[BrianK]

it is in plastic bottles and i keep letting the fizz out every couple of days

It must have heard me typing.  Its fair fizzing away like a volcano now   YAY   Champagne anyone?

Well  a week or so away anyway.

[nurse thimble]

I'm thinking of making some and I have a few glass bottles with a rubber bung and wire cage contraption - is using these an act of self-destruction or a good idea?

[BrianK]

I'm thinking of making some and I have a few glass bottles with a rubber bung and wire cage contraption - is using these an act of self-destruction or a good idea?

Hugh FW  used them on River Cotage Spring.  But they fair fizzed up when released.  I think you may be in danger of losing 40-50% in froth out the top when opened.

I have younglings in the house so the risk for me isnt worth it . Plus they get through loads of juice and pop and spring water so plastic bottles abound.

Re-use  rather than recycle!

[Jay Dubya]

no.

[mashbintater]

Lucywil, why are you letting the fizz out? It's a "champagne" recipe   :blink:

Brian K  according to the recipe I've followed, they should ferment without yeast.

Mine will be seriously chilled before opening, more to make yet 

[BrianK]

Lucywil, why are you letting the fizz out? It's a "champagne" recipe   :blink:

Brian K  according to the recipe I've followed, they should ferment without yeast.

Mine will be seriously chilled before opening, more to make yet 

Yup  I only threatened   lol.  They started that same day.

I also now have them in plastic bottles. BUT   they need a little release occasionally because if you don't  when you open them after a long period of not opening them they volcano. Best to let 70% of the fizz out and have it as an evervescant wine  rather than drink 50% of it as a fizzy alcopop.

Slurp    Trying the real stuff   7 days to go for first taste.

YAY

[lucywil]

Lucywil, why are you letting the fizz out? It's a "champagne" recipe   :blink:

Brian K  according to the recipe I've followed, they should ferment without yeast.

Mine will be seriously chilled before opening, more to make yet 

because if you don't they explode

[8doubles]

Hi, the amount of flowers per gallon is one pint glass filled but not pushed down, just knocked on the table, i use two table spoons of lemon juice and one bag of sugar per gallon also.

Hi , is that a pint of stripped flowers or bits of stalk as well , my first go at elder champers.
If you put more flowers in does it make it less palatable?.

[BrianK]

Strip the flowers off the stalks as much as you can  (Don't get relisgious over the small ones though)

And adding more flowers could make the brew over fizzy to the point where it would be impossible to store and if you did when you release the gas it would volcano out the bottles.

It's trial and error I think. I don't honestly think theres a magic volume/weight/number

[8doubles]

Thanks for that , batch No 1 is in the bucket.

[mashbintater]

Other bubblies served really chilled don't tend to fizz out, wouldn't that work for elderflower?

[BrianK]

Other bubblies served really chilled don't tend to fizz out, wouldn't that work for elderflower?

I will let you know this saturday 

[Trig]

I got citric acid http://www.jamjarshop.co.uk/buy/citricacid
and plastic bottles  http://www.jamjarshop.co.uk/buy/plasticdrinkbottle1000
from jam jar shop and made a batch of elder champange last week

I use the swing top bottles for cordials or anything with out the fizz - here's some lemon cordial which is very refreshing on a hot summers day.

[sunenuff]

Just made some gorgeous elderflower cordial using 20 flower heads.   I got citric acid no problem from Lloyds the Chemist 99p for 50grms.   2kilos sugar and 2 litres of water made almost 2 litres of cordial.   Picked flowers from tree beside the canal and they were almost perfect.

[BrianK]

Drinking mine now.  VERY refreshing  and moreish 

Off to the park tommorow to get some more for 2nd batch.  I Made 20 litres last batch and expect it to last about a month at he rate me and the OH and her friends are nibbling at it.

Its gently alcoholic. Guessing about 1 unit a glass. Cooling settles down the fizz but it stays champagnish.

A winner given the cost is just the sugar and a few lemons.