Make your own champagne. Homemade champagne from grapes
Probably everyone knows this delicious and festive drink. In the CIS countries, it is also an indispensable attribute of the New Year's table in many families - a tradition that developed during the Soviet past. But, as a rule, only a few people know how champagne is made and what standards must be met when making it. Let's fill the gap. We will tell you in our article what is commonly called a fizzy drink all over the world, and how to make champagne at home.
Terminology and technology
But first, about what is considered champagne according to the international European classification of brands. How is champagne made in Europe and what is considered an authentic drink? This one comes from the Champagne region of France. It is produced from strictly defined grape varieties (we will talk about this in more detail below) using the secondary bottle fermentation technique. And although the term itself in various countries (for example, in Russia, but also in Canada and the USA) can be used by sparkling wine producers, according to the brand rules it can only be applied to foamy drinks produced only in a certain area - Champagne.
"Code of honor"
A whole set of rules has been developed for production that determine quality. The grape varieties and places of their cultivation have been determined. A list of requirements is also put forward for the process of collecting raw materials, pressing, minimum exposure, and sediment. All of them are approved by a special institution; only with full compliance does the drink have the right to be called “champagne”.
How is champagne made? Preparing for aging
But what is the originality of the process itself? How is real champagne made in France? Typically, the grape varieties that can be used for production are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier (although the code allows as many as seven varieties). Sometimes monovarietal wine is also produced, where only one variety of vine is used as raw material. Moreover, the entire harvest of sunny berries must be collected by hand! After which a light pressing of the raw material is applied.
How is champagne made at the factory?
Then everything happens according to strictly regulated technology. Professionals call this method bottle fermentation. It requires close attention and considerable costs, being very labor-intensive and specific, but, as they say, only with this method, according to wine experts, can you get a real sparkling drink.
First the remuage
Here is a brief description of the process of how champagne is made. The only thing they forgot to mention: after the wine has finally matured, in order to remove sediment from the bottle, a special procedure called remuage is used. The remuor (the specialist who produces it) places the bottles upside down in special music stands that maintain an inclination angle of 45 degrees. The bottles are turned so that the sediment moves onto the cork, carefully and daily. Typically this process takes from 2 to 3 months. The result is that all impurities are removed to the plug.
Then disgorgement
Disgorgement involves quickly removing sediment from a bottle without releasing carbon dioxide. To do this, the sediment in the neck is frozen, and the master must quickly uncork the container and throw away the sediment. Then the bottle is topped up and sealed again.
At home
Now some tips on how to make champagne at home if you want to make the famous foamy drink yourself. Of course, it is difficult to achieve genuine French taste, because this requires strict adherence to blending and technology. But quite decent sparkling wine will definitely come out with some effort from the winemaker. There are several ways. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Natural
First you need to prepare young wine from the grape varieties described above (you can take one - Chardonnay). Then pour the weak young wine into champagne bottles (with thick walls). How to make homemade champagne? First add a spoonful of sugar into each container and throw in a few unwashed, crushed fresh grapes (they have wine yeast on the surface). We cap the bottles. We place them horizontally in a warm place, where they should lie for 2-3 months (more is possible). Then we place the bottles with the neck down so that the resulting sediment passes to the cork and collects there. It will be quite easy to remove, but you need to try to do it without loss, and then add wine and seal. Place in a cool place for further aging (2-4 months).
Artificial
The next method is similar to how “Soviet champagne” is made (but not what was in the stagnant years, according to GOST, but “scorched” - after the collapse of the Union of Republics). In this case, the wine is artificially saturated with carbon dioxide. You can do this at home by pouring wine into the siphon (who still has it) and filling a can of gas. When you press the lever, a carbonated liquid will come out, vaguely reminiscent of champagne. There are also more modern saturation techniques. But it seems that this method of champagneization is suitable only for those who do not highly value the taste and aroma qualities of an authentic French drink.
Significant events in life are celebrated in a special way, and champagne is a mandatory attribute of festive events of this format. Therefore, the choice of champagne must be approached especially carefully so as not to overshadow the pleasant memories of a wonderful event. Champagne is an indispensable part of New Year's Eve, weddings, it is even broken on the stern of the ship before setting off on its maiden voyage, etc. The assortment of champagne wines is presented so widely that it is simply dizzying. In order to figure out which champagne is good and which is not, you need to understand how and what it is made from. This article is devoted to how champagne is made.
The culture of winemaking in the province of Champagne dates back to the 4th century. Here they came up with the technology of blending and bottling wine for re-fermentation.
Only three grape varieties are used as the basis for making champagne:
- Pinot Noir.
- Chardonnay.
- Pinot Minier.
Ripe grapes for wine production are collected only by hand. After lightly squeezing the fruits, the process of preparing the champagne itself begins using the “bottle fermentation method.” This process is very expensive and no less labor-intensive. However, you can only get real wine that has the right to be called champagne in this way.
Champagne making technology
How to make champagne at home
The relevance of preparing alcoholic beverages at home is fully justified due to the dominance of counterfeit goods on the shelves. By making the drink yourself, you can be sure that it contains only high-quality ingredients. You can also make champagne at home.
There are two recipes for making homemade champagne - natural and artificial. Natural is reminiscent of traditional technology, while artificial involves pumping carbon dioxide into bottles of wine. Even an inexperienced person understands that the first method is much better. Wine prepared in this way is much more aromatic and tastier.
Champagne at home in a natural way
After the fermentation process is complete, pour the young wine into thick-walled bottles (you can use champagne bottles). Pour a tablespoon of sugar into each bottle and throw in a few unwashed raisins or grapes. Place the bottles in a warm room in a horizontal position and leave them for several months (the longer the aging, the richer the wine). Then place the bottles with the neck down. This measure will help sediment collect on the plug and make it easier to remove. Aging the wine for a few more months. You need to be very careful when opening bottles to remove sediment. Some of the wine, of course, will leak out, but losses should be reduced to a minimum.
After removing the sediment, add wine, cork and steam in a cool room in a horizontal position to age for about 3 months.
Homemade champagne is very tasty and aromatic.
In order to make homemade champagne in a quick way, young wine needs to be saturated with carbon dioxide. With this preparation option, the drink will be carbonated, but the bouquet will not be bright.
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The number of people who have visited Champagne is much smaller than those who have tasted champagne wine. Each of us associates especially solemn moments in life with a foamy drink sparkling in tall glasses. Therefore, it would be a good idea to think about having a supply of the excellent drink at home. Buying high-quality champagne wine is quite expensive, so let’s try to make it ourselves. Believe me, a beginner can get good sparkling wine. Even from grape leaves, with some effort, you can create an excellent drink.
Features of grapes
The advantages of grapes are undeniable: high nutritional value, antioxidant properties, high glucose content. Pectins exhibit antiradical and anticarcinogenic properties; they are indispensable for feeding people with weakened immune systems.
The only category who need to eat these wonderful gifts of summer in very small doses are people suffering from diabetes. The sugar level is too high for a body with a deficient insulin apparatus.
Secrets of the drink
There is such a variety of technologies for preparing wine drinks that it is simply impossible to choose just one for yourself. Champagne is obtained in several ways. There is an option to saturate it with carbon dioxide artificially, which is much easier to do technically. By injecting carbon monoxide under pressure, the drink acquires a carbonated structure.
At home, it is still preferable to prepare a natural fizzy drink, using methods of natural saturation with fermentation gases and the disgorgement procedure. This enriches the flavor palette, the structure of the gases does not irritate the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.
Even young leaves can be used to make champagne for a special occasion and surprise sophisticated connoisseurs. They contain very valuable tannins, which will help make the taste of the drink more pronounced and add a special note of strength. The citric acid contained, the amount of which is greater only in lemons, can be used as a natural preservative agent, preventing premature souring of products.
If prepared from leaves, you will need several kilograms of the most tender, newly blossomed leaves. The varieties of berries in this case do not matter much, since the main thing is that the leaves are not affected by the disease.
The varieties of grape berries are also important for preparing drinks directly from them. Sweetness, sparklingness, the amount of alcohol in the final product, and of course, the degree of its carbonation depend on this. Homemade champagne can be pink, white, red, mixed, almost anything. There is only one limitation here - your imagination.
Recipe No. 1
- Light grapes of any variety – 10 kg.
- Prepared water – 2 liters.
Cooking instructions:
It turns out to be quite strong, but at the same time delicate wine. The amount of sugary substances depends on the original berry variety.
Recipe No. 2
You will need:
- Grapes of any variety – 8 kg.
- Scalded leaves – 2 kg.
- Sugar – as needed.
- Prepared water (for infusion) 2 liters.
Adding an infusion of grape leaves adds flavor and quality to dry wines. Great with fish, white meat, grilled vegetables. Can be served with ice cream or whipped cream desserts. It can be stored for up to three years, after which it may give a slight sour aftertaste.
Conclusion
Adding exquisite wine to your own collection, which we are all accustomed to calling champagne, is a rather tempting prospect. No holiday would be complete without the magical taste of sparkling wine, prepared with love.
It is much more economical and profitable from the point of view of the family budget to do champagne at home, on your own, and you will also avoid the risk of paying a lot of money for a low-quality drink. Meanwhile, homemade champagne made in strict accordance with the recipe, the result will be no worse than a regular store-bought one, and you will be confident in the quality of the products used for the drink and will be free from the risk of getting an undesirable result, which, unfortunately, is not so rare.
Prepare homemade champagne(sparkling wine) is not that difficult. In addition, you have the right to do apple or currant, cherry or strawberry, sparkling or any other. It is likely that later you will always give preference homemade champagne.
Strong foaming of any champagne (fizzyness) occurs due to the fact that in wine prepared not in the usual, but in a special way, the content of carbon dioxide is very high, which, when the wine is opened, is quickly released from it and thereby produces effervescence and forms foam.
Homemade champagne is prepared in two different ways, each of which has its own pros and cons. The first method (it can be called natural): young wine is forced to ferment in sealed bottles. In the second (conventionally called artificial), carbon dioxide is produced artificially and then pumped in some way into bottles of wine.
The difference between them is colossal. Wines prepared in a natural way have a delicate and fresh taste; they foam much longer (as they say, “foam”), since carbon dioxide is not released immediately, but gradually, in small bubbles. This champagne is very aromatic and pleasant to the taste. Well, champagne prepared with the artificial addition of carbon dioxide does not have such a pleasant and refreshing taste, is not so aromatic, foams very quickly and, therefore, quickly runs out of gas, since the gas is released much more intensely.
Therefore, the first the natural way to make champagne can be considered the most suitable if you want to get high-quality, tasty wine. If the most important thing for you is saving time and effort, you can pour the finished homemade wine into a siphon, use purchased cans of gas (carbon dioxide) - and homemade champagne is ready to drink.
Any homemade champagne (fizzy drink) can be made using the following system: - preparing young wine; - fermentation of young wine in a bottle; - removal of sediment (disgorgement of wine); - topping up and flavoring; - bottle capping; - aging wine.
So first of all you must prepare young wine.
For any “fizzy drink” you need ripe, clean berries or extract juice from fruits, therefore, first chop the fruits (apples, pears) or remove the seeds (cherries), stalks (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, currants, blueberries). Berries or fruits must be clean, sorted, preferably free of worms.
Make sure that neither the dishes nor the juicer are made of iron (or with iron parts), since oxidation of the juice is unacceptable: the wine will have an unpleasant taste or it will spoil. The best option is wooden utensils.
It is advisable to chop apples or pears with steel knives.
Place crushed or sorted fruits or berries in a clean bowl and crush with wooden pestles. Leave this mass for a day at a temperature of about 15-20 °C. The mass will ferment. This juice is much better for wine.
If the mass turns out to be too thick (this applies to apple or pear wine), before it ferments for a day in an open vessel, add a little water to it, but do not forget to take this water into account later when you make the wort.
After a day, squeeze out the juice. One of the simplest and most convenient ways is to squeeze juice from a mass located in a bag made of simple, not very thick and dense white canvas.
Rinse the bag well in warm water first. It doesn't have to be big. Lightly moisten it, fill one third with apple mixture and twist it together, squeezing out the juice.
After this, add sugar and water depending on the amount of juice.
The water should be soft (not calcareous), preferably from a well or spring, this affects the quality of the future champagne, granulated sugar or pure refined sugar.
Dissolve sugar in water, stir well and pour into juice.
Also stir the resulting wort and strain through a fine hair sieve, then pour it into the fermentation vessel.
The liquid should ferment in a glass or wooden container(for beginners, glass is better, but for the quality of wine, wooden containers are more suitable). The simplest fermentation apparatus is a glass or metal tube bent in an arc.
The wort should not completely fill the fermenter; you should leave some free space. Cover the hole with a clean cloth or stopper and leave it in this form for a day in a room with a temperature of 18-25 °C. If fermentation does not develop (after 24 hours there is no slight noise or gas release), you can add 120 g of pure raisins for each bucket of apple wort.
After this, securely close the hole with a stopper with a tube threaded through it, the second tip of which is inserted into a vessel (small jar) with water. Place this jar nearby on the floor. Fill the cork of a vessel with wine with sealing wax, wax or paraffin so that air does not penetrate into it. It is preferable to use sealing wax.
By the way the air passes through the tube into the container with water, you will know whether the stopper is sealed. If fermentation processes occur in the wort, and air does not escape through the tube, check the tightness and seal the cracks.
Wort should ferment at a temperature of 18-25 °C in a dry and clean room. At first, the fermentation will be violent, the contents will become very agitated, it will seem as if it is boiling from the bubbles that are released. Then it slows down.
There will be significantly fewer gas bubbles, your young wine will become lighter, and a thick sediment will appear at the bottom of the container. Eventually fermentation begins and stops completely.
Violent fermentation at 18-25 °C usually lasts about 3-4 weeks. After 4-5 days it will slow down somewhat. And in the next 2-3 weeks, slow fermentation continues. The time it takes for fermentation, whether rapid or slow, is individual and depends on the temperature in the room, as well as on what you are preparing the wine from and what its strength is.
If you see that the release of gas bubbles has decreased, has slowed down, the young wine has brightened and sediment has collected at the bottom, you can assume that the first stage of fermentation, and therefore the first stage of preparing homemade champagne, is completed.
Second phase - second period of fermentation of young wine. When the first period ends (you can even do it a little earlier), pour the wine into bottles as completely as possible, pour 1 tsp into each bottle. granulated sugar. In some wines (I will talk about this later), it is useful to add two or three grapes or even raisins - this will serve to stimulate fermentation. Seal the bottles with good thick corks and tie each cork and neck of the bottle with twine to prevent fermentation from popping out and causing the wine to leak. It is advisable to bottle the sparkling wine in a cool room and as quickly as possible in order to protect the wine from a large release of carbon dioxide.
The best bottles are those that previously contained champagne, as they are quite strong and durable, which reduces the risk of their rupture due to increased internal pressure and the pressure of the resulting gases.
Place all prepared and tightly closed bottles in a warm room. They should definitely lie down and not stand.
Keep the wine in this position for at least 2-3 months so that it ferments well. If the bottles cannot hold up and begin to burst, cool the room where they are located. This will somewhat slow down the fermentation and, therefore, reduce the pressure, but in this case you should increase the time and keep it in this way for another 1-2 weeks. After this time, place them with their necks down on a specially designed machine in the form of a ladder. They should be rotated daily so that the yeast gradually leaves the walls and accumulates at the neck. If all these conditions are met, within 1-2 weeks the yeast will collect on the inner surface of the cork in the form of a dense mass, and the wine will become light.
Next operation - wine disgorgement- removal of sediment remaining after fermentation. This procedure is quite complex; it requires experience and speed of execution. If you do everything right, homemade champagne it will turn out to be successful. The effervescence and purity of the future wine depend on the results of disgorgement.
Be sure to carry out the procedure in the same room where the wine was previously fermented and where the bottles are located, but the temperature must be lowered to 8-10 °C. This is very important, since the cooler the room is, the less carbon dioxide will be lost from the wine (at low temperatures, the wine’s ability to dissolve carbon dioxide increases).
Prepare the required quantity in advance bottle caps and twine(wire frame) to secure the plugs. Also keep liquor or wine nearby, that is, what you will use to top up the bottles.
Remove yeast should be placed over a clean vessel so that the wine that spills out when opening the bottle can then be separated from the yeast. Do this by straining the resulting yeast mass.
Proceed to disgorgement in this way: first, carefully, without shaking and trying not to shake, take a bottle of “fizzy drink” from the shelf and, without changing its original position, that is, without turning it over, carefully cut the string holding the cap and neck together, easily, in a smooth motion pull out the cork if it immediately yields to hand pressure (if not, pull it out with a corkscrew, but again gently, trying not to shake or shake the bottle). You should know that the cork always flies out of the neck, and with it the yeast, that is, the very sediment that should be removed. This operation requires special attention, speed and dexterity. Only in this case the sediment (yeast) is not agitated, and therefore the wine turns out to be quite pure. Speed is necessary to ensure that too much wine does not spill out (small losses are inevitable). After removing all the yeast, immediately close the opening of the bottle with your finger.
The next stage includes topping up and flavoring homemade champagne. This procedure is best done together.
If the first person removes the yeast and immediately closes the bottle with his finger, the second immediately takes it from the hands of the first, turns it over and quickly pours the wine or liqueur into it, open and standing next to it. It is better to pour wine or liqueur through a straw, funnel, or from a vessel with a narrow and long spout. Seal as soon as possible. This procedure requires special attention and speed, since it is at this moment that carbon dioxide leaks most often occur. After clogging, the cork must be carefully and securely tied to the neck with string so that it does not fly out due to gas pressure.
After this you will certainly seal the cork and neck of the bottle with sealing wax or other similar composition.
The next stage implies that the wine will be aged for a certain time. Place the bottles treated as described above in the same cool room (t 810 °C) for further aging. The length of the aging period will affect the quality of your wine.
Homemade champagne will be ready in at least 3 months. This is the minimum period. It is advisable to age it for at least five months: the longer the age, the better the quality of the wine.
Homemade champagne that is too strong loses quality, taste, and aroma. In short, the amount of alcohol in it should not be more than 9%. Therefore, when preparing wine, you should be guided by the recipes below, choosing the ratio of sugar and water.
A special condition when preparing champagne is the raw materials.
I think the most delicious, aromatic and refreshing “pops” made from white currants, strawberries and Siberian (“paradise”) apples. But, of course, this is a matter of taste.
APPLE CHAMPAGNE
Apple champagne It turns out very tasty, invigorating, with a beautiful golden hue. Choose the right variety of apples. The “pop” reaches the highest quality if it is used with mature Siberian apples (they are usually called “paradise” apples). But in general, choose according to this principle: apple varieties with a sour taste produce champagne with a pleasant bouquet. Always take only ripe apples. You will get a golden hue and a good, high-quality taste if the apples are yellow and not green. Summer varieties are not suitable for apple “pop” - they contain little acid. You can make champagne from 1/3 summer, sweet apples and 2/3 autumn, sour apples.
For apple wine, chop clean, ripe, sorted fruits, removing wormy or spoiled areas. The rest is similar to preparing any other homemade wine, but when adding water and sugar to the juice (for the wort), follow the following recommendations.
For every 10 liters of pure apple juice, add 3 liters of water (but be sure to consider how much water you added to the apple mass before squeezing, and reduce its amount by this volume). The amount of sugar for every 10 kg of pure juice should range from 1.1 kg to 1.60 kg. The more sugar, the stronger the champagne (from 7 to 9°). Do not overuse sugar, as the champagne will be too strong, and this will negatively affect its quality.
In addition, when removing excess yeast from the bottles, you will have to add wine or liqueur to each bottle to compensate for the loss of wine.
Since you already diluted the juice with water, which caused the taste and bouquet of the champagne to suffer somewhat.
After 2-3 months, when bottled wine fermentation will not be so noticeable, place them in an inclined position in a room where the temperature should be maintained at about 13-15 ° C, and add wine, preferably with specially prepared liqueur, which will improve the taste and bouquet of your champagne. If you add some other factory-produced wine or liqueur, homemade champagne may acquire an unusual taste or, due to inappropriate ingredients, even a not entirely pleasant smell and taste.
The optimal solution is homemade liqueur, if possible, similar in taste to champagne, but only in concentrated form.
For apple champagne, make a liqueur consisting of 12 g of orange zest, 1 bottle of good cognac, 800 g of sugar. This amount of ingredients is designed to add 25-30 bottles of “fizzy drink”.
Grind the orange zest (you can use a grater for this). Place the zest in a glass vessel, add sugar and pour cognac over everything. Seal the container tightly. Keep the infusion in this form in a warm room for about 2-3 weeks. When the sugar is completely dissolved and the drink acquires the aromatic and taste qualities of orange zest, the liqueur is ready. Don't forget to shake it from time to time.
After 2-3 weeks, strain the drink through filter paper or a clean towel and store in a tightly sealed bottle until needed for refilling.
PEAR CHAMPAGNE
Pear pop slightly inferior in quality and aroma to apple. It is less acidic and does not quench thirst as much. Pure pear juice produces wine that is not so tasty and does not last as long, so it is advisable to add a certain amount of apple juice to it, in which case the wine turns out to be very tasty, aromatic and of high quality. Fruits for “pop” are yellowish, ripe, but hard. Soft and overripe pears are undesirable. The optimal combination of pear and apple juice is 1/3 pear and 2/3 apple.
Just like apples, chop clean and ripe pears. When making wort, add 1.20 kg of sugar for every 10 liters of juice and 1 liter of water.
Prepare liqueur to add to sparkling wine from 5 g of orange zest, 1 lemon, 1 bottle of good cognac and 700 g of sugar. Remove the zest from the lemon and chop it. Mix with orange zest, add the juice of 1 lemon and add sugar.
Pour cognac on top of it all, stir well and seal. Keep in a warm room for two and a half weeks, shaking occasionally. After this, strain the liqueur and, tightly corking, store in a cool room until the champagne needs to be topped up.
CHAMPAGNE FROM CURRANTS
Can make currant pop- red, black or white. Sort the ripe currants, removing the green stems, as they give the wine a tart and unpleasant aftertaste. When preparing the wort, keep in mind that for white and black currants you need 20 liters of water and 4 to 6 kg of sugar for every 10 liters of pure juice.
Liqueur and topping are made from 800 g of white currants, 1 bottle of cognac, 800 g of sugar per 20-25 bottles of sparkling wine.
Crush the ripe, sorted berries into pulp, place in a glass vessel, cover with sugar and pour in cognac.
Leave for 2 weeks, shaking every 2-3 days, then strain.
In the same way, prepare liqueur for topping up from black currants, i.e. use 800 g of sugar and the same amount of black currants, 1 bottle of cognac per 30 bottles.
Red currant wine has a particularly delicate, slightly sour taste and amazing aroma. When preparing wort, remember that for every 10 liters of juice, 15 liters of water and 5 to 6 kg of sugar are required. The further preparation is similar to the preparation of other wines, but the liqueur for topping is made from 300 g of black currants and 300 g of red currants, 1 bottle of cognac, 700 g of sugar.
CHAMPAGNE FROM GOOSEBERRY
The best variety for high-quality homemade champagne is considered to be the so-called hairy gooseberry. Ripe, but not overripe berries are needed. To pure gooseberry juice (10 liters) you need to add 13 liters of water, 3 kg of sugar.
The liqueur to be added to the “fizzy drink” consists of 800 g of red gooseberries, 1 bottle of cognac, 700 g of sugar.
CHAMPAGNE FROM STRAWBERRY OR STRAWBERRY
This “fizzy drink” has a delicate, soft taste, wonderful aroma, and high quality. Berries for wine should be ripe and, if possible, clean, since if they are washed, strawberries or wild strawberries become less aromatic and watery. For the wort, add 5 liters of water and 2 kg of sugar to berry juice (per 10 liters).
Liqueur for strawberry or strawberry wine: 600 g strawberries, 200 g strawberries, 1 bottle of cognac, 600 g sugar. This is done in the same way as described above.
CHAMPAGNE FROM RASPBERRY OR BLACKBERRY
Like strawberries, this is an original, very tasty, aromatic champagne with a rich bouquet. It is advisable just not to make “pop” from white raspberries, since the quality is significantly inferior to homemade champagne made from red raspberries or blackberries. For the wort, take 4 liters of water for every 5 liters of pure juice (for blackberries it is better to add the juice of two medium-sized lemons instead of water), 2 kg of sugar (for blackberries you can use 1.5 kg).
Liqueur: 700 g of berries (blackberries or raspberries, respectively), 500 g of sugar, 1 bottle of cognac. Prepare in the same way, but you should shake it more often, and you only need to infuse the berries for one and a half to two weeks.
Making real champagne is a complex and lengthy process. Moreover, this noble drink is prepared exclusively from grapes and practically without sugar impurities. But you can make an analogue of champagne at home - of course, it will be more likely to be sparkling wine, but this will not make its taste any less refined. And you can take any berries or fruits for homemade champagne, according to your taste. You can also prepare your own alcoholic “fruit” water, which can completely replace the French drink.
Recipes for making alcoholic “fruit water”
Orange water
Dissolve 1.5 kg of sugar in 9 liters of water. Place over low heat and simmer until 6 liters of syrup remain in the pan. 10 oranges are peeled and seeded and placed in syrup. When the syrup has cooled to 20 °C, pour in half a cup of liquid brewer's yeast and a cup of white wine. The resulting mixture is stirred and placed in a wooden barrel.
The barrel is left in a warm place for fermentation for 5–6 hours. At the end of fermentation, remove the formed foam on the surface of the liquid, add 3 liters of white wine, mix and place in a cold place. Infuse for 2-3 weeks, after which, after decanting and filtering, they are poured into thick glass bottles.
Apogare
Take 6 lemons, cut into slices and remove all the seeds. Pound 2.5 kg of raisins with a wooden masher and mix with lemons. Pour 10 liters of water and place this mixture in a wooden barrel, which is placed in a cool place. Leave for 12 days, then strain and bottle. This drink is consumed with sugar.
Berezovka
It is prepared from natural birch sap, which is obtained in the spring, after the winter frosts have passed. On the south side of the tree, use a small gimlet to make a hole from top to bottom and 6 cm deep. A tube is inserted into this hole and a vessel is placed under it. As soon as you have collected the juice, it should immediately be bottled. In each bottle put 1 slice of lemon along with zest (but without seeds), 5 raisins, a piece of cream of tartar the size of a small pea, 1 teaspoon of alcohol or good cognac. Bottles with contents are tightly corked, resinous, and placed in a cellar for 1.5 months. This time will be enough to produce a drink of high quality and wonderful aroma.
Voditsa
Take 10 liters of water, add 3 bottles of berry juice and 1.2 kg of sugar. Put on fire and boil for 20–30 minutes. Cool the resulting syrup to 31 degrees, then add wine yeast and leave in a warm place for fermentation. When the tincture has fermented, it should be strained through flannel and poured into champagne bottles. Before sealing tightly, put 1 piece of refined sugar and 1-2 raisins into each. Grind the bottles and put them in the cellar. After 2 weeks, the drink will be sufficiently infused and ready to drink.
Raisin water
Boil 30 liters of water and cool to the temperature of fresh milk. Grind 4 kg of raisins in a wooden mortar and place in a barrel. Pour 30 liters of water. Peel the lemons and remove the seeds from the pulp. Also put the zest and pulp into a barrel. Pour in 1 tablespoon of yeast and place in a fairly warm place for fermentation. Infuse for 24 hours, after which the barrel is placed in a cold cellar for 12 days. Then strain the contents, pour into bottles and put 3 raisins in each. The bottles are tightly corked and placed in the cellar for storage. After 14–15 days, the drink is ready and can be consumed, preferably with sugar.
Ginger water
Cut the lemon into pieces along with the zest, removing the seeds. Place lemon slices on the bottom of the prepared enamel pan, add 1 kg of sugar, 32 g of crushed ginger and 15 g of cream of tartar. Pour everything into 5 liters of water and put it on fire. Cook for 30 minutes, but never boil.
Then remove from heat and add a tablespoon of brewer's yeast and let it ferment for one day. Then strain everything through a double layer of gauze, pour into bottles and cap tightly and twist well with wire. Store bottles in the cellar, spread out on the sand. In a week you will have excellent ginger water, ready to drink.
Lemon water
Boil syrup from 2 kg of sugar and 10 liters of water over low heat. Heat for 2-3 hours until 6-7 liters of syrup remain in the pan.
Lemons are peeled and seeded and cut into slices. Place in boiled syrup, which is left to cool. When the liquid has cooled to a temperature of 20–21 °C, pour in half a cup of brewer's yeast and a cup of white wine. After two hours, add the rest of the wine. At the end of fermentation, the container is transferred to a cool place (possibly in a cellar) and left for three weeks, after which the solution is strained, filtered and bottled. Thick glass bottles are best. Store in a cellar or any cool room.
Orange water (or grapefruit water)
8 ripe oranges (or grapefruits) cut into slices and sprinkle with sugar (2 kg). Pour in 10 liters of water and put it on the fire to boil.
Cook over low heat for an hour, then remove. To prepare orange syrup, an enamel saucepan is best suited, which is tightly covered with a lid while the solution is boiling.
Then, after cooling the syrup, pour the liquid with pieces of oranges into a wooden barrel, into which they place the peel and pulp of the lemon, so that not a single seed gets into the syrup. Pour in 4 bottles of white table wine and 1 tablespoon of yeast. The resulting mixture is infused in a fairly warm place (you can even use a Russian oven). After 2 days, they are lowered into a cold place for 14–15 days. After which the drink is filtered and bottled. The neck of each bottle is tied with wire and tarred. To store bottles with this drink, you need to choose a cold place and sprinkle them with sand.
Apple water
Depending on the number of apples available, choose a wooden barrel. Sort the apples thoroughly, rinse with running water and place in a barrel, which is tightly sealed. The water is ready for use after 2–3 weeks, after which it must be poured out and freshly refilled into the barrel. Pour the infused water into bottles, placing 2-3 raisins and 1 teaspoon of sugar in each bottle. Seal the bottles tightly and store them in a cool place.
How to make champagne at home with your own hands
Here is how to make champagne at home using sugar syrup.
Homemade champagne
Dissolve 2 kg of sugar in 15 liters of water and put on low heat. As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 hours. Place the resulting syrup in a wooden barrel and cool. When the water has cooled to the temperature of fresh milk, pour in half a bottle of yeast and place in a warm place for fermentation. An hour later, after fermentation begins, pour the water into bottles, placing 1 piece of refined sugar and 1-2 drops of lemon essence in each bottle. Seal the bottles tightly, tar them and put them in the cellar for storage. If after 3 weeks the drink begins to foam like champagne, then it can be consumed.
Juniper berry champagne
To prepare champagne at home according to this recipe, juniper berries need to be lightly mashed, placed in a wooden barrel, add a crumb of hot bread and pour boiling water over it. Seal tightly, let it brew and ferment. Pour the tincture into bottles, add 1 tablespoon of alcohol or cognac, 1 piece of refined sugar and 2-3 raisins to each bottle. Close tightly, tar and store in a cool place, sprinkled with sand.
Fizz "Champagne"
Before making homemade champagne, you need to prepare syrup from 1 kg of sugar and 10 liters of water, juice from 5 lemons. The juice is mixed with sugar syrup and placed in a wooden barrel. When the drink has cooled to 22–23 °C, a glass of brewer’s yeast is poured into the keg and left in a warm room for fermentation. After the mixture has fermented, remove the foam from it, carefully strain it so as not to stir up the resulting sediment, and pour it into another container. Then carefully filter and mix with vodka. Pour into beer bottles, add 1 piece of refined sugar and 2-3 drops of lemon essence to each. The bottles are tightly corked and stored in the cellar. After 1.5–2 months, homemade champagne using this recipe is ready for consumption.
Blackcurrant champagne
Below is how to make champagne at home from black currants.
Recipe No. 1
Blackcurrant berries (1.2 kg) are carefully sorted, debris and tails are removed, and washed with running water.
All berries are placed in a prepared container, poured with 2.5 liters of boiled water and 1.5 liters of good strong vodka. Close and leave to infuse in the sun, shaking every day, for 2 weeks, after which the mixture is filtered, 800 g of sugar is added and taken to a cool place.
To make your own champagne, it is best to dissolve sugar in a small amount of infused liquid, and only then mix it with the total mass. The tincture, saturated with sugar, is left for 20 days in a cold place. After which they are brought into a warm room and bottled. Before corking, put 1 piece of refined sugar into each bottle.
Recipe No. 2
Blackcurrant berries must be taken when they are ripe. Remove stems and wash thoroughly under running water. Leave for a while to allow the water to drain. If you take a small amount of berries, they can be laid out on a towel. Using a juicer, extract juice from the berries and do not throw away the squeeze, but put it in a cool place for a while. Then take the same amount of pure spring water as currant juice. Mix the liquids, add sugar and pour into a wooden barrel, which must be placed in the cellar and placed in such a way that it remains motionless during fermentation. Leave for 14–15 days.
When the wine ferments and settles, then the currant mass is placed in the barrel. The barrel should not be tightly closed so that some air gets in. As soon as no hissing or noise is heard from the barrel, the sleeve should be tightly closed. Infuse for 5–6 months in a wooden container, after which it is bottled, after straining and filtering. It is best to store it in the cellar, filling the dishes with sand.
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