Solid CO2 is much too dangerous. Don't do it !!

The following is pure SWAG, so take it with a grain of salt.

I read this and the google link, and no where do you mention
the acid or alcohol levels in the base wine that you used. I
think maybe the alcohol was too high in the base wine to
start with. Yeasts die when they hit their maximum alcohol
tolerance.

To make sparklers, you gotta start with a still dry wine that is
low(er) in both acid and alcohol than you would normally
have in a dry table wine. Low(er) acid because the second
ferment adds carbonic and you want the end product to be
balanced not "sharp". Low(er) alcohol because the second
ferment makes not only CO2 but also more alcohol !! If
_total_ alcohol reaches the max tolerence of the second
yeast before it can produce the necessary amount of
carbonization, it will die too soon and leave you with duds.

If my SWAG is correct, about all you can do now is to
buy a "Seltzer" bottle that uses CO2 cartridges and
carbonate each bottle as you open it. HTH

Frederick




> wrote in message
...
> Alright, I've got the first batch of Champagne bottled for several
> months now. I pulled out a bottle to test how it was going- and was a
> bit disappointed. Nose, taste- all was good (a bit sweeter than I was
> shooting for but acceptable) except for one tiny thing: Not enough
> bubbles.
>
> There was barely any pressure on the bottle and a freshly poured glass
> wouldn't even foam- although there was a bit 'tingly' sensation saying
> dissolved CO2 was present, it isn't enough by far to make a good
> sparkler.
>
> SO, since I had already fed this as much yeast as possible (see
> http://groups.google.com/group/rec.c...2c1c2292eff66c
> ) I don't want to pour the bottles out and try again.
>
> I'm sure it's been done before but I'd like to know personal
> experiences with adding solid CO2 to bottles after disgorgement. 1.8g
> of solid CO2 works out to be 1L of CO2 at STP. If I wanted 9 atm of
> pressure in the bottle (and thats insane) that would be 6.75 L of CO2,
> or about 12g of solid CO2.
>
> Now I'm not opposed to making hand grenades.... and I could test them
> in small batches. I just want to be safe...
>
> Suggestions?