Elderberry wine

[Atlantis01]

hi guys,

Ive been foraging about and ive come across a hell of a lotta elderberries. i made a batch of elderflower wine a few months ago now and that's resting which went well!

Anyway! I've read that the stems are poisonous? now I've been removing the berries from the bunches but to be honest most of the berries still have 1cm or so of branch/stem still attached. What i suppose im asking is, is it just the wood that's poisonous (i know that's why it was never used for fire wood) or are the stems poisonous too? I've got the berries in the freezer so times not a factor here other than my lust for alcohol!

also, if anyone has a boggo standard recipe id love to see it!

 

[kRooGa]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus

Scroll down to toxicity for info. A quick Google search for elderberry wine recipes will yield hundreds :

 

[kevinwigan]

When I did an Elderberry last year, I used the freeze/thaw/freeze/thaw/use method.
Less work or juice

 

[Atlantis01]

hmmm, following on from the wiki link it seems that all Green parts of the plant are poisonous with cyanide. Im assuming this is why you have to wait until the small stalks around the fruit turn red as well, to remove the cyanide.

Well im going to go on that assumption unless anyone knows better, it says to cook them before use as well so that's defiantly happening too!

Ill let you all know if im hospitalised! though that would be in a few months time...

 

[graysalchemy]

Elderberries are easy to deal with. Wait until they all all ripe, pick then freeze. Once frozen put in a bucket and give them a good shake around the stalks will break off which you will be able to pick out. Then put them in a bucket of water and the green ones should float to the surface which can then be scooped off. Now put back in a bucket and crush them with a piece of 3x2.

For my recipes I use

2lb Elderberries
1lb Blackberries
1 KG of sugar disolved in a little water (boil it up to make a syrup)
250g of Raisins chopped
1 tsp Pectolase

Ferment on the pulp for a week then strain through a straining back into DJ and top up with water to 1 Gallon.

:thumb:

 

[oldbloke]

hmmm, following on from the wiki link it seems that all Green parts of the plant are poisonous with cyanide. Im assuming this is why you have to wait until the small stalks around the fruit turn red as well, to remove the cyanide.

Well im going to go on that assumption unless anyone knows better, it says to cook them before use as well so that's defiantly happening too!

Ill let you all know if im hospitalised! though that would be in a few months time...

Sambucus Nigra, the one you should be using and the only one you're likely to find growing wild in this country, is fine. Don't worry about cyanide!
But get rid of as much stem as poss because it doesn't taste nice and there's quite enough tannin in the berries without adding more from the woody parts of the plant.
As said, an overnight (or longer) freeze will get the berries to fall off the twiggy bits easily.

 

[peteplus1]

Think I'll go with the same. Have plenty of blackberries in the freezer and keeping an eye on the elders, looks likely I'll be picking this weekend.

How long do you leave this? Ive heard needs a min of 18 months. Best kept for 3 years.....


2lb Elderberries
1lb Blackberries
1 KG of sugar disolved in a little water (boil it up to make a syrup)
250g of Raisins chopped
1 tsp Pectolase

Ferment on the pulp for a week then strain through a straining back into DJ and top up with water to 1 Gallon.

:thumb:[/quote]

 

[oldbloke]

It has a lot of tannin so needs a while, but I'm not sure I could wait more than 6 months before at least trying a bottle. And then judge how long to leave the others.

 

[Brewedout]

I find you can quickly harvest the berries by pulling them off with a fork.

 

[Duncs]

It has a lot of tannin so needs a while, but I'm not sure I could wait more than 6 months before at least trying a bottle. And then judge how long to leave the others.

With last years batch, I tried mine after 3 months when bottling and it still tasted of tree :sick: , I've not been too keen to try any more, so I think it'll mature for another year or two :whistle:

 

[graysalchemy]

Think I'll go with the same. Have plenty of blackberries in the freezer and keeping an eye on the elders, looks likely I'll be picking this weekend.

How long do you leave this? Ive heard needs a min of 18 months. Best kept for 3 years.....

It is best left a year or two at least. When I used to make it (BC) i used to make double what I intended to drink the following year, so after 7 years I was drinking 7 year old vintage elderberry wine which was very good.

Unfortunately Children came along and elderberry wine was confined to the annuls of history and the rapidly dwindling supply of bottles. However I do have a few bottles which range between 10-15 yrs old.

 

[peteplus1]

Think I'll go with the same. Have plenty of blackberries in the freezer and keeping an eye on the elders, looks likely I'll be picking this weekend.

How long do you leave this? Ive heard needs a min of 18 months. Best kept for 3 years.....

It is best left a year or two at least. When I used to make it (BC) i used to make double what I intended to drink the following year, so after 7 years I was drinking 7 year old vintage elderberry wine which was very good.

Unfortunately Children came along and elderberry wine was confined to the annuls of history and the rapidly dwindling supply of bottles. However I do have a few bottles which range between 10-15 yrs old.

Wow, what a treat to pull out if you get the urge. Do let us know how it is after all this time if you decide to crack one.. :clap:

 

[graysalchemy]

I have a 20 yr old bottle of elderberry port as well :whistle:

 

[The Goatreich]

Elderberries are easy to deal with. Wait until they all all ripe, pick then freeze. Once frozen put in a bucket and give them a good shake around the stalks will break off which you will be able to pick out. Then put them in a bucket of water and the green ones should float to the surface which can then be scooped off. Now put back in a bucket and crush them with a piece of 3x2.

For my recipes I use

2lb Elderberries
1lb Blackberries
1 KG of sugar disolved in a little water (boil it up to make a syrup)
250g of Raisins chopped
1 tsp Pectolase

Ferment on the pulp for a week then strain through a straining back into DJ and top up with water to 1 Gallon.

:thumb:

Sorry to butt in, I'm going to have a go at this today, having only done WOWs before can I follow roughly the same procedure I presume I add both yeast and nutrient to the above recipe in a brewing bucket and leave for a week?

Once I have the berries without stalks, how do I prepare them? Do I need to boil them up, wash them in salted water?

 

[goodolpete]

Can I say, please don't mash them as you release a lot of bitterness.
I steam extract mine, but the other two methods are boiling in water
or sulphiting. I always use Lalvin K1V yeast as it ferments well up
to 30 degrees and will tolerate 18% alcohol.

 

[BrewDan]

Will be giving this one a go I think, seems very simple

 

[goan]

Haven't tried in but here is a recipe from Bryan Actan's book 'Recipe's for prize winning wines' Its old, my copy is from 1984 but would recommend it.

Additives for 1 Gallon:

Essential:
1 Tablet Benerva (3 mg. Vitamin B1 Tablet)
2 Level Teaspoons Tartaric Acid

Advisable:
1 Teaspoon Ammonium Phosphate or 1 Nutrient Tablet
1 Teaspoon Pectinol, Pectalose

Optional:
1/2 Teaspoon Potassium Phosphate
1/4 Teaspoon Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulphate)
1/4 Teaspoon Succinic Acid (for 2 year maturing)

Ingredients:
Elderberries 2kg
Sugar 1 1/2kg
Wine Yeast
Water to 1 gallon

Method:

First make a yeast started with a desertspoonful of grape concentrate or the juice of an orange and a cupful of cold water in a wine bottle. Add yeast and plug bottle with cotton wool. When starter is active, collect elderberries and strig them off into a plastic bucket. Crush with a piece of wood, add 5 pints of water and 1 campden tablet. Cover and leave for 24 hours. Add remaining ingredients, yeast started and ferment for 4 days on pulp. Stir twice a day and keep covered in between. Strain off into gallon jar and fix airlock. Top up with cold water when initial fermentation dies down. Ferment to dryness (about 1 month at 75°f., 24°c). Rack into another jar and top up with water. Fit a bored cork and plug with cotton wool or an airlock. Mature it rackings each four months for at least 1 year.

Bit long winded, don't think all the additives are needed really. Good recipe though, think I have a simpler one from Andy Hamilton's 'Booze for Free' if you want it PM me

 

[divingdavey]

Hi GA, I'm keen to try your recipe and hope to set it off later today..... Could I just ask how much water you add to ferment on the pulp?


Thanks!

 

[muddy90]

I have a gallon in a fv.
I pulled the berries off with a fork, didn't freeze. Boiled the berries & rested for 2 days with pectolaise etc. Mashed, & strained & added to 800g of sugar.
It went mad for about a week & has all but stopped now after 2 weeks.
I was going to bottle 3L & blend the rest with some blackberry.

 

[artyb]

ive removed fruit from the freezer,

ive put 3lb of blackberries
and 5lb of elderberries into an fv to defrost overnight,

tomorrow im going to add boiling water and sugar :party:

can anyone give me an idea of quantities...?

will i need nutrient and pectolase ..?

many thanx in advance .. :thumb: