[PlymouthMaid]

Looking at recipes foe elderberry/balckberry wine, I notice that some have citric acid tablets whilst others use real lemons, some use teabags whilst others use tablets etc. Is it just a matter of preference for real over chemical or does it alter the taste or anything?

[hank scorpio]

Hi,

I've just made some blackberry wine and it only called for Blackberries, Sugar, Yeast, Yeast nutient and Pectic Enzyme. I dont know why you would need any of the other ingredients you mentioned, i am a novice though so that might explain my ignorance.

[poultrygeist]

Hi PlymouthMaid.

I'm planning the self-same brew and have found a recipe that sounds simple to me, plus I have all the ingredients. See thread just below
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=43588.0

I'm picking a few berries each day as they ripen and have almost enough i think. If you find a better or more interesting recipe, I'd love to hear about it.

Rob

[Zeb]

it all depends on which style of wine you are trying to achive.

Full bodied robust
Easy sipping
Sweet desert
etc

[poultrygeist]

For me, I like something with a bit of body, and medium dry ish.

But I like the idea of using the bare minimum added to what I've foraged. Plenty of time in the future for tweeking. I'd like to try the raw and unadulterated first.

Rob

[SG6]

Teabags will be for tannin, blackberries and ederberries will have loads of tannin in them. They have so much that you really should allow BB/EB wine to mature for 2 years not 1 so that the tannin content/taste is broken down. 3,4,5 years may be better.

[poultrygeist]

Therein lies the difficulty 

I've read that it's a keeper and tastes vile before 12 months. If I can get enough, I might make a gallon of blackberry on its own. Might be able to risk it after 6 months then 

Rob

[ciderman]

my recipe 4 elderberry wine             2lb berrys  1 camdon tab  wine yeast .     put berry in a bucket 2 pints off water boiled add tab leave 24 hour   then mash add 5 more pints boiled water leave 2 cool then press into a bucket then into a demi  add yeast leave 4 2 weeks then filter   bottle  put in a cold dark  place 2 weeks then drink i do all my wine this way some will take abit longer 2 clear  cherry always takes 8 weeks 2 clear it taste fab ok ciderman                                           

[Zeb]

If you use a steam juicer you and do a juice ferment instead of a pulp ferment  there are less tannins and the wine is drinkable earlier

[Jay Dubya]

Hi, they say that acid is the cornerstone of flavour, without it the wine is flabby. I use lemon juice at 2 tablespoons a gallon.