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Author Topic: still, petillant, or sparkling  (Read 4985 times)

Offline stlaleman

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still, petillant, or sparkling
« on: September 11, 2010, 04:48:50 am »
Can some one in the "know" put some numbers on these terms. At how many volumes does petillant become sparkling?

Offline enso

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Re: still, petillant, or sparkling
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2010, 07:09:26 am »
Well, I may not be in the know and I do not have any specific numbers but here is my take on it ( that will likely spur someone in the know to reply  ;))

Still is still.  Dead flat, no bubbles. 

Petillant just slightly bubbly.  Generally I will call a cider petillant when I intended it to be still but, despite my best efforts to wait MANY months for fermentation to be completely done some slight fermentation occurs in the bottle anyway.   ;)

It will fizz very slightly as it is poured and there will be very gently carbonation.  Just a slight mouthfeel but not too prickly of a sensation.  If I had to guess numbers I would say a quarter volume up to just under one volume?

Sparkling.  Well generally I would say champagne levels.  Highly carbonated, very prickly bubbles.  3-4 volumes?  I guess it depends on what we are talking about though.  A sparkling wine may be more carbonated than a sparkling cider.  The liquid itself may give a different perception depending on the body and residual sugars (or dextrins where appropriate) that are there.
Dave Brush