need a sparkle

[superpilot]

Hi My names phil I have been lurking on here for some while and have had made loads of good wine from the recipes on here and many more variations on them.
I have got a wine going at the moment that is rhubarb melon and kiwi. a bit of a wierd combo but it was all the old fruit lying around .
It smells and tast great and has a fantastic pale pink colour. what Im wondering is if I ferment it out dry how can I then introduce a sparkle in the bottle. not too much as I am only using beer bottles.
Cheers Phil

[owlwithoutfeathers]

Hi Phil, Owl here.

I've done sparkly apple before; it tasted lovely and had a really smooth mouse - andwas fermented to dry. But be careful of bottle bombs!

There are various ways of doing this, and i never wrote it down (so forgive me forum if thisis a recipe for a nuclear device!) but what i think i did was this:

When you have your wine at the desired SG, rack of the lees in the primary, add finings, give it 24 hours, then bottle in sturdy bottles (i used 750ml swing tops as they are good at holding the pressure) - but dont stop the ferment by adding campden / sulphite etc. This will kill the active yeast that remains in suspension, so you wont get a "sparkle" in the bottle.

Some people top up each bottle - or prime - with a bit of sugar (1 teaspoon max per bottle) or even a little apple juice, just to help the remaining yeast along.

Have a go - give it some time in the bottle (a good 3 months?), then carefully open with goggles and gloves on . . .

[goldseal]

Personally I wouldn't use anything but champagne bottles of the correct weight. It just isn't worth the risk.

There is a simple sparkling wine tutorial here:

http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=1490

This isn't the traditional champagne method but it does work. It is a little hit-and-miss but when you get it right, it's really good. It's a good way of experimenting with sparkling wine before maybe moving on to more complex methods.

You SHOULD NOT use the above method with beer bottles. There will be way too much carbonation. You will be making Glass Grenades. Only use champagne bottles.

[owlwithoutfeathers]

Personally I wouldn't use anything but champagne bottles of the correct weight. It just isn't worth the risk.

There is a simple sparkling wine tutorial here:

http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=1490

This isn't the traditional champagne method but it does work. It is a little hit-and-miss but when you get it right, it's really good. It's a good way of experimenting with sparkling wine before maybe moving on to more complex methods.

You SHOULD NOT use the above method with beer bottles. There will be way too much carbonation. You will be making Glass Grenades. Only use champagne bottles.

Hence the multilpe caveats in my post!

Seriously though, i've never had any issues with using swing top bottles - either beer or 750ml ones.

The Champagne method is a little hit and miss (and a lot of faffing about, in my opinion).

If there is a nervousness about pressure build up, then consider PET bottles; they can take more pressure than even champagne bottles (PET can withstand around 150 PSI; Champagne around 80-90 PSI).

But always chill the bottle before opening, or you may get a volcano of wine!

Yes, it is always better to play safe in these matters: here's some food for thought!

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2003/PeterHui.shtml

Owl.

[superpilot]

cheers for all the advice. I didnt really want to do anything as involved as the champagne method. I may opt for some fizzy pop bottles though. I used plastic ones for elderflower champagne last year and I did have one explode which was messy but if it had been glass could have been nasty.
I was kind of hoping to make it a bit like my cider where you let it ferment out and then prime the bottle. As long as I dont kill the yeast with campden etc it should get a small secondary ferment. just to give a light sparkle or at least that s the plan

[lockwood1956]

I was kind of hoping to make it a bit like my cider where you let it ferment out and then prime the bottle. As long as I dont kill the yeast with campden etc it should get a small secondary ferment. just to give a light sparkle or at least that s the plan

As long as its dry, you can prime with 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar per bottle (1/2 tsp "should" be enough)

You cant kill yeast with Campden, you can only stun it, it will come round and become active again. Same with Sorbate, it is a winemaking myth that sorbate kills or indeed stops a ferment. All it does is stop new yeast cells being created, the ones already in there keep munching away till there is either no sugar left, or their alcohol tolerance (different levels for different yeasts) has been reached.

hope that helps
regards
Bob

[superpilot]

cheers for that info. Everyday is a school day.

[lockwood1956]

nah


at school you had to sit up straight with your arms folded

[Canonmillbilly]

Personally I wouldn't use anything but champagne bottles of the correct weight.

What is the correct weight?

[goldseal]

1.6kg when full, I believe.

I weigh my bottles empty on an accurate scale, and I use the bottles in the range 850 - 910g.

I have found many lighter bottles which look like champagne bottles, but these go straight into the recycling. They aren't worth the risk.

[owlwithoutfeathers]

As long as its dry, you can prime with 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar per bottle (1/2 tsp "should" be enough)

You cant kill yeast with Campden, you can only stun it, it will come round and become active again. Same with Sorbate, it is a winemaking myth that sorbate kills or indeed stops a ferment. All it does is stop new yeast cells being created, the ones already in there keep munching away till there is either no sugar left, or their alcohol tolerance (different levels for different yeasts) has been reached.

hope that helps
regards
Bob

Hang on, now i'm confused! What do you use to stop the ferment then?!?

I've always used Stabalising Powder and a Campden Tablet for country wines and the packet of Stabilser that comes with the Kits for the Beaverdale, etc . . .

[lockwood1956]

I dont stop the ferment...

I ferment to dry, then stabilise, this prevents new yeasties being born, and so means I can sweeten.

Stopping the ferment is a term much used, wrongly I may add. it takes more than a dose of sorbate and sulphite to stop an active ferment.

the only way an active ferment will stop is if the alcohol tolerance of the yeast has been reached, there is no sugar left, or you kill the yeast by getting it too cold, or too hot.

hope that helps

regards
Bob

[owlwithoutfeathers]

Got you now! I think we both arrive at the same place eventually!

Moral of the story: always trust in your handy hydrometer!

[Canonmillbilly]

I weigh my bottles empty on an accurate scale, and I use the bottles in the range 850 - 910g.

Just weighted a few of mine.

9 out of 12 not heavy enough!

1 x 917g; 2 x 880g; 4 x around 800-820; and the rest between 540 and 700.

The only sensible response to this dissapointing matter will be to make some cider to go into the lighter bottles...

[lockwood1956]

Moral of the story: always trust in your handy hydrometer!

Indeedy dooooo


i may have mentioned this before (once) Your Hydrometer is your Friend