WineXpert Sparkling Wine

[WineNewbie]

I'm in the process of making my 1st Sparkling Wine. It's the Winexpert Millenium II Sparkling kit. I want to take the extra steps to riddle and degorge, so I have a nice clean finished sparkling wine.


Here's where I'm at: I started the kit back on 3/1/08. I followed all the kit instructions up to the clarifying/degassing stage. I did not add thek-meta or k-sorbate per the instructions. Once the wine was clear I bottled on 4/13/08. I followed the advicein Northern Wino's tutorialand sanitized everything at bottling but rinsed thoroughlyso as not to leave any sulfite residue, which could inhibit the yeast from working in the bottles.
I racked the wine into the primary and added the priming sugar included with the kit (dissolved in 1 cup boiling water and cooled). I also added a rehydrated pack of yeast (Redstar - Champagne yeast). I know the instructions do not call for this, but I just wanted to make sure there was plenty of yeast left for the bottle fermentation to run it's course.


Finally, I bottled from the bucket (after stirring in the priming sugar mixture and yeast starter). Gently tapped in the plastic Champagne stoppers with a rubber malletand secured with wire hoods.


I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance from those of you who have made sparkling wine. My question is: How can you tell if the fermentation is working in the bottle? I can clearly see a thin layer of yeast sediment at the bottom of each bottle, that clouds the wine when I shake the bottles a couple times a week (per the tutorial). The wire hoods all appear to be nice and tight, but I tightened them pretty good to begin with, so not sure if they have tightened anymore do to fermentation.


Does it sound like everything is going as it should be?

 

[NorthernWinos]

It sure sound like you did exactly all the right things...And, seeing sediment you are surely getting secondary fermentation....Soon you'll be able to sample a bottle and you'll be proud of the outcome.

Congratulations!!!! Cheers!!!

 

[Wade E]

Sounds good to me and NW seems to be the Master Sparkler on this forum. I didnt eve add the extra yeast and it worked out fine. I did this kit to and when you drink it make sure its Ice cold. I didnt find this kit great in my opinion but it was okay if ice cold and sure was a good learning experience.

 

[WineNewbie]

Notcied this morning when shaking the Sparkling bottles that one of the caps has a small leak. after shaking I could hear iz fizzing and a couple small bubbles cames out of the cap. Is this bottle lost? Or should I open it, and re-cork it again (with plastic stopper and wire hood)?

 

[NorthernWinos]

Re-cork it...or....drink and enjoy!!!!

Does the cap have a crack???? Throw it away even if it doesn't appear damaged....just in case it has a flaw.

Last time we bottled a batch on one bottle the plastic stoppers would just slide in with no resistance...after 3 tries he found one with a snug fit....So, either the bottle was an odd ball...or the stoppers are not created equal. I tried to find all identical bottles for that batch.....So...keep an eye on the stoppers and bottles...always get a snug fit when you install those plastic stoppers.

 

[WineNewbie]

Well, I am disappointed, to say the least. I had the bottles updise down for a week preparing for degorging. After freezing the the 1st 5 bottles, while degorging, I found out 2 of them were totally flat. I guess the stoppers leaked, although they all seemed to have a tight fit. I know they fermented in the bottle due to the sediment, but somehow the pressure escaped.


I then threw the other 9 bottles in the freezer. I kept checking them to see if the neck was freezing, and nothing seemed to be happening, so another half hour went by and I checked to find almost all 9 bottles were mostly frozen (more than just the neck). I set them outside to thaw a bit and then degorged. I lost way too much wine, mostly because they were too slushy and the slush kept oozing out out each bottle. I found another flat bottle in this bunch.


Then, hopefully not my biggest mistake, I topped off the good bottles with the flat bottles.


All in all, I have only 11 full bottles, and I'm not sure how much sparkle they will have left after topping them all of with the flat bottles.


Time will tell. Overall, my 1st sparkling experience has not been a good one. I've had most of my issues with the stoppers leaking. Either not all the bottles are created equally or not all plastic stoppers are. Both bottles and stoppers were ordered new.


I think if I try to sparkle again, it will be with an apple wine which will be less of an investment.

 

[NorthernWinos]

Sorry to hear about your problems...

We love Sparkling Apple Wine.....You could make up a batch with store bought juices for pretty cheap.

I would suggest 6 gallons of bottled inexpensive juice...some frozen cans of concentrate to boost the flavor and sugar to 1.085...then the usual additives you prefer...EC-1118 yeast..ferment as usual...

Rinse all K-Meta off of everything near the end of fermentation...Dose with 1¾ cup sugar and 1 rehydrated pkg of EC-1118 yeast and bottle in Champagne bottles.

I agree...all bottles and stoppers are not created equal...When bottling...be sure to get a really tight fit when inserting the plastic stoppers...Last batch we had to try 3 stoppers on one bottle before it had a tight fit...Then make sure the wire hoods are really tight.

We have had a few flat bottles over the years.

Three leaked when upside down...I think I may have been too aggressive when riddling and may have cracked the stoppers.

Two blew the tops after degorging....that was old used wires that were not on tight enough.

Two or more flat bottles found during consumption...cracked, loose stoppers....others....

I think we are getting better about tossing suspicious stoppers and reused wires.

Putting 9 in the freezer at once is a little too many for our freezer...it warms it up too much...then every time you open to check it warms up even more....We try to do 5 or 6 at a time for 1+ hour at -5*F.

I have a little plastic funnel with a short piece of siphon hose on that I use to refill the bottles...It puts the wine down the side of the bottle and less foaming.

Give it another try and be diligent about tight fitting stoppers....really make sure they are in tight...plus tighten those wires good and tight.

Good Luck!!! And keep us Posted.




Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[Wade E]

I agree as 9 is too many to do at once. 6 max in my opinion. I lost quite a few myself and thats why I bough the corny keg set-up Still not experienced enough with this set-up though or maybe its just because I dont have them chilled. I will get a small fridge for doing this as warmer temps let out more gas while trying to bottle. I would like to eventually get the floor Champagne corker and real Champagne corks fro doing this though.

 

[bmckee56]

Northern Winos & Wade: I am almost ready to do my first counter pressure bottled wine (sparkled). I have not purchased bottles or stoppers yet and my question for each of you is:
Would you suggest punted champagne bottles or the flat bottom ones? I like the look and feel of the punted bottles, but the cost is substantially higher and if the flat bottom ones are tough enough, I guess this would suffice. Right?


Setting up with a restaurant in my area to have them save their champagne bottles for re-cycle at a cost of one full one for four cases of empties. They seem to like the idea and so do I

!

 

[Wade E]

Either will do fine as long as they are true Champagne bottles. I have used the flat ones and had no problems. What are you using to dispense sparkling wine from your keg Barry. Make sure when you do dispense that it is very cold so that you dont lose to much pressure. I used the racking can stuck in the picnic tap method but forgot to use a rubber bung for my first time and it didnt work so well but it most likely wasnt cold enough and like AI said I didnt use the rubber bung to help seal in the gas. Liveand learn.