Champagne-making instructions sought

Try here Busygal

Thanks! I will give it a try. Do you mind if I email you with any questions?

Hi busygal

I've made lots of great sparkling wine using those special sparkling wine stoppers with valves inside them (your homebrew shop will give you further details).

Initially, you begin fermentation in a demijohn as normal, transfer to strong sparkling wine bottles after a week or two and fit the valve stoppers. Fermentation continues inside the bottle - and the valve releases excess pressure from inside the bottle so no explosions!!! - the valve leaves enough sparkle inside the bottle to give you the fizz you need.

When fermentation is complete, there'll be sediment at the bottom of the bottle, You'll need to get rid of this - so now keep the bottle upside down and each day for as long as it takes give the bottle a gentle twist to encourage the sediment to fall towards the stopper - leaving a crystal clear liquid above.

When this is done, release the valve and watch that sediment fly out! You will lose a little of the wine (about half a glass or so) but if it bothers you, you can always take the stopper off - top up with a normal wine - and replace the valve stopper! From now on, you can keep the bottles upright for the wine to mature and when you open them in a year or two (??!!!???) your glass will fizz with delight! This method - which is similar to the Methode Champenoise method, used to make Champagne and Cava - and makes sparkling winemaking soooooooooo easy!

Once you've seen one of these valve stoppers, you'll know exactly what to do but if you need any further help, please do email me personally.

Regards and have fun!!

World's Worse

Hey busygal

In all the excitement I forgot to say in my previous post: a) try and use a champagne type yeast, as this will result in a less and easier sediment to get rid of from the bottle afterwards. b) you can use any wine recipe for sparkling wine but favourites are fruits such as apple, pear, rhubarb - grapes, of course - and even mead. You may like to use a small bunch of elderflowers with some of these - especially apple.

I don't mind Busygal. lum

Who sells those special sparkling wine stoppers with valves inside them n the USA... I cannot seem to locate any... Do you know of any on-line source???

A.J.

give you further