If I Can Make Sparkling Wine So Can You: Kevin’s Very Practical Guide To Bubbles

Many myths surround sparkling wine, especially Champagne. For instance, Dom Perignon did not invent the process of intentionally bottling ‘stars’ as the French claim. Dom Perignon was trying to get the bubbles out of Champagne wine, which was then very much like the Chablis of today. Indeed, the French didn’t even invent this process! It was actually the English, yes the Brits, who first started making sparkling wine probably much like our pét-nats of today.

Another myth is that sparkling wine is difficult or dangerous to make or that you need expensive equipment to do so. Not so. This article will discuss how you can make a good sparkling wine in your home using the equipment you probably already own and using tablespoon and gallon-to-liter measures rather than grams or hectoliters. You don’t need a riddling board or a spectrometer: a hydrometer and a strong cardboard box will work just fine. It’s time to make our own stars!

The Base Wine

All Champagne style wines start with an already fermented base wine. Unlike pét-nats, where a fermentation is started outside of a bottle and is finished in a bottle, the traditional method starts with a finished, light bodied dry wine traditionally mostly made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or a combination of both. But there are many grapes that make excellent sparkling wines, such as Riesling, Cayuga White, Sauvignon Blanc or Marquette. Mixing grape varietals is common in sparkling wines, some grapes solely white or solely red, or a combination of both. Blends are very much a “Champagne” thing. For instance the only place in France where a finished white wine can be legally blended with a finished red wine to make rosé is in Champagne! So too, it’s common to make a white wine from red grapes by gentle extraction and aging. That’s what is meant by Blanc de noir.

The important thing is that the base wine have vibrant acidity and very light tannins. Tannins become more pronounced in acidic and chilled wines. So, here’s what you need in a base wine: an acidic wine at about 2.90 to 3.10 PH, depending on taste and after cold stabilization with an alcohol level of 10-11%. That’s a starting brix of about 19 (1.078 SG) to 20 (1.082 SG). A refractometer can be used to determine brix pre-fermentation if you don’t have a hydrometer.

If you don’t have a PH meter, then you can go on taste after the sugar is converted to alcohol. Before that, your taste buds will be confused by the sugar in the juice which masks acidity. But you do need to get your sugar levels to the correct starting level. Too much alcohol may hinder the second fermentation, cause spewing or make your light, fizzy wine a heady brew. Bubbly wine does go to the head faster.

The base wine must be crystal clear, free of dead yeast and cold stabilized just as you would any white wine. You don’t want to make your job of clearing the wine harder with extra particles to remove or leave something in the wine that may cloud in the bottle. Cold stabilize the base wine as tartaric crystals can react with the carbon dioxide in the bottle to cause spewing when opening the bottle. And don’t forget the peptic enzyme!

In any event, be extremely careful with sulfite additions. High sulfite levels can shut down a re-fermentation before it even starts. I like to keep it under 10%, like you wanted to start a malolactic fermentation. And speaking of malolactic fermentation, there’s no rule against it. It all depends on how you want to craft the acid profile. I usually do so to prevent a surprise malolactic fermentation creating more CO2 than I want with a possible off flavor in the wine.

Preparing What You Need to Bottle

Bottles are needed, of course. But not just any bottle. Pressure, in the Champagne world, is measured in atmospheres (ATM). There are about 3 ATM in a car tire. In a professionally made sparkling wine, there are about 6 ATM in the bottle. I usually make my sparkling wine at about 5 ATM for safety, and I only use champagne style bottles that are made for 6 ATM. These bottles will need to be strong! They must have thick glass and a push up, called a punt. This is a deep recession in the bottom of the bottle that should fit most of your thumb. This gives the bottle the strength to hold up to 6 atmospheres (ATM) of pressure. I reuse bottles of sparkling wine I’ve purchased, as ones sold to the amateur are often good only for a light pressure. I strongly recommend you be careful with the bottles. With these good bottles, which I re-use, I’ve never had a bottle crack or explode.

While fermenting, a crown cap (beer style) is used to seal the bottle. But I use crown caps for both the fermentation period and for the storing after disgorging the yeast from the bottles. Champagne style caps are different from most beer caps as they hold higher pressure and are made to withstand not only the pressure, but the much more acidic wine. Seek out crown caps that are made for sparkling wine. They may be made of stainless steel, but not necessarily so. You will see a thick silicone sealing ring and not the light, foamy plastic that some beer caps are made with.

Keep in mind that European bottle tops are larger than U.S. bottles. It’s harder to find the 28mm caps that these bottles use.

A capping machine is necessary, but can be borrowed or purchased inexpensively. Mine is a simple two levered capper called the Red Baron. Many times capping machines have two plates, one for beer caps and one for champagne caps. Double check before you buy.

You’ll need yeast. I strongly recommend EC-1118. More on yeast later. If you can find a bidule, a hollow cap that fits into the neck of the bottle to collect the yeast, it will make your job easier, but it is not necessary.

Create the Yeast Starter: Elevate the base wine

I usually start the bottling part of the process in the warmer months following the harvest when the warmth will aide in the fermentation. But you can wait and allow the base wine to mature further.

It will take a few days to get the yeast strong enough to add to your base wine. Your base wine has high acid and relatively high alcohol. You must prepare the yeast by allowing it to gradually acclimate to these difficult conditions. Since this process takes a few days, you may want to start making the starter two or three days before you plan to bottle. I use either one of two yeast types, DV10 and EC-1118. Both are strong fermenters even under difficult circumstances. I strongly recommend you use EC-1118 for your first few vintages because EC-1118 will not ferment over 6 ATM, thus it is an extra safety precaution.

There are different methods to prepare the yeast starter, but this is the method that has worked well for me. You will need to calculate 2.5% of the whole volume of the base wine. I recommend you use liters, as measuring what you need is easier. Just take 3.8 (the number of liters in a gallon) and multiply it by the number of gallons you have. That is your total volume in liters. Making the starter is a two-step process, so you will use half of that amount to start on day one and the other half the next day.

Next make a syrup of sugar and water in an equal amount as the reserved base wine (2.4%), sugared to 10 brix (10% RS). This will also be divided into two parts.

Rehydrate the new yeast as you normally would using a rehydration nutrient such as Go-Ferm. While waiting for the yeast to come awake mix half of the reserved wine (1.25%) to half of the syrup. The alcohol will thus be halved, as well as the acid level. The sugar level will now be 5 RS, essentially 5 brix. I also add nutrient here, but in a small amount reconstituting an eighth of a teaspoon in 2 tablespoons of warm water, using one half of that on the first day. Add the activated yeast.

On the second day, check for signs of fermentation, such as bubbles at the top of the starter. You may need to give the solution a bit more time. If fermentation is starting to show, then try to bring the solution back to 5 RS before proceeding. I find this difficult and fudge it with a refractometer. Alcohol makes the readings on a refractometer inaccurate so I extrapolate taking a before and after measurement and using the difference as a guide. For example, the refractometer might read 10 brix before and 9 the second day. Usually I find that not much sugar is used, so I don’t worry too much about it. If you’re satisfied that the starter is fermenting, then add the second part of the mixed wine and water to the mixture with more of the DAP solution. On the third day the solution should be fermenting. If not, give the starter more time and maybe more nutrient. Though it may not be necessary, I take an additional step to add a very small percentage of 100% wine to the starter to slowly acclimate the starter solution to the higher alcohol in the base wine. I’ll give the starter time to recover before adding. If there are continued signs of good fermentation you may now prepare the cuvée.

Re-fermentation: Creating the Cuvée

When you have created an ongoing starter solution, the next step involves creating a base wine that can sustain a fermentation in the bottle. This is where the bubbles come in. The base wine is now totally clear, devoid of sugar, nutrients and oxygen. All of these elements must be addressed to get a fermentation off the ground and before adding the starter.

Sugar

Though 6 ATM is your absolute maximum, I usually try for 5 ATM for safety sake. But you might want to start with 4 ATM. I started with that level and it made a nice mousse. At 3 ATM, you have a level called frizzante by the Italians. It’s light but elegant. To obtain any of these levels use 1.2 tablespoons of sugar per atmosphere per gallon. For 4 ATMS and five gallons of base wine the calculation would look like this: 1.2 Tbs x 5 gal. x 4 ATM = 24 Tbs.

Nutrient

As a result of the primary fermentation of the base wine you should have used up all the nutrients in the wine. That’s what you hope to accomplish in every fermentation to avoid leaving any fodder for spoilage bacteria. So, it’s necessary to add some for this second fermentation. I’m playing around with how much nutrient I use. And by that I mean DAP. Like a normal fermentation you want to control how much yeast remains after fermentation and how quickly it grows in the bottle. The literature calls for 1 teaspoon per gallon in the second fermentation. I recommend that amount. 

Riddling Agent

A riddling agent is a substance that helps the yeast ferment by giving it a platform to move around. It also helps settle and compact the yeast for removal. Bentonite is generally used. You must be careful not to use too much. It will be difficult to remove, cloud the wine and cause a loss of wine in the disgorgement process. Worse, it can also hinder bubble formation. Do not use this if you intend a yeast-in sparkling wine such as a pèt-nat. I use a dry 1/8^th of a Tsp. of bentonite per gallon. That’s a conservative measure. Reconstitute the bentonite in water or wine. You can omit the bentonite without affecting the fermentation too much.

Oxygenation

Before adding the yeast starter I splash rack the base into a bucket and then stir and whip the wine to add oxygen. It’s somewhat counter intuitive to winemakers as we try to be so careful at keeping oxygen out of our wine. But oxygen is necessary for yeast reproduction. I keep the wine in the bucket while starting the second fermentation and occasionally stir the wine. A helpful trick is to put a small amount in a bottle with a balloon attached. You’ll soon see signs of fermentation as the balloon expands.

Bottling

Before adding the yeast starter to the base remember to consider and check your sulfite levels! It’s key. Make sure the starter and the base wine are within 10 degrees of each other and if so, it’s time to add the starter to the base wine. But don’t bottle yet. Wait until there are signs of fermentation such as pin-prick bubbles at the surface of the base wine, now cuvée. That’s when you bottle. If you bottle too early the fermentation may stop in bottle. The other side of the coin is waiting too long as the base wine will foam and make the process of bottling much more difficult. Also, you lose those bubbles. Then cap securely.

There’s usually a small amount of cuvée left over. Putting that in a crushed water or soda bottle and capping securely is also a visual aid to where your bottles are in the fermentation process. It’s also fun to see a crushed bottle return to shape under the internal pressure.

Keep these bottles in a warm place for at least a month. For the first two weeks or so gently turn the bottles to mix the yeast in the bottle. It’s best if they are lying on their side for the most yeast exposure. After that period they can go into storage.

Aging the Cuvée

How long to age is up to you. At this point, hopefully, the wine is now fully fermented and full of bubbles. But it is best to allow the wine nine months to a year to settle in and mature. I age my cuvée for three to four years. That allows the process of autolysis (aw-tol-e-sis) to occur. It takes at least a year for the yeast to start to break down, adding mouth-feel to the wine and also a lovely toasty-yeasty aroma.

Disgorging: Riddling

Gorge is the French word for throat or neck and disgorging is the process of getting the yeast into the neck of the bottle and then eventually out of the bottle, leaving a clear effervescent wine. Before you can do this the yeast must be concentrated in the neck of the bottle. Traditionally this was done by using a “riddling” rack, then a disgorgement tool. I’m guessing you don’t have either of these in your winery. Don’t be daunted, you don’t need these items. I use Styrofoam wine shipping containers left over from the non-eco days of wine shipping. I’ve reinforced them with duct tape and store the bottled sparkling wine in them using the top to hold the inverted bottle. You can use a plastic milk crate or a sturdy cardboard box or anything that hold the bottles securely upside down. When the yeast is in the neck under the cap, I use a long handled beer bottle opener to remove the caps.

When it’s time to clear the yeast from the bottle check to see that the yeast is all along one side of the bottle. If not, gently shake the bottle and let it settle to one side. Start the riddling process by slightly raising the bottle bottom side of the box. The yeast will slowly “slide” toward the neck of the bottle. I turn the bottle 1/8^th to the right and then let it rest a few hours or a day. Next time 1/8^th to the left. Do that a few times then raise the box a bit higher and use 1/4 turn.  Continue to raise the box until the bottles are upside down in the box.

I keep riddling by removing each bottle separately, keeping the neck downward, giving the bottle it a quick left-right twist to further settle the yeast in the neck. After a month or so hold it up to the light and give it a left-right twist. When you no longer see any yeast strands come off the side of the bottle, then you are ready to disgorge.

Some people invert the bottles in a container and put them in the trunk of their car. Apparently, the vibration of driving settles and compacts the yeast. After a few days you will have clear wine. It seems wrong, but I’m told it works!

Disgorging: Freezing

Once the yeast is in the neck of the bottle, it’s time to expel it from the bottle. That’s done by freezing the yeast and allowing the natural pressure in the bottle to force it out, like a frozen bullet. Think of a dry, hard espresso shot. The traditional manner of freezing the yeast is to create a super cold ice/salt bath. I use a freezer. First chill the bottles. You must have an even, uniform temperature throughout the bottle or you will have excessive foaming when disgorging. The bottles must be placed in the freezer cap side down to keep the yeast in the neck of the bottle. You will know you have a good freeze when you see shards of ice arise from the cap into the neck. I like to see these be a couple of inches long.

Disgorging: Dosage

Some like their bubbles very dry, essentially without any sweetening. That’s called Brut Natural. Regular Brut is quite dry at under 15 Grams per liter. Extra dry, which is actually off dry, goes up from there. You accomplish this by adding a sweetened syrup. This finishing sweetness is added immediately after disgorging along with 15ppm sulfite to stabilize the wine and prevent any further fermentation. The fancy title of this is Liqueur d’Expedition.

Before making the syrup calculate the number of 750 ml bottles you have. A gallon is equal to 5 bottles, or so. If you have a 5 gallon carboy, you have 25 bottles. So you probably don’t need liters of syrup. But working with liters or half liters makes the process easier, even if you have to make more than you actually need. I like to add an easy to calculate amount, like a tablespoon to the recently disgorged bottle. In this example, I have 25 bottles at 1 tablespoon per bottle. That’s 25 tbs. which equals about 1 ½ cups (375 ml). Here’s how I adjust the recipe.

I like to make a syrup at 500 grams per liter using a Pyrex kitchen measuring cup. 100 grams of granulated sugar is about 1/2 cup of sugar, so adding 1 1/4 cup for a half liter makes the same sweetness. Adjust for what you need. 15 ml of this syrup gives you about 1% RS or 10 grams per liter per bottle, the amount I like in my brut sparkling wine. 15 ml is a tablespoon. Ta Da!

For the sulfite, make a 10% solution of potassium metabisulfite. Add 10 grams (.35 oz.) to 50 ML of lukewarm water to dissolve the powder and then another 50 ml of water to make a total of 100ML. 15 ML equals added to a liter will get you 15 PPM. 15 ML is still a tablespoon. So, adding half a tablespoon to your 1/2 liter syrup will add what you need. Extra solution can be used to sulfite your other wines.

Disgorging: It’s Show Time!

I usually disgorge in January, as the cold helps the process. To prepare for the actual event, you will need a place where the yeast can fly out, sometimes in the not-so-frozen bullet state. I use my elevated deck, pointing to the lawn. Some people use a mounted garbage can or box to collect the yeast. There will also be some wine that makes its way out with the yeast, so it’s a bit messy. But it is fun!

I gather all I need to disgorge and have it handy, like a surgeon before an operation. I like to have two or more champagne stoppers available to allow the sometimes foamy wine to settle down after the disgorging and after the dosage addition. My long handed beer cap remover acts as my disgorging tool. I also have paper towels present to wipe the neck of the bottle if the freeze wasn’t perfect. I use a tablespoon or syringe to add the dosage. My first bottle disgorged will be set aside for topping up each bottle to about an inch and a half from the lip of the bottle.

My bottle capper and caps will also be ready to cap the disgorged wine ASAP, to keep all the bubbles in. The dosage must be super chilled or you will have an eruption after adding the dosage.

I find that the freezing stage of disgorgement takes at least an hour, depending on how cold the bottles were before going into the freezer. If you start a little early, you will have excessive foaming and the yeast will cling to the bottle neck and start sliding back in. Use paper towels to remove as much as you can and then wait more time. You definitely want to see shards of ice coming out of the yeast when you hold the frozen bottle up to the light.

To disgorge, hold the bottle upside down and place the opener on the cap, holding the handle so that you can uncap the bottle by moving the handle toward your body. In one motion move the bottle to level while removing the cap. Continue to turn the bottle right side up, allowing the yeast to fly out. Use your thumb to stopper the bottle and then wipe any yeast off the top of the bottle and any in the neck. Place a champagne stopper on the bottle until any foam inside the bottle reduces and then add the dosage, once again with the stopper handy as the dosage also causes some foaming. Finally, when the foam is reduced top up the bottle to 1 ½ inches from the lip with the reserved first bottle. I then cap with a crown cap. I do not bother with champagne cork as it’s too much work. It’s safer too, and you get a boutique look.

I’m still working on my disgorging technique. Don’t fret if you have difficulty. You probably didn’t learn to ride a bike on the first try. Have fun with the process. I’ve invited people over to have a try, just for fun. So, keep at it!

After disgorging, I allow some time to elapse before drinking, so the dosage can marry with the wine. And aging further can bring out more mature flavors, like an aged white wine. The English, who first demanded that Champagne be dry, prefer an aged style. The French, now converted to the brut style, tend to like their Champagne younger and more fruit driven. For me, I’m more in the English taste. I like to hold my disgorged wine for six months to a year, if I can keep my hands off it!

Of course, you don’t have to take the yeast out of the bottle. This process is a much easier and safer way to make a pèt-nat. Remember no bentonite for this style.

It’s a myth that making your own sparkling wine is hard or dangerous. In fact it’s much safer than making a pèt-nat. It has some technical moments, but I hope I have cleared away the difficulty of converting the process from a thousand-liter-hassle to easily make 5 gallons sparkle in the glass using only a Pyrex measuring cup, a tablespoon and a box.

Yes, it is magic and I see stars in your future!