Try this, they may be able to give you direction.



tdd@
tdd-grilliat.com




"Oberon" > wrote in message
...
| Greetings,
|
| I'm about to embark on my first attempt at disgorging. I've read a great
| many references to help me settle my nerves. I consider this my last
chance
| to ruin what was at first a wonderful chardonnay, even if lacking
completely
| the oak character that I enjoy, and then a tasty, if cloudy, champaign.
| Wish me luck that I blow my chance...
|
| What I haven't been able to find in any reference is any mention of the
| quantities of salt and water used to make the brine solution the necks
will
| be frozen in. Not a single web site, magazine, pamphlet, or book has
| ventured into a discussion of salt/water ratios. Not being a chemist, I
| have only the layman's knowledge that water with sufficient dissolved
solids
| will remain liquid at a temperature below the freezing point. And I must
| assume that the ice I'll be purchasing at the local convenience store will
| be a decent amount cooler than, say, 30f, so that it'll be able to bring
my
| brine solution enough below freezing to do it's trick and freeze the
| champaign in the necks of my bottles. But it would give me a great deal
of
| piece of mind to be able to find someone, somewhere, who could say "I've
| used a brine solution of 4 lbs salt in 4 gallons of water. Added 10 lbs
of
| ice, and it worked great!"
|
| Any tips from those who have managed this franky rather daunting task for
| the home winemaker will be greatly appreciated!
|
|
| --
| Cheers,
| Ken
|
|