Making " Champagne"

[Docwerks-Alabam]

Having been winemaking from scratch or using kits for two years, I decided to maKe a sparkling wine. I have a gewurztraminer fermenting. I planned to let it ferment to completion, then allow to settle and clear without stabilising or clearing agents which might kill the yeast. Then I planned to bottle with 4 tsp of sugar per bottle and then cap and wire in appropriate heavy duty bottles.


Here's the rub: Do I use the F-pack which came with the kit? Do I add it now or just before bottling? Any other suggestions to help me with this new endeavor?


Docwerks-Alabam

 

[Funky Fish]

Docwerks,


I wouldn't chance using the F-pack. Winexpert puts sorbate in their F-packs, which keeps the yeast from reproducing (thus, will keep any fermentation from occurring). It might still ferment, but it might not. And if it doesn't, you end up with still wine with an extra 4 tsp of sugar per bottle. And if it does ferment, not only will it ferment the extra 4 tsp of sugar, it will also go after any fermentable sugars in the F-pack (which, since no one is sure how much that is, can add quite a bit more CO2 than you anticipated).


If you are going to bottle ferment (and still would like a sweeter sparkling wine), what you need to do is let it bottle ferment. Then, after you disgorge, top up with some sweetened wine/juice that has sorbate in it. And if you are going to disgorge, I'd suggest capping the champagne bottles with crown caps rather than the plastic cork & wire.


Check out this pictoral for more info on sparkling wines:


[url]http://www.finevinewines.com/Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1 222&PN=1[/url]