RobWalker
Well-Known Member
Likely to be out next week or so apparently...what do you make?
Elderberries and Elderflowers
- Thread starter RobWalker
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shearclass
Landlord.
RobWalker said:
Flowers maybe, berries not for a while.
I am goign to try and make a gallon of elderflower wine, probably using a fruit juice wine, though i am also considering usign sultanas or grape juice concentrate.
Quite right, flowers some time soon, berries mid-Autumn.shearclass said:
No sign of any flowers around our way yet, but one of my main cropping places has been decimated by council vandals, the bastards have smashed full sized and very productive trees right back to hedges :twisted:
shearclass
Landlord.
If you pick the flowers, does that stop berries growing later?
Call me a townie if you wish!
Call me a townie if you wish!
When we take elderflowers we don't just pick a few petals (although I suppose you could if you had a pair of tweezers and nothing better to do for a week), we cut off the whole head of florets.
Left alone, the flowers would eventually become the fruit, so if you take the flowers you can't have berries.
Left alone, the flowers would eventually become the fruit, so if you take the flowers you can't have berries.
RobWalker
Well-Known Member
Ours look 50/50 ready, I assume they're okay to pick when they're white?
How much should I use in a gallon of cider? I'd like quite a prominent flavour because I age my cider quite a bit.
How much should I use in a gallon of cider? I'd like quite a prominent flavour because I age my cider quite a bit.
fermentall
Landlord.
Got a couple of Elders around garden fence,i leave the flowers as i dont like elderflower wine.When the berries are ripe i harvest them & find that mixed with blackberries picked earlier in the summer & frozen make a particularly nice "red" wine. :
Ken.
Ken.samurailord
Active Member
I have never made any elderflower or elderberry wines, but my local homebrew shop has these recipes on its website. My wife fancies me having a go at the champagne, but I worry about making bottle bombs 
Homemade Elderflower Champagne a good, cheap homebrew
100g elderflower heads shaken to remove any creatures, 2 kg granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, 4.5 litres boiling water, Juice and zest of 5 lemons preferably unwaxed, 1 sachet champagne yeast
Into a brewing bucket pour the boiling water onto sugar, mix well to dissolve, allow to cool
Add the elderflowers, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and zest, yeast, cover and ferment for 5 days
Strain the juice into sterilised bottles which can withstand the build of CO2 e.g Plastic beer bottles or swing top glass bottles (leaving a gap between the shoulder of the bottle and top)
Leave to ferment for another 7 days, place somewhere cool to clear and mature
Elderflower Wine Making Recipe
75g fresh elderflowers which is approximately 3/4 of pint of elderflower petals lightly pressed down or 12.5g dried elderflowers, yeast, wine tannin, yeast nutrient, 1.5kg Sugar, 4.5 litres/ 1 gallon Water,150ml white wine concentrate , 3 Lemons
If using fresh elderflowers pick fully opened ones and trim the petals away from the stem. Boil the water and pour over the elderflowers, add sugar (mix thoroughly to dissolve) white wine concentrate and lemon juice
Leave to cool (approx 21 degrees C) and add wine tannin, yeast and yeast nutrient. Cover and leave wine to ferment in a warm place for 5 days
After this time strain into a demi john, fit an airlock and leave to fermenting in the warm until bubbling stops or hydrometer reading is 1.000 or below
Siphon into a clean demi john leaving the sediment behind, put in a cold place to clear. When clear syphon into wine bottles and store
Homemade Elderflower Champagne a good, cheap homebrew
100g elderflower heads shaken to remove any creatures, 2 kg granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, 4.5 litres boiling water, Juice and zest of 5 lemons preferably unwaxed, 1 sachet champagne yeast
Into a brewing bucket pour the boiling water onto sugar, mix well to dissolve, allow to cool
Add the elderflowers, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and zest, yeast, cover and ferment for 5 days
Strain the juice into sterilised bottles which can withstand the build of CO2 e.g Plastic beer bottles or swing top glass bottles (leaving a gap between the shoulder of the bottle and top)
Leave to ferment for another 7 days, place somewhere cool to clear and mature
Elderflower Wine Making Recipe
75g fresh elderflowers which is approximately 3/4 of pint of elderflower petals lightly pressed down or 12.5g dried elderflowers, yeast, wine tannin, yeast nutrient, 1.5kg Sugar, 4.5 litres/ 1 gallon Water,150ml white wine concentrate , 3 Lemons
If using fresh elderflowers pick fully opened ones and trim the petals away from the stem. Boil the water and pour over the elderflowers, add sugar (mix thoroughly to dissolve) white wine concentrate and lemon juice
Leave to cool (approx 21 degrees C) and add wine tannin, yeast and yeast nutrient. Cover and leave wine to ferment in a warm place for 5 days
After this time strain into a demi john, fit an airlock and leave to fermenting in the warm until bubbling stops or hydrometer reading is 1.000 or below
Siphon into a clean demi john leaving the sediment behind, put in a cold place to clear. When clear syphon into wine bottles and store
oldstout
Landlord.
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oldbloke said:
Hey oldbloke - I just noticed in your sig you made a Lidl grape juice wine you are hoping will come good?
I made a rose WOW in December and after 6 months it is absolutely rubbish, presumably yours is the same? I made a jug of Sangria out of a bottle at the weekend which made it palatable - mind you it had a good slug of vodka in it :lol: :lol:
However I doubt it would be nice if any Grandkids eventually came along, grew up and got good jobs, had there own kids who then decided to try GreatGrandads very old homemade rose which was covered in dust at the back of the shed.... :sick:
:?
shearclass
Landlord.
oldbloke said:
How long are you leaving it to mature? From reading other posts you have made, you seem to drink wine quite young. could it jsut need more time?
I have never made elderberry befre, but I have read it takes a very long time to mature, 18 months or so.
Moley said:
Thanks. I am goign to make some this year. I will go out with my son and collect some flowers tomorrow, assuming there is a 30 mins spell where it doesn't rain tomorrow.
oldstout said:
I started it last June, at the end of August it was a bit sour, quite acid, and extremely tannic. So, knowing all the stories about "we found it at the back of a cupboard and..." I decided to just leave it rather than chuck it. So, it's a year since it was started, today, and it's still not properly clear. No idea what it tastes like. I might rack it sometime in the next month or so.
shearclass said:
Oh, it's quite likely just that. The taste of the racking syphon from last year's was "Bit thin, very sharp, slightly woody". It may well be lovely with a bit of time.
The first lot I did, the year before, was (thanks to CJJB's recipe) over-sugared so although it tasted not bad, it was syruppy which gave it a bit of a medicinal feel.
A lot of the wines I've made really are ready to drink pretty much as soon as bottled. Some just want a few weeks to settle and do a last bit of chemistry. And then I have these few that are better left a good while. Only been at it 18 months, still a lot to learn.
RobWalker
Well-Known Member
Hoi, you lot! How much to a gallon of cider?
