Sparkling

[DeadFall]

Well the elderflowers will be out soon and this year I plan to make some sparkling wine with them. I've never done this before, it's always seemed a bit of a faff, but now would really like to give it a go. My plan is to make 5 gallons of wine using a non-champagne yeast. At bottling time I'll fill a demijohn to which I've added sugar and champagne yeast, the rest will be flat and go into normal wine bottles. Then I'll fill 6 champagne bottle up and cap using underbungs to collect the yeast. So far so easy.

For riddling, can I just store the bottles upside down, or is it better to tilt and rotate regularly? How long should I leave it until corking? As for getting the yeast out at the end, any tips? Every method I've seen involves freezing the bottle tops in an ice bath and then quickly corking after removing the yeast, is there a better way?

[Geezah]

I make sparkling wines by;
1. racking the wine clear when fermentation completely finished
2. degass it
3. Add potasium sorbate & campdem tablet
4. sweeten to taste
5. carbonate via a sodastream and bottle

[DeadFall]

Don't have a sodastream and won't buy one just for this!

[Geezah]

You asked if there was an easier method ;p

[DeadFall]

You asked if there was an easier method ;p

Fair enough I'll just watch a few youtube vids on the more traditional method.