Champagne

[skater388]

So I've rread a thousand recipes online, I am looking for hands on, things you have done first hand. I am looking to do a decent amount, and have two years or so before the wedding and before it needs to be drinkable.

Please post your process and reults.

Thanks.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I have a champagne tutorial on the Home Page > Tutorial Section.

 

[JohnT]

I have made champagne several different ways...

1) Take still wine that has been aged. Be carefule to keep the SO level low. Prime wine with 24 grams of sugar and create a Dosage (mixture of sugar and yeast) and add to bottle. Pour primed wine over the dosage, cap, and age the bottle on its side.

2) Take wine that is nearly completed fermentation. The sugar level should be near 0, but the wine should still be very cloudy with still active yeast. Pour 24 grams of priming sugar into each champagne bottle and pour active wine over it. Cap and age bottle laying on its side.

3) Much like method 1, except I place the dosage into a packet of micro pourus tubing (they make this stuff for kidney diallisys). This is tubing that "traps" the yeast making disgorging a snap.

4) Much like method 2, except I place the champagne into a Korny keg (5 gallon SS keg) and seal it.


Out of all 4 methods, Using the keg is best. The keg draws off the bottom, so when you first start pouring, you get the sediment on the bottom, then nice clear champagne.

If I just wanted to go bottle by bottle, I use method 2. I have found that I have real problems getting the fermentation to kick back off once the wine has gone still. Capping while you have active yeast will almost gaurentee success.

 

[Stanleythecat]

I have made champagne several different ways...

1) Take still wine that has been aged. Be carefule to keep the SO level low. Prime wine with 24 grams of sugar and create a Dosage (mixture of sugar and yeast) and add to bottle. Pour primed wine over the dosage, cap, and age the bottle on its side.

2) Take wine that is nearly completed fermentation. The sugar level should be near 0, but the wine should still be very cloudy with still active yeast. Pour 24 grams of priming sugar into each champagne bottle and pour active wine over it. Cap and age bottle laying on its side.
.

Sorry, I know this is an old thread but I'm trying to find a definitive answer to how much priming sugar to use. Is 24g/litre safe? I use 12 but only because of what I picked up online. 24g/litre is apparently what is done commercially.

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Leo

 

[JohnT]

I use 24 grams.

Even if you use 12 grams, never think that the champagne is safe. I would always recomend the use of thick glaves and eye protection whenever you handle sealed champagne bottles.

 

[Stanleythecat]

Thanks for the reply. Greatly appreciated.

Can I ask if you've had many accidents so far? I imagine the consequences to be pretty serious when they do!

Do you use recycled bottles or new ones? And is that 24g/litre or/bottle?

Thanks again

Leo

 

[JohnT]

I use 24 grams per 750 ml bottle.

I use recycled ones. I find that the glass is much thicker then the ones I find at my local shop.

I have never been injured, but have had them explode during secondary fermentation. Once I had the bottom of a bottle taken clean off, leaving what looked like a glass funnal. This leads me to be rather careful when handling them.

I have also seen pictures of "dis-gorgers" from back in the day. They were very well protected with gloves, leather apron, and facemask. I smile when I saw this knowing full well just how dangerous this can be.

Another word of advice.. Before you handle the bottles, cool them down. This makes the carbonation "less volitile".

 

[Stanleythecat]

Thanks for your advice John, really appreciated. I will be more cautious now and will up the sugar a bit too.

I was wondering about get some heavy duty clear bags to put each bottle in. May sound excessive but I have to do my brewing and conditioning in the house so thought this might take some of the momentum away if the bottles do go pop. Not lucky enough to have a garage or other space to do it.


Leo

 

[JohnT]

My grandfather made champagne (back in Hungary).

He used to place each bottle upside down in a pile of sand. The sand would protect each bottle should one explode.

 

[Stanleythecat]

Brilliant! This kind of knowledge gets lost.

I'm not sure I can use this principle outside my daughter's bedroom! But in principle your granfather might approve.

Leo