Converting white wine to champagne

[ceeaton]

Wanted a wine that I didn't have in my inventory yet, so went with a WE WV Sauvingon Blanc. Talked with Brad at the LHBS and he's done it before (he does some crazy stuff, brewers....). Plan on QA23 yeast and will start tomorrow morning (boiling & cooling some tap water as I type this). I'll keg three gallons and force carbonate, the other three I'll treat the normal way. If we don't like the results I'll degass and bottle the kegged wine and try again in the spring (w/Pinot Grigio). Either way it's only an $80 experiment and I've got so much money I can't give it away....sorry, daydreaming a bit.

 

[barbiek]

The neck is much more narrow that the rest of the bottle and freezes first. I place it (inverted) into a chest freezer for about 1 or 1.5 hours, checking it every 30 minutes or so, and disgorge once the neck freezes.

Or I just took advantage of a big pile of snow and inverted them in that no fuss no mess lol I get creative sometimes

 

[heatherd]

Go to Bed Bath and Beyond and buy a Soda Stream. I use one when doing bench trials to see how my carbonated wines will turn out.

There is a delightful youtube video of two guys making "champagne" with a soda stream and cheap white wine:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=0E0C5F4E776915A74DBD0E0C5F4E776915A74DBD

 

[murphyaii]

i've another question about removing the co2

after fermentation and not adding stabilizer but adding the fining agents,

should the co2 be whipped out before adding the fining agents?

 

[cmason1957]

after fermentation and not adding stabilizer but adding the fining agents,

should the co2 be whipped out before adding the fining agents?

If you have CO2 in your wine, it probably won't clear, even with the fining agents. So yes, get the CO2 out first. I am a bigger fan of letting it age out or removing it by racking it with a vacuum pump than trying to whip it out.

Also, I always add the stabilizing chemicals before the fining agents, if you mean the potassium metabisulphite and the potassium sorbate. I also add any f-pacs, before fining. But, if you are doing a wine kit, follow their directions, not what I do.

 

[barbiek]

If you have CO2 in your wine, it probably won't clear, even with the fining agents. So yes, get the CO2 out first. I am a bigger fan of letting it age out or removing it by racking it with a vacuum pump than trying to whip it out.

Also, I always add the stabilizing chemicals before the fining agents, if you mean the potassium metabisulphite and the potassium sorbate. I also add any f-pacs, before fining. But, if you are doing a wine kit, follow their directions, not what I do.

You do know he's converting this to champagne? Although it's true that gassy wine does not clear I have not had a problem with it clearing why do you think that is? Is it due to the fact that it is de gorged? Now ya got me thinking wt

 

[yanks4carolyn]

The answer isn't clear to me. Do you use sorbate if making the sparkling wine? If so, when?

 

[murphyaii]

wine update

Well i bottled the wine and added the syrup and ec-118 yeast to the bottles.
however, i just added the yeast raw to the bottle in the plastic stopper.
is that ok?

I'm looking in the bottle after a few days and it is just sitting there in the bottle the yeast.

 

[JohnT]

The answer isn't clear to me. Do you use sorbate if making the sparkling wine? If so, when?

It all depends on the method of carbonation that you are using.

If you are going to carbonate using yeast (natural carbonation), then you definitely DO NOT want to use sorbate.

If you are going to force carbonate, then use of sorbate is ok

 

[cmason1957]

You do know he's converting this to champagne? Although it's true that gassy wine does not clear I have not had a problem with it clearing why do you think that is? Is it due to the fact that it is de gorged? Now ya got me thinking wt

It has been a while since I replied to this, but the key thing I saw was the Original Poster planned to Force Carbonation, as in not using the leftover yeast to produce the CO2 and bubbles. So, clearing and adding chemicals makes sense, I think. If someone were planning to add some type of yeast and carbonate via increased fermentation, then I don't think you would want to add the chemicals.

And it is possible I am just flat wrong. I'll accept that.

 

[JohnT]

It has been a while since I replied to this, but the key thing I saw was the Original Poster planned to Force Carbonation, as in not using the leftover yeast to produce the CO2 and bubbles. So, clearing and adding chemicals makes sense, I think. If someone were planning to add some type of yeast and carbonate via increased fermentation, then I don't think you would want to add the chemicals.

And it is possible I am just flat wrong. I'll accept that.

You are right cmason. This is more or less what I was trying to say in my last post.

 

[murphyaii]

sorry to bring this post back to light but
I've noticed the ec-118 yeast i added to the champagne hasn't changed at all and is still just lying in the bottle.

any ideas on how to get it activated?

 

[JohnT]

Try warming it up to around 75 degrees.

 

[Arne]

sorry to bring this post back to light but
I've noticed the ec-118 yeast i added to the champagne hasn't changed at all and is still just lying in the bottle.

any ideas on how to get it activated?

Did you add a small amount of sugar as well as the yeast so the yeast had something to feed on? Or maybe it has already fermented and you are seeing the lees. Arne.

 

[murphyaii]

i added some hot water with sugar and put that in each bottle.
then added the yeast to each cap when i put them in.
i think i'll have to empty each bottle back into a demijohn and heat it up and then add the yeast to start a new ferment

 

[barbiek]

I have never done it this way I get the whole wine fermenting again then siphon to bottles did you add the sorbate? If you did chances are you wont get a referment and also if you have been trying to get this to ferment again for a month now with no sorbate I would just forget about making it into champagne, dump it back into the fermenter watch over it to see if fermentation restarts if it does restart you can siphon it back to champagne bottles but if you want to try warming the bottles up lay them on their sides in a warm area good luck!

 

[JohnT]

I would first try just warming up while still in the bottle, the yeast might simply be dormant. Give it a couple of weeks in a warm room.

 

[murphyaii]

I think the problem is heat related alright as the temp is only at 20c.
I'll leave them near the gas fire tonight and let the glass bottles heat up beside it.fingers crossed

 

[ceeaton]

Just a quick update. I had kegged 3 gallons of my Sauvingon Blanc kit a few weeks ago. Finally got cold enough I could force carbonate it up to 30 psi (all the further my regulator goes). Rigged up a short tap and presto, had champagne on tap.

Both my wife and I were surprised how good it tasted, especially since the kit was started 6 or 7 weeks ago. Planning on taking it along when we celebrate Christmas with my family (brothers/sisters/nephews/nieces/great aunts/grandma's etc - 21 in all). Amazing what a little CO2 will do to a cheap wine.

I will add that I took the tap off this morning, cleaned it out and took it back to the basement so it would take an effort on my part to retap the keg. It is very easy to overindulge in this beverage.

 

[murphyaii]

feedback reports on the champagne

Gave 4 bottles away as presents.
People said it was nice and fizzy but a bit dull after like most.
people reported a bit of a hangover as well the next day.
thumbs up for that, as i had not de-gorged the champagne before giving them away.
thanks to all replies in helping me with my first champagne!!