Interesting post. I can give you some contributions.
- I suggest to take care of the freezing point. I tried once to rotate and to clear the beer without freezing it but the yeast is too viscous and you can take only a portion of it away.
- Taking it away is crucial because, doing it, you will lose some beer that you have to replace with other beer + sugar. This liquid is called "liqueur dexpedition" and it is different from the first priming (called "liqueur tirage") because it must NOT be fermented again, since it is used to adjust acidity and sweetness. "The actual sugar content will also depend on a wines style:
Extra brut (0-6 grams/litre), Bone dry
Brut (0-15 grams/litre), Dry to very dry
Extra sec or extra dry (12-20 grams/litre) dry to medium dry
Sec or Dry (17-35 grams/litre) more medium to medium sweet
Demi-sec or Rich (35-50 grams/litre) sweet
Doux (50 grams + per litre) very sweet but this style is no longer commercially produced."
(
https://www.champagnegallery.com.au/champagne-science/vinification/liqueurs-d-expedition-tirage/ )
- Some examples of Bière de Champagne show how low or high you can go (none over 12%):
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/141
- Champagne can stay on yeast for many months, even up to 2 years. You can try using this method on batch of bottles of 3-6-9-12 monts to see the difference. In any case, I would use a recipe not too extreme since if it's too hoppy or too alcoholic, you would notice it many months after your experiment. If possible, I would use an already tested recipe. Test the Nelson Sauvin first, it can give a hint of garlic that is quite peculiar.
- Bottle some beer without the method, to make a comparison.
- Champagne can go up to 6 volumes of CO2 but some lower versions are made at 3. Either way, check your bottles if you plan to get this high.
- If you want a pedant annotation, you are using the "méthode traditionnelle" since, for copyright reasons, you cannot use the "méthode champenoise" other than producing a champagne (in the french region).
Please share the recipe, I'm curious
Cheers from Italy!
Piteko