Elderflower (lots of pics)

[Turbotez]

Well, today i did it, no longer a Country virgin!!!!!

Picked the Elderflowers on Thursday, put them in a black bin liner, inflated like a ballon asuming the CO2 from my breath would be to the flowers liking and tied a knot.

This is what i was greeted to today

and after a good shake, this is how most of the stems came out

Put into the jug i had about 970ml of flowers, so i thought i may aswell make 2 gallons as i have the flowers!
Picture with the flowers in the jug and the raisins in the bowl ready for 'lazy chopping'

Raisins after the hand blender treatment

Flowers in the bottom of the bucket before everything else is put in

fired it all in the steralized bucket, 9litres of boiling water, and 1.9kg of sugar, cooled to about 23°c and pitched the yeast and nutrient and Vitb1's

Recipe;

970ml Elderflowers
1.9kg Sugar
500g Raisins
juice of 6 lemons
9litres boiling water
2tsp Yeast
2tsp Tanin
2tsp (and a bit for luck) Nutrient
3 Vit B1
OG 1.092

Went very well which im glad about. In the front room now, hopefully fermenting away, gonna go check on it soon and give it a stir



UPDATE 02/07/10
Thought id keep it all into the first post.

Straining day today!!
Used the Harris Filter thing which it would seem the strain bag was made for as it fitted over it perfectly!

The flowers and raisins that are no longer needed

and how it was coming out after going through the strain bag

Empty bucket!!!

There it is, 1 gallon done, and the other nearly there

all the 'slop' before i ring its neck

and after

quick gravity check

not bad after a week!

Labeled up and ready for a communal fermentaion with the others

and there we have it!! I'm guessing another week and fermentation should be done!!!

Got to say, i'm so chuffed with how this has gone, a lot easier than first expected! Over the moon!!!! :clap: :thumb: :grin:

 

[snail59]

Nice Job TEZ. I got 2 gallon on last weekend. Going to rack it into 2 DJs tomorrow.

 

[Moley]

and after a good shake, this is how most of the stems came out

Bloody Hell!
Roles reversed.
Thanks Terry :thumb:

 

[Turbotez]

that was probably one of the worst ones, i couldnt shake the bag as hard as i wanted as i was concerned about the bag breaking so thicker bag next time. Most of them had nothing on them! :shock:

 

[Samarith]

Looking good Turbo. :thumb:

Finally got around to transfering my 2 gallons off the must today.

 

[retourrbx]

http://honest-food.net/veggie-recipes/sweets-and-syrups/elderflower-liqueur/

I'm gonna try this

 

[Turbotez]

Just gave the must a stir and there was a good fermenting head on it so all looks gooooood

 

[Ktan]

Thankyou for taking the time to create this superb post.

I have Berry's book and will be out walking this afternoon with the family to collect the flowers

Question:

1) How long to leave before drinking?

2) Isnt 1.5Kg of sugar per DJ quite alot? (ah, just noticed its Berry that suggests 1.5Kg. You have cut it down to 1.9Kg for 2 DJs)

3) Any special yeast to use? or will my Youngs yeast compound cut it?

 

[Turbotez]

1) How long to leave before drinking?

Christmas time apparently, at least 6months i think

2) Isnt 1.5Kg of sugar per DJ quite alot?

Yep!! I put 1.9kg over 2 gallons thats about 950g per gallon as there is a lot of sugar in the raisins!

3) Any special yeast to use? or will my Youngs yeast compound cut it?

I just used my Harris Highly Active Wine yeast but im sure any GP yeast or wine yeast will do

 

[Ktan]

Thankyou for answers. :-)

 

I wasn't going to read this post, but I'm glad I did.
My Grandmother used to make "Elder flower Champaign", but I can never rember her putting yeast in it (it would have been baking yeast if she had).

 

[Turbotez]

no worries Ktan.

I would have thought some yeast would have gone in.

My mum keeps banging on about Elderflower Champagne but i havent got the bottles for it so wine will do me just fine! :rofl:

 

[Sean_Mc]

Day off today, so instead of sitting on my backside this has inspired my to get on my bike and go pick some :thumb:

 

[Sean_Mc]

Went for a ride up the hills and bridleways and came back with a several kilos, stung arms and legs.
I've freezed some for a future pale ale and put the rest in a bin bag for a sort later in the week.

FIL came around with a dozen of these last week

So think an elderflower champagne is on the cards

 

[Turbotez]

Just updated the first post with todays activities!!! all strained, fitted perfectly over 2 DJ's!
so chuffed with myself, so glad i've found something useful im realtively good at!! :grin: :party:

 

[rickthebrew]

great recipe tez!! I`ll be looking for some elderflowers very soon

 

[Barkie]

Where I am elderflowers start earlyish and are on their way out now but we collected a few on Sunday to freeze for later.

When I started my current 10 litre batch on 15th June I didn't have a hydrometer. Had to use yeast and nutrient. I used 3lbs sugar so I reckon it was about OG 1.055. It was 1.010 when it went into the D'js. Both started at 12 BPM (bloops per minute) more or less. One of the Dj's finished fermenting earlier this week and the other is still a steady 2 BPM. Both are clearing and have left a sediment which doesn't totally cover the bottom.

 

[Samarith]

Turbotez,

Just a little tip since I noticed you use card tags on your DJs like I do.

If you pass the loop end of the string through one of the handles then thread the card through the loop, you'll find it much easier to transfer the cards when you rack.

Looking good with the wine there, my second batch is nearly ready for racking and stabilizing I think. I may try a high alcohol yeast if its stuck at 1020+ like my first batch.

 

[Turbotez]

i never thought of that, good thinking dude!!!

 

[Turbotez]

well, checked gravitys, one was at 0.996 and one at 0.994 so under the stairs to clear!

Am i right in thinking that i can just plonk them under there, without doing anything to them untill they are clear??? :wha: