A bit off topic (sorry!!) but does anyone make their own champagne cages!

[Stanleythecat]

Hi All

I've been doing some/lots of home brew (wine) and along with traditional crafts I have a new obsession... furthermore it keeps the wife happy too!

I've ventured in to the world of sparkling wine making and probably fuelled by the culture of DIY on this site I want to make the champagne cages myself... it can't be that hard can it?

The whole process of traditional champagne making is pretty fulfilling and I would liken my first bottle to the experience I got when first mastering the bow drill... big grins!

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience in twisting and twiddling bits of wire?

Thanks

Leo

 

[British Red]

I've not made the cages Leo - although they can be bought. How are you removing the lees from the secondary fermentation as a matter of interest?

 

[drewdunnrespect]

cages i thought shampers came in bottles or am i being a dumb bottom

 

[British Red]

The cage holds the cork in Drew - its a little different to Lightning White

 

[drewdunnrespect]

oh okay that makes sense now i fully understand cos its where the term popping the cork comes from

 

[Stanleythecat]

I've not made the cages Leo - although they can be bought. How are you removing the lees from the secondary fermentation as a matter of interest?

Hi Red

I've bought the cages and just fancied the challenge of making my own. Actually thats part truth; the ones you buy are constructed slightly differenly to the proper champagne cages from vineyards which you can re-use buy replacling the bottom wire each time. The other kind is made from one piece of wire. Probably cheaper in the long run to buy but just like to be hands on!

I disgorge using the traditional method. Chill it down in the freezer for 40 mins until the ice plug forms and then fire it off. I made myself a bench top crown capper which makes things easier and use some little inserts under the cap to catch the yeast after riddling. The inserts are quite good as they stay in a fraction longer after the crown cap has been removed allowing you to put the capper down and poise with thumb at the ready! (they are also recyclable)

Have you any tips!!!

Thanks

Leo

Ps Drew, we drink some pretty wild champagne in our parts, the cage is for our protection!

 

[Stanleythecat]

The cage holds the cork in Drew - its a little different to Lightning White

Excellent!

 

[British Red]

Hi Red

I've bought the cages and just fancied the challenge of making my own. Actually thats part truth; the ones you buy are constructed slightly differenly to the proper champagne cages from vineyards which you can re-use buy replacling the bottom wire each time. The other kind is made from one piece of wire. Probably cheaper in the long run to buy but just like to be hands on!

I disgorge using the traditional method. Chill it down in the freezer for 40 mins until the ice plug forms and then fire it off. I made myself a bench top crown capper which makes things easier and use some little inserts under the cap to catch the yeast after riddling. The inserts are quite good as they stay in a fraction longer after the crown cap has been removed allowing you to put the capper down and poise with thumb at the ready! (they are also recyclable)

Have you any tips!!!

Thanks

Leo

My only tip is a bowl of liquid nitrogen and storing the bottles at an angle (neck down)

Would love to see a photo tutorial of your method (pretty please)? Its not one I have mastrered!

 

[Stanleythecat]

Well I've got some maturing now so I'll try to take a few photos when I next do it. Getting the whole bottle cold is the trick to not losing much, the CO2 is absorbed into the wine at low temp, that's why the french drink theirs at room temp = more bubbles.

Incidently how much sugar do you usually prime with? I've been using 12g/litre but my last lot I have bumped it up to a slightly wreckless 16.8g after reading around a bit. Traditional champagne is made using new bottles and 24g/l so I should be ok.

Trivia question for you which I found interesting: do you know why champagne has the metal hood/wrapper over the cork...

Leo

 

[Corfe]

A mate of mine used to make elderflower champagne which was amazing, and other, less successful vintages, all of which ended getting drunk in the end. I guess the elderflower was more of a cava as, while fizzy, he just used your bog standard cork to stop the bottle.

 

[British Red]

Well I've got some maturing now so I'll try to take a few photos when I next do it. Getting the whole bottle cold is the trick to not losing much, the CO2 is absorbed into the wine at low temp, that's why the french drink theirs at room temp = more bubbles.

Incidently how much sugar do you usually prime with? I've been using 12g/litre but my last lot I have bumped it up to a slightly wreckless 16.8g after reading around a bit. Traditional champagne is made using new bottles and 24g/l so I should be ok.

Trivia question for you which I found interesting: do you know why champagne has the metal hood/wrapper over the cork...

Leo

I like lightly sparkling so only 1.5 level teaspoon per litre. With beer and cider I now charge with less than half a teaspoon per half litre

 

[Stanleythecat]

Ah well my wife likes it super fizzy, 'mousse' as they say!

Apparently the metal/foil wrapper was originally applied because the musulet (what became the cage/wire) was originally made of string and mice used to knaw through them with inevitable consequences!

Also the British were the first to make bottles thick enough to stand the pressure so we have a major part to play in the history of the drink.

Leo

 

[British Red]

Rather like the English were responsible for Tweed

 

[trent.]

Check this out:
http://chestofbooks.com/food/bevera...erages/Securing-The-Corks-In-The-Bottles.html

 

[Stanleythecat]

Check this out:
http://chestofbooks.com/food/bevera...erages/Securing-The-Corks-In-The-Bottles.html

Thanks for finding that. I had seen it before but through google images so it opened on the string method which I was going to use. However I couldn't get it tight enough on plastic corks and it invariably slipped off! Now the wires!