enough yeast in dried elderflowers for champagne?

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abeyptfc

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Hi Guys,
I put on an elderflower champagne brew last night using dried elderflowers, didnt bother with the yeast as theres meant to be enough in the elderflowers itself, im wondering if theres enough yeast in the dried ones or if they will be lower in yeast as they are chopped up and dried out?
Do you suggest I check for activity tomorrow and if nothing throw in a pinch of yeast and give it a stir?

cheers
mark.
recipe was 4 ltrs boiling water, 2 kg of sugar dissolved into it,then added cold water to 16ltrs, juice of 10 lemons, zest of 10 lemons, 4 tbspn of white wine vinegar 120grams of dried elderflowers (30g per 4 ltrs) other people had advised 25g/4..5 litres and other 50g/4.5 litres, so I went somewhere inbetween!
 
I have made perfectly acceptable wines using natural yeasties, but I wouldn't rely on it. You don't know how those flowers have been dried or how long they've been stored. Personally, I would pitch my own yeast.
 
My grandmother used to make "Elder Flower Champagne" from fresh Elder flowers, she never added any yeast!
Moley's probably right about the dried ones.
 
Hi,
I made an elderflower champers and bottled three weeks ago.I started out with nothing but the natural yeasts at first - letting them have a good go for 2 weeks (which was good for flavour),then I added some champagne yeast and fermented out for a week.The reason I relied on the packet yeast to finish is that I required a higher alcohol content and a drier finish - natural will probably get you there but you do not know where it is going to stop.
Hope this helps.
 
kl cheers, the elderflowers have all bunched up at the top and if you list to the side of the FV u can hear laot of fizzing. it smells sooooooooooooo good !
 
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