WineXpert Chardonnay to Champagne

[PolishWineP]

I want some liquid nitrogen to freeze the Sparkling Wine bottle necks for dégorging...going to raid the neighbors Artificial Insemination tanks one day and give it a try....

Just be sure you get the right stuff!

 

[NorthernWinos]

....

Just be sure you get the right stuff!

[/QUOTE]


Oh!!!!

I could get a little of each...

 

[OldWino1]

This is a great thread. I made cold duck one time 5 bottles - one bottles equal 4. One blew up fortunalty no one was hurt making this sparking wine. The other 4 where pretty good. I buy my sparking wines today. but i amgetting real close to giving it a whirle again. I have a spare freezer does any one have a champaigne bottle upside down bottle holder or plans or suggestions. I have seen the lees ice up and get blown out after letting them freeze in the neck. I also have heard that sparking wine keeps quit a long time anybody else heard that.

 

[NorthernWinos]

This works for us...

Not fancy, but works....

 

[Coaster]

If I wanted to make a brut champagne style (semi-sweet) is there a way to get enough sugar in to create carbonation but also leave some sugar to sweeten the bubbly?

 

[NorthernWinos]

We like ours Brut dry, use 1118 Champagne yeast to ferment and to make the bubbles...So am not sure about making it sweeter.

Maybe if you used a Côte des Blancs yeast to ferment it would finish sweeter and you could then use the 1118 to carbonate.

 

[redderthebetter]

Well, I dug into the closet where my sparkling wine has been carbonating for the last two months. The bad news was that I had a casualty. One blew its wire and top. I'm not sure when this happened, so it went down the drain.(fizzing). I puled the other 11 out of the box, put a towel at the bottom of the box, and then put the bottles top down back in for a few weeks of riddling. I noticed a couple of the bottles were sticking out a little further than the others. They had pushed their tops out a bit, but the wires were holding. I could pop and rewire or just keep a good eye on them. I will have to think on this. I have the case in my garage now, where it is cool to cold. I'm not worried about a mess as much as loosing my work.


I had a grolsch bottle with the left over, that I chilled and am drinking right now. Pretty, good. Drier that the Chardonnay that it was originally. Very nice carbonation. I'll keep the board updated. I'm sure everyone can't wait to see my try at Degorging.

 

[Wade E]

Definetely keep us updated as I will be starting some on Tues. and Joan
probably started on Sat. Speaking of, anyone heard from her. She's
usually on here every night but havent heard from her in awhile. I'll
pm her and see how shes doing.

 

[NorthernWinos]

You now have a 'Secondary Fermentation' going in the bottle. Congratulations!!!

On some of the first batches we did, some of the wires were not on tight enough, when the fermentation began the plastic stopper was pushed up to the extent of the wire...really gave me the creeps...you know there is pressure in there...So respect it!!! It is a good thing....

You could tighten the wire, but maybe just leave it alone, now you have the weight of the bottle on the plastic stopper, so that is working for you.

We had a top blow once after we had dégorged and re-topped them, the wire was not on tight enough. We now use a tightening tool and really like it, it really tightens it up nice and snug.

How cool is it out in your garage???

Enjoy your bubbly!!!

 

[redderthebetter]

My garage is St. Louis cool. It probably averages low 40s lately. The weather folks are calling for more freezing rain tommorow. We were out of power for 4 days in December. I am wondering if putting off buying a generator was a good call now. I'll keep my fingers crossed, and the chainsaw ready.

 

[redderthebetter]

Hi folks. It's finished. Actually about three weeks ago. I'm sorry wasn't able to photograph the degorging. I have a camera that needs a specialized and expensive battery. The degorging went smooth. I took 4 bottles at a time and stuffed them top down into my freezer. I didn't need any support for them in there other than the contents of the freezer. I checked them after an hour, then at about the two hout mark, I saw the necks freezing. I popped the top and got my finger right over it. It builds pressure pretty fast. I ran it into the house and stuffed a top into it till it settled enough to top off. I experimented a little by popping a beer cap onto a couple of the bottles. Then let them rest till I could top them off. I used the same Chardonnay that it originated from. Each bottle needed about a cup worth of wine to top up. I did all 11 bottles over two days. All i have to do now is come up with some snazzy labels, and foils to finish the job. I am giving the first bottle away to my colonel at his retirement this week. Thanks to Notrthern winos, Wine Expert, and everyone for their inputs. The rest of it is going towards my retirement this fall, and my brothers Baghdad send off. and safe return.

 

[Wade E]

Did you taste it at all?

 

[NorthernWinos]

Glad you got it done....ENJOY!!!!

*EDIT...let it sit for a couple months for the bubbles to rejuvenate...


I like the idea of putting a stopper in the bottle while it settles down, then refilling and the putting new stoppers and wires on the bottle. That would help with the mess. Good idea...Thanks for sharing that one.


Wedo the dégorging outside and put the dégorged bottles in a plastic crate, bring them into the house and into the sink....let them settle down....then refill with a small funnel with a piece of siphon hose on the end...they say to run the wine down the side of the bottle...the hose helps with holding down more fizzing.


Hope you get another batch going soon and share your experience with us.Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[redderthebetter]

Wade, I forgot to metnion, that, yes I did give it a swallow. It was great. I haven't tastedmuch s/wine in my life but it met my expectations.
I really have enjoyed the remarks and looks I get when I have told people that I am making my own. People think this is brain surgery, I have been getting hints from people around me at work, that they want some. I am making a beer for a freind of mine that is retiring this summer. I have others expressing interest also.