fears for elderflower Champagne

[6myth]

I'm New to brewing, and I'm not one to start off slow, I like to learn as much as possible and go in the deep end. That said, I need a few questions answering from seasoned brewers before diving in.

Eventually I plan on making around 20/30 full size champagne bottles so add to the tables at my wedding next year, I'd love to make these sighing the next few months and let them mature to be served at the reception (july 31st 2016).

I've read loads on elderflower champagne and I can't wait to start my first batch. But here are my concerns of which I can't find an assuring answer to.

1. Explosions.
Loads of stories about the volitile nature of bottle fermentation. What I'd like to know is this:

1. a) Can I use recycled (as in drained, then sterilized bottles of proseco, brutal etc.
I have a cork fitter (and a mallet) and new champagne corks, will these suffice? Because the flip top or brewers.com bottles are tear jerkingly expensive.
b) does the danger of explosion go away once the fermentation has finished? Is the an approximate space of time where the bottles will be at risk?
c) is there a way to minimize chance of explosions? (when put in a glass corked bottle). And what is the best way of storing them to help this.

2. Can I use dried Elder flowers? Due to the amount I want to make, finding them fresh may be problematic, especially if I want to make it out of flower season.

3. How can I make it stronger alcohol content wise. I'd assume putting boiling water over the flowers will kill the natural yeast, allowing a few grams of Champagne yeast to work without competition (if that even matters). Would the Champagne yeast and a standard amount of sugar help to give it a bit more kick? I would hope for about 7 - 10% volume rather than the lower scale.

Any anecdotes, experiences, tips, and recipes would be very welcome also :)

 

[ManseMasher]

http://www.farminmypocket.co.uk/featured/elderflower-wine-recipe
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004N5JML6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

If you're using bottles that have previously held 'fizzy', bottle bombs are less likely. As the first link suggests, you can use dried elderflowers. Make sure fermentation has stopped before you bottle if you want wine. His recipe and 'how to' is pretty good, and there is a link for elderflower champagne, which is what you're after!

 

[6myth]

Thanks for the li is, I'll have a read through now.

Also I forgot question 3 which I'll edit in OP now. Thanks again.

 

[ManseMasher]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0036BEYSO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Add more sugar, and use a yeast like the above. It doesn't take long to mature, so you have time to experiment before the big day!

 

[6myth]

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00IJYCVDI/ref=aw_cr_item_title

I bought some youngs champagne yeast. I'm hoping this gives it a damn good kick.

I hope dried elder flower works as well as fresh if that is so I can experiment as much as I like.

Does anyone know the shelf life of this wine btw? If I was to bottle it next week would it be ok for July 2016?

 

[ManseMasher]

It should last a year, if you can keep your hands off it.....

 

[tonyhibbett]

I recently tried dried elderflowers and the result was most disappointing compared with fresh ones, They are just coming into bloom now.
Used champagne type bottles are fine if unscratched. Apart from using the safe amount of sugar, there must be 2 inches of air space below the bottom of the cork to act as a buffer.

 

[Speccy]

I think Elderflower Champagne's reputation for explosions is because so many recipes recommend adding the 'fizz' by bottling before fermentation has finished and hoping you've judged it right.

When I did my first batch last year I waited for it to ferment out fully (2 or 3 days of steady hydrometers readings, probably around 0.994 or so) and then bottled with priming sugar, the same way beer brewers do. It turned out lovely, with no explosions (even though I used ordinary beer bottles), and I've got one bottle left which I'm planning to drink while I'm putting on this year's batch.

 

[6myth]

Sounds sensible, I might syphon a bottle or two out early and do the rest your way. Compare them in a few months

 

[jamesw]

I Always use empty plastic pop bottles for elderflower champers, it means you can accurately gauge fizzyness and they are easy to seal (tho they dont look great, admittedly)

 

[tonyhibbett]

The elderflower wine is now under way and smells fantastic. The last time I made a sparkling wine, I simply used a Sodastream to carbonate the chilled wine and transfer it to bottles. The amount of pressure is much lower than champagne so screw top bottles are perfectly safe. However, I did use champagne bottles, stoppers, cages and foils for presentation purposes. Heston Blumethal tried this out and persuaded wine buffs that they were drinking the real thing. It adds 50p to the cost per bottle, whereas fermenting in the bottle is cost free.
It seems the best method is to produce a wine of 10% abv, with a final sg of 995 or lower, racked and fined without sorbate or sulphite. A higher level of alcohol may inhibit the next step. A champagne yeast is started with 60 g sugar per gallon of wine.and added to it. The wine is then transferred to champagne bottles and sealed with a hollow plastic stopper and wired down, ensuring a 1 inch air gap below the stopper. The bottles are stored on their sides facing down. The yeast sediment should settle inside the hollow stopper. The neck of the bottle is frozen, the cage and stopper removed and replaced immediately with a clean one, so always have at least 1 spare. The original one is cleaned and used to replace the next.

 

[6myth]

Sorry, meant to reply to a different post.

 

[JoeTotale]

I'm paranoid about bottle grenades and only use the heavier 2lb bottles (i.e. champagne or methode/cava).

 

[tonyhibbett]

Likewise! There is a stopper called a condesa, which incorporates a pressure valve which operates at 5 atmospheres.