WineXpert Sparkling Riesling

[Wade E]

That would be fine waiting till then. Even much longer is fine as what will be in the bottle will be fine sediment and not heavy lees from primary fermentation. that is the lees that you always want to get the wine off early. You should still give the bottles a bump now and then as thats what compacts the lees into the plastic stoppers and when frozen forms the plug that when degorging is shot out and helps the sparkling wine stay much clearer. Wear a rain coat the first time as the first couple of bottles will get you a little wet till you develop the technique.

 

[scubaman2151]

Well the Riesling is doing very well. Has cleared pretty nice and there is about 2 in of lees on the bottom. Well while I was looking at it a bubble came out of the airlock, weird huh, so I look closer and there were a few little bubbles floating on the surface of the wine. So I kinda rocked the carboy back and forth to get things moving and there was a visible reaction. Small bubbles started floating toward the surface of the wine and I got a decent reaction from the airlock as the air escaped. Kinda looked like when you pour a sprite the bubbles just kinda appear and float to the top.
Is this just the C coming out of the wine?, sounds like a good time to degas and rack?


speaking of racking, I have citosan (sp?) as one of the clearing agents that came with the kit, I heard citosan is made from some parts of shellfish (saw that in an article in this issue of WineMaker). I am allergic to shellfish, is there any chance of me getting a reaction?


ScubaEdited by: Scubaman2151

 

[grapeman]

It sounds like it would indeed be a good time to degas some now.


As far as the Chitosan, the part of the shellfish used generally isn't what causes the allergic reaction. I am horribly allergic to shellfish and the chitosan has never bothered me. I though I was going to die the only time I ever ate lobster! Even crab in a crab salad makes my throat swell shut. My relatives know this and they are always serving crabmeat pasta salad. Maybe they are trying to tell me something!

 

[Wade E]

The Chitosan will not bother you. Masta did a big write up on this quite awhile ago and I cant seem to find it for you but it is processed in a way that will not effect you at all.

 

[grapeman]

Wade, would either of these be what you were looking for?

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<TD =msgOddTableRow vAlign=top> Posted: 17 February 2007 at 10:34pm</TD></TR>
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<DIV =msg style=": left; OVERFLOW: auto">You don't not have to worry about using chitosin if you have a shellfish allergy and Tim V. discussed this in great detail last year at Winestock. Here is a quote from him summing up the facts:


"Lawyers make us put the shellfish warning on. Chitosan can't hurt you. Allergies are predicated on the presence of a foreign protein, and chitosan is protein free.
Essentially they take lobster and shrimp shells and boil them in sodium hydroxide (lye), filter and neutralise them, and then boil them in S-H again. Fractionated and powdered after that, it's actually a very complex form of sugar, so can't provoke allergies.
Our production manager, Larry, is in the same boat as your wife. He can't come with us into seafood restaurants because the steam coming off a pot of boiling crabs sends him into anaphylactic shock.
He can drink chitosan."
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Administrator Group

Forum Administrator

Joined: 04 July 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3877
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<TD =msgableRow vAlign=top> Posted: 12 January 2007 at 9:39pm</TD></TR>
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<DIV =msg style=": left; OVERFLOW: auto">Super-Kleer contains Kieselsol and Chitosan


Kieselsol is a proprietary name for a fining agent belonging to the class of silica dioxides and has an action very similar to that of bentonite. Silica dioxides electrostatically bind with positively charged proteins in wine and initiate flocculation and settling.



Chitosan is a non-proteinaceous fining agent, a polysaccharide of the Sucrose Polymer family. It is derived from chitin extracted from ocean shellfish, the same organic material that makes up fingernails and human hair. It works by a process of molecular adsorption, where the Chitosan has an electrical charge, which attracts oppositely charged particles clouding the wine, binding them and pulling them out of suspension.
It s also used as a food additive and dietary supplement. Although it is derived from shellfish, there is absolutely no danger of any allergic reactions to the product, as there are no allergens left after the Chitosan is processed.




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[Wade E]

I think it was the 1st 1 but there must have been another as I believe he went into further detail once but that pretty much sums it up right there. I have trouble doing searches. I always end up with an error message which also happens sometimes when I post even though the post always goes through. Thanks for finding it for me!

 

[scubaman2151]

Thanks guys for the help, I can now clear my wineworry free .


ScubaEdited by: Scubaman2151

 

[scubaman2151]

I was going to rack this wine tomorrow and then degass. I bought some Black Swan Riesling to top up with, will the sorbate/sulfiltes in the Black Swan stop me from fermenting the Riesling when in the champange bottles?

 

[grapeman]

I would think that the small amounts in it when mixed with the whole batch would be fine.

 

[Wade E]

Im not sure on that as commercial wines are typically sulfated much higher and will leave that 1 to someone with a better knowledge of yeast and what will compromise it. If it is clear why dont you bottle it and not worry about topping up or degassing for that matter as adding more yeast and corn sugar is going to create more gas in the bottle anyway.
Edited by: wade

 

[scubaman2151]

Ok works for me wade. How should I prepare the wine for the bottles? Pitch the yeast into the carboy stir and then bottle? Or add yeast, bottle and then add sugar to bottles, Im thinking first way is eaiser. How much sugar do I need to add to the 6 gal batch and does it have to be corn sugar and if yes for what reason?

 

[Wade E]

Corn sugar is better but table sugar will work. With table sugar I would dissolve 1 1/4 cups of sugar in 2 cups of boiling water and let cool and gently stir into wine then i would rehydrate Red Star Champagne yeast or Lalvin 1118 into 1/5 of a cup of water at 100* and let sit 10 minutes then stir gently into wine and begin bottling stirring frequently to make sure its all stirred up good so you get consistent bottles. For using Corn Sugar I would use 3/4 of a cup and do the same. I would also use 1 tbls of nutrient also.

Edited by: wade

 

[scubaman2151]

I know im a little behind but I just ordered the plastic stoppers and wires for the champange bottles. Cant wait to get those in and bottle .

 

[scubaman2151]

Ok lol I am now really way behind due to some things at my job, but I plan on getting this wine into bottles by the end of the week. How much sugar should I add to the wine to get it ready to go into the bottles, also does it matter what type of sugar I use?


Scuba

 

[NorthernWinos]

For 6 gallons of sparkling wine we use 1¾ cup of regular table sugar and rehydrate a package of Lalvin EC-1118....bottle in Champagne bottles/plastic stoppers/wire hoods and shake weekly, then disgorge in a couple months...

For 6 gallons of carbonated apple cider we use 1¼ cup of corn sugar.....and bottle in beer bottles with crown caps.

The corn sugar seems to make bigger bubbles...not as refined as in the sparkling wine with he yeast/table sugar method.

I'm sure others here have their own opinion.

 

[scubaman2151]

Thanks for the help. I am going to mix in the sugar and yeast tomorrow morning then bottle Friday morning.


Scuba

 

[NorthernWinos]

We usually mix the sugar with a small amount of hot water, stir till dissolved... let it sit.
Rehydrate the yeast for 10 minutes...I use ¼ teaspoon sugar and ¼ teaspoon yeast nutrient in the water.... It really gets active...then add it right away to the wine and bottle.

That just how we do it....I am sure other members have other ways of doing it.....Was there directions on your wine kit for making it bubbly????

REMEMBER.....NO SORBATE AND WASH OFF ALL TRACES OF K-META OFF OF EVERYTHING.
AND....STIR WHILE BOTTLING.

Works for us.

Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[scubaman2151]

Thanks for all the help so far. This afternoon I took out about 10 cups of the wine and added 1 3/4 cups sugar to it and let it cool. I then re hydrated the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, I didn't know I needed sugar and stuff in there so I just used plain water, seemed to work OK. I added the yeast into the primary and then added the wine with the sugar, however out of the 10 cups of wine I took out only about 8 would fit into the primary the rest would fit, I think it should still be OK. There are no directions on the kit to make this bubbly, I am just kinda winging it after reading quite a lot about how to do it.
Ipracticed putting the cap and wire on a empty champagne bottle and this is what I got:

Is that the correct way to put the top and wire on?


How concerned should I be about one of these bottles blowing up?


Where is a safe place to leave these bottles once filled?


Thanks for all the help, you guys ROCK!


Scuba

 

[Wade E]

You dont really have to worry about the bottle or cork blowing up. Just make sure you have the stopper all the way in and the wire tight to the bottle with no slack. Be aware that you might have some leakers and to have paper or a rag under them when upside down.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Looking good!!!!

We put ours in a plastic milk crate with cardboard wine box dividers in it....I put down about ½" thick newspapers first...just in case there is a mishap. At first we use to store them over a floor drain in the laundry room...we are a little more confident now.

Personally...I would like to see the wire twisted a little more...If you don't have a wire tightener take a pen or something and put it through the loop and spin it a few times...

If you have any loose wires the pressure inside the bottle will push the plastic stopper up and it will get tight on the wire....then you will know you have carbonation going on.

I hope to never have an exploding bottle, but it must happen as people always mention that.

Good luck with your Sparkling Wine....Enjoy!!!