Ebob01
Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2019
- Messages
- 59
- Reaction score
- 7
I get the basic process of sparkling wine, so make a base wine and leave to clear.
Then at bottling state add rehydrated yeast and some sugar but not sulphites or stabilisers.
Leave to ferment in the bottle then go through the process of riddling and disgorging by leaving the bottles upside down and freezing the neck of the bottle.
Where I'm a little unsure is after disgorging should sulphites and stabilisers be used.
I've seen that sugar or dosage is often added at this stage for taste. However without the addition of stabiliser then surely this would simply be fermented again in the bottle, unless relying on all the yeast being removed by clearing and disgorging which doesn't seem very reliable.
The other thing is surely sulphites must be added before re-corking to stop the wine oxidising and spoiling, particularly if it is intended to be stored for more than a few months before drinking.
The other thing which puzzles me is that I have seen Champagne is left on the lees in the bottle for years however surely no sulphites are added during bottling or else it would not reliably ferment. What is to stop it spoiling in the bottle? It's it simply that extreme caution and hygiene must be exercised or is it that the presence of the fermenting yeast in the bottle means the bacteria won't take hold....?
If be interested in people's homemade sparkling wine methods.
Then at bottling state add rehydrated yeast and some sugar but not sulphites or stabilisers.
Leave to ferment in the bottle then go through the process of riddling and disgorging by leaving the bottles upside down and freezing the neck of the bottle.
Where I'm a little unsure is after disgorging should sulphites and stabilisers be used.
I've seen that sugar or dosage is often added at this stage for taste. However without the addition of stabiliser then surely this would simply be fermented again in the bottle, unless relying on all the yeast being removed by clearing and disgorging which doesn't seem very reliable.
The other thing is surely sulphites must be added before re-corking to stop the wine oxidising and spoiling, particularly if it is intended to be stored for more than a few months before drinking.
The other thing which puzzles me is that I have seen Champagne is left on the lees in the bottle for years however surely no sulphites are added during bottling or else it would not reliably ferment. What is to stop it spoiling in the bottle? It's it simply that extreme caution and hygiene must be exercised or is it that the presence of the fermenting yeast in the bottle means the bacteria won't take hold....?
If be interested in people's homemade sparkling wine methods.
