Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Homebrew => Topic started by: poppie on June 29, 2009, 21:41

Title: elderberry wine recipes?
Post by: poppie on June 29, 2009, 21:41
does anyone have a tried and tested elderberry wine recipe,want to get going before the birds do.
not sweet though,any suggestions welcome.
Title: Re: elderberry wine recipes?
Post by: SG6 on July 04, 2009, 19:18
First question is: How do you go about making your wines?
I ask as I find people either:
Use every aid to measuring, weigh, check SG and time fermentation to a second, or
throw it in a bucket, pour it in a demijohn and wait for it to finish then think about possibly bottling it at some time.

Recipies I have are along the lines of the second approach.
Title: Re: elderberry wine recipes?
Post by: SG6 on July 05, 2009, 14:50
1.8kgs (4 lbs) Elderberries,
1.25kgs (2lb 12 oz) Sugar
Burgundy Yeast,
Yeast Nutrient,
20gm (3/4oz) citric acid
Water to 1 gallon.

Fairly standard:
Strip berries from stalks,
Put berries in a bucket and pour over 2-3 pts of boiling water,
Add sugar and dissolve,
Add remaining water allow to cool if necessary,add citric acid, yeast and nutrient.
Leave to ferment for 3-5 days then transfer to  demijohn.
Ferment to finish.

Other recipes say 2.5 lbs elderberries, one says juice of a whole lemon instead of the citric acid.

Most say to ferment in a dark demijohn and to bottle into dark bottles, it maintains the colour of the wine.

One point is that elderberries have a high tannin content and will need time to be drinkable. Most suggest 2 years or more, especially if not a sweet wine.

Probably know it but you need to make sure no green stems get in and elderberries stain clothing (and hands) easily.
Title: Re: elderberry wine recipes?
Post by: Jay Dubya on July 09, 2009, 20:45
Hi, if you want a lighter dryer wine try 3lb. of berries 1 bag of sugar 2 tab spoons lemon juice.