Sparkling wine production

The bottle fermentation is a process for the production of sparkling wines, sparkling apple wine or beer, in which a part of the fermentation process takes place in the bottle, to obtain a mousse ( vigorous foaming) later. When sparkling wine, a distinction the classical method and the Transvasierverfahren.

Traditional bottle fermentation

In the classic bottle fermentation until 1994 Méthode champenoise also, Méthode traditionnal or called Champagne method, is the second fermentation takes in the champagne bottle. This process is mandatory for the production of Champagne, Crémant and Cava. Also in Germany are high quality sparkling wines, especially sparkling wine, increasingly produced by the champagne method.

The basis for sparkling wine is for the second fermentation with sugar and yeast added ( tirage ) and filled in the champagne bottle that is sealed with a crown cap or a Bidule. In the following alcoholic fermentation of the sugar is converted by the yeast into carbon dioxide and alcohol. After the minimum storage time, the yeast is moved into the bottleneck ( manually or automatically) by jarring. To this end, riddling racks made ​​of wood ( manual method ) as well as semi-and fully automatic vibrators ( Gyropaletten ) are used.

When disgorging ( disgorging ) the resulting Hefepfropfen is removed without the sparkling leaves the bottle. A distinction is made between cold and Warmdegorgieren. When Kaltdegorgieren the abgerüttelte yeast is frozen in the bottle neck by the bottles upside down in an ice bath. The bottle can be reversed to open without the lees deteriorate the champagne again. When opening the crown cap of yeast ice plug is ejected by the gas pressure. The technology now offers fully automated solutions with high hourly output. Since the disgorging always a little sparkling wine is lost, the bottle is the Dosage (French: liqueur d'expedition ) have been refilled. This can also be determined by the level of sweetness of sparkling wine. The " dosage " consists of a mixture of wine and sugar syrup. Is omitted then have the " Dosage " in so-called " Zero Dosage, pas dosé, brut nature " a residual sugar content of less than 3 g / l.

When Warmdegorgieren (French dégorgement à la volée ) the lees is not frozen, the bottle must be opened upside down: skill and speed allow manual Warmdegorgieren. Even sophisticated semi-automatic solutions are offered.

Transvasierverfahren

The Transvasierverfahren represents a way to retain the advantages of the traditional bottle fermentation and to simplify the complex, labor-intensive steps of removing the yeast over the traditional method. This method spread since the 1950s, more and more, because the capacity of the traditional method is no longer sufficient to meet the increasing demand for sparkling wine.

When Transvasierverfahren the fermentation, however, carried out in a special Gärflasche, as in the traditional method, the lees are then not by riddling and disgorging, but after emptying the bottles under pressure carbonic acid by filtration. The sparkling wine is then metered in the pressure tank and filled in new bottles. Because the second fermentation of sparkling wine takes place as with the traditional bottle fermentation in bottles of sparkling wine produced in the Transvasierverfahren must be declared ' method', but only with a minimum production period of nine months on the lees at least 60 days ..

Already in the 19th century experimented with transferring (French for " transvaser ") of the entheften ( degorgierten ) sparkling wine in smaller vessels. The problem of pressure loss occurring could however be solved with pressure tanks and counter-pressure fillers only. The technical requirements for this were only in the middle of the 20th century are available.

The advantage of this method is that the Cuvee is homogenized by the evacuation. Possible differences in taste, due to the irregular course of fermentation in the Gärflaschen be leveled. That the Transvasierverfahren name legally "bottle fermented" may mean, is often implicitly used as a selling point. The key procedural differences are most consumers anyway not known. A 1988 on behalf of the stabilization fund made ​​for wine survey of 1,000 people showed that the term " bottle fermented " Although the majority of respondents " in the bottle fermented " associated, but only 14 percent of respondents associated the name and the Transvasierverfahren and to distinguish it from the 'traditional method'.

Fermentation in the bottle of beer

Even beer can undergo a second fermentation in the bottle. In this yeast, and the so-called food is the green beer, according to the actual production of beer, often unfiltered, added as a carbohydrate source, and this is directly filled into bottles. In the secondary fermentation the fermentation temperature on the room temperature is usually controlled electronically. The fermentation is determined by the current supplied by the supply of sugar. By the bottle fermentation the carbon dioxide in beer is fine bound. The remains of the yeast remain in the bottle, for example, the Hefeweizen. The fermentation can be done with a beer in barrels, this is for example the English real ale practiced. The Belgian Geuze beer is a specialty of the traditional bottle fermentation.