I would welcome any comments at all please as I've been thinking of this for quite some time 
I'm in the process of getting together ingredients for 2 gal of a champagne type sparkiling wine, using a Supermarket white, keeping the acid quite high and longer in the secondary, adding an elderflower cordial in bulk priming, just before it finishes then keeping the bottled wine the same temp as in the secondary for a few weeks as to not shock the yeast, before transfering to somewhere cooler for a few months. I would be aiming for a 10/11% ABV.
I'm extremely paranoid about bottle bombs though, especially if I intend, giving some away like I would normally do.
I have read with horror the chanel 4 river cottage recipe http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/elderflower-champagne-recipe
:shock: :shock: The comments of the exploding bottles scaring the dog and needing to re-decorate the kitchen, quite amusing but irresponsible for not stressing the importance of using champagne bottles or at least plastic pop bottles. Instructing the releasing co2 every so often is a bit poor in my book.
I will be using Champagne bottles and prime using 70grams of sugar per gal(adjusting for cordial addition) and put one in a 1 L pop bottle so i can keep an eye on the pressure build up. Is adding a pressure guage to the sample bottle going well over the top ? is the priming sugar about right ? I think they use more in champagne making, but again i'm far too paranoid to use 100g.
Thanks
Alan
I'm in the process of getting together ingredients for 2 gal of a champagne type sparkiling wine, using a Supermarket white, keeping the acid quite high and longer in the secondary, adding an elderflower cordial in bulk priming, just before it finishes then keeping the bottled wine the same temp as in the secondary for a few weeks as to not shock the yeast, before transfering to somewhere cooler for a few months. I would be aiming for a 10/11% ABV.
I'm extremely paranoid about bottle bombs though, especially if I intend, giving some away like I would normally do.
I have read with horror the chanel 4 river cottage recipe http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/elderflower-champagne-recipe
:shock: :shock: The comments of the exploding bottles scaring the dog and needing to re-decorate the kitchen, quite amusing but irresponsible for not stressing the importance of using champagne bottles or at least plastic pop bottles. Instructing the releasing co2 every so often is a bit poor in my book.
I will be using Champagne bottles and prime using 70grams of sugar per gal(adjusting for cordial addition) and put one in a 1 L pop bottle so i can keep an eye on the pressure build up. Is adding a pressure guage to the sample bottle going well over the top ? is the priming sugar about right ? I think they use more in champagne making, but again i'm far too paranoid to use 100g.
Thanks
Alan
