it almost seemed to give it more body and mouthfeel as well, but it needed at least three - four months to settle out of the wine, and two rackings.


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## manvsvine (Feb 3, 2014)

It's good practice to rack off your fine lees and siy , let settle for a week then filter .

But if you want something faster and easier they make biolees instant , which is an siy combined with gum Arabic . Might work well for this if speed is of the essence . 

http://www.winebusiness.com/unifiedguide/2010/?go=getProduct&productId=1510.


But I would think 3 or 4 months in contact with the wines natural fine lees and an siy product wouldn't be a bad idea.


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## Pumpkinman (Feb 3, 2014)

I agree, I'm not looking to drink the wine in 2 weeks, but knowing that you could have it ready if necessary for an occasion without all of the extra riddling and such is appealing.


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## photoactivist (Mar 12, 2014)

Well, I've been in contact with Scott labs for over a month; no luck getting any proelif availability. I finally broke down and just bought the restart 83g pack at more wine.
Apparently, Scott labs is not the maker of the yeast, but the sole importer in the US.
No luck getting ahold of the creators. My Portuguese is not so good.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


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## photoactivist (Apr 6, 2014)

Ok, I'm still waiting to hear from Scott Labs on the next availability of ProElif, but I think I've amassed a package for all specialty ingredients that could be very useful in a one person size for anyone interested in buying them from me.

The package would include enough of the following ingredients to make 60 bottles of sparkling wine (2 six gallon carboys):

ProElif encapsulated yeast
Bioless
Gum Arabic
Carbination Drops
Stainless steel screens
Plastic Champagne Corks with Wire holds

You'll need to provide your own base wine and purchase champagne bottles; but those are readily available at most wine shops.

I'll need at least eight people interested to make purchases, and shipping would have to be extra. But I can make a package as such available for $90.00.
Purchased separately, the cost would range from $291.00-603.00.

If anyone might be interested, send me an email. I'll be glad to chat about it with you.


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## photoactivist (Apr 23, 2014)

So, I used the prorestart, and I believe followed the directions implicitly... Five weeks later, no effervescence. I think the yeast batch I got may be bad. But I'm trying a second trial to check.
For those of you have done this before, does the encapsulated yeast give telltale signs of being alive? Like will it produce action or visible signs like yeast would in proofing? Because mine didn't at all, and shows no movement.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


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## windshield_king (Apr 26, 2014)

I have never tried to make sparkling wine,so I bought a moscato kit,not intending to make a sparkling wine but thought what the heck give it a try after reading this.made the kit per instructions and is ready to bottle,went to buy things needed for the sparkling process and to ask questions from the owner of the supply shop. I was told that I could not make a sparkling wine from this kit because of the stabilizers in the Fpac and would not ferment.I cannot find anyone else who has mentioned this,right or wrong I do not know,looking for help.thanks!
(this is a winexpert moscato kit)


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## vernsgal (Apr 26, 2014)

most kits have you add sorbate as well as having some in the fpaks. If trying to make a sparkling wine out of a kit you have to omit the sorbate and not use an fpak.


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## photoactivist (Apr 7, 2015)

Anyone still making this method of sparkling wines? The ones I made last year are still still, with only a hint of effervescence after a long stay in a glass. I think proelif would've worked better than the prorestart I got. I'm totally disappointed about this.


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## yanks4carolyn (Sep 12, 2015)

Did y'all ever get this figured out and working? I was so excited to read all this until I got to this last page that it didn't get bubbly. I would definitely be interested in going in on the pkg. if it's all been working out. And yea I know the thread is a bit older. Sounds fun!


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## photoactivist (Feb 24, 2016)

yanks4carolyn said:


> Did y'all ever get this figured out and working? I was so excited to read all this until I got to this last page that it didn't get bubbly. I would definitely be interested in going in on the pkg. if it's all been working out. And yea I know the thread is a bit older. Sounds fun!




I haven't checked out my sparkling wine for a while; but I have been wanting to make a trip to my wine storage and take out the last case and check it out. I'll let you know when I get it and how it turned out.


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## portwinemaker (Feb 28, 2016)

Would be interested to know too if it is the case that you cannot sorbate or add f-pack. Can anyone confirm?
I have a couple of wines that mid way thru the process, no sorbate added yet, and would like to try this process.
Thanks
Tony


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## NCWC (Jan 26, 2022)

I stumbled across this thread looking for a way to restart a stuck fermentation using *encapsulated* yeast. I was also at the time looking for a way to do a sparkling. WIN-WIN!

I had 1000lbs of pinot noir from the Grand River Valley Oh. We crushed it and in about 1 hour pressed it. I fermented it dry. It was 19-20 Brix, 3.10 pH, 9.0 T/A, perfect for sparkling.
Real beautiful salmon color and taste great.

Talked to a fella Michael at Scott Lab he said it is not necessary to rehydrate. We shall see.

Yesterday we did three bottles as described above in the thread.
1. bottle one, 2 sugar pills 1 gram in the cap (not rehydrated). Bottle 2, same as one but rehydrated. Bottle three added 14 grams additional sugar. (rehydrated).
I will wait a few weeks and report back.


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## NCWC (Feb 10, 2022)

Yesterday we opened a bottle after two weeks. It was flat no carbonation at all. Originally I talked to Mike at Scott Labs and he said you didn't have to re-hydrate the yeast. Well, maybe you do. So back to the drawing board. We are re-hydrating the yeast and starting over. See ya in two weeks for an update.


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## NCWC (Mar 13, 2022)

Update 3-9-22:
We opened all four bottles 2 had good "fizz" and seemed like a good sparkling but it was cloudy. Yeast looked intact in the cap. The other two no fizz, maybe the yeast didn't take. We decided to go with forced carbonation which we are trying to get down. The base is fantastic it's been in the keg for about a month I ordered a counter-pressure bottle filler to fill bottles. I will let you know how it goes.


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