I have recently been trying my hand at making proper champagne but have
hit a problem with getting it into the bottle. The method I'm
experimenting with has been to carryout the secondary fermentation in a
stainless steel pressure vessel (11 litre cornelius keg) - pressure
built up to 2.5bar (35-40 psi) & held for 2 months at room temperature.
Keg then placed in fridge for 2 weeks @ 0°C/32°F, pressure reduced
noticeably to about 1bar (14psi). So far so good (I think) !!
However when I try to fill the bottles (chilled bottles & long filling
pipe reaching to bottom of bottle) what I get is a great tasting, very
clear wine but with very little 'champagne sparkle' & a persistant head
that would do credit to a pint of lager !!!!!!!!!
I suspect the problem may be a too high dispensing pressure remaining
in the barrel but wonder if anyone else in the group can suggest what I
may be doing wrong. Should I reduce the keg pressure to zero just
before bottling and use something like a foot pump to provide a minimal
pressure to shift the wine from keg to bottle ????
I'd be quite happy to leave the wine in the cornelius keg but when it
comes to romantic seduction situations an 11 litre stainless steel
container dips right out c.f. a proper chanpagne bottle ...... or so
I'm told !!