[ohbeary]

For Elderflower Champagne, 1ltr white grape juice, 900g sugar, 6 large elderflower heads(not mousey), 1 tsp yeast nutrient, 1 sachet champagne yeast.
pour 2ltr boiling water over elderflower heads, add sugar and cool, strain into demijohn, add grape juice and water to 1 gal, add yeast and nutrient, ferment until clear, siphon into clean demijohn, add 4tsp sugar, bottle in cider/champagne bottles and store cool for 6 months, chill well, open carefully and enjoy.

[Elcie]

This sounds great and something I want to have a go at.  So, are elderflowers the flowers that appear on an elderberry bush before the berries arrive or are they the white flowers that I see growing under trees that look similar?

[8doubles]

Yes the elderflower is the one you want, the white flowered plant growing underneath is probably cow parsley or hemlock.
Hemlock is very poisonous so best avoided.

[Elcie]

Yes the elderflower is the one you want, the white flowered plant growing underneath is probably cow parsley or hemlock.
Hemlock is very poisonous so best avoided.

Oops, good job I checked then!  Thanks for that.

[riktor]

Advice I'd like to give to people trying this out for the first time is that on River Cottage, Hugh snips off whole elderflower bunches when collecting. If you do this you'll miss out on the elderberries that follow a month or two later 'cos there's nowhere for them to grow!

Whenever my Dad and I go elder-foraging we wait until midsummers day, when you can put a bucket under each head and all the flowers fall off after a quick shake, leaving the fruiting-stalks be. This way you can get two wines/cordials/jams from the same plant.

Do try and give the plant a rest every other year though so it can go forth and multiply. 

[8doubles]

Advice I'd like to give to people trying this out for the first time is that on River Cottage, Hugh snips off whole elderflower bunches when collecting. If you do this you'll miss out on the elderberries that follow a month or two later 'cos there's nowhere for them to grow!

Whenever my Dad and I go elder-foraging we wait until midsummers day, when you can put a bucket under each head and all the flowers fall off after a quick shake, leaving the fruiting-stalks be. This way you can get two wines/cordials/jams from the same plant.

Do try and give the plant a rest every other year though so it can go forth and multiply. 

You do not need many flower heads for a batch of champagne and you need to pick them when their scent and nectar is at its best. If the flowers are falling off you have left it too late.
The average elder tree which we have a huge amount of here in Hants will still have plenty left for the birds.

Ps welcome to the forum riktor.

[Elcie]

I have just finished making a double batch of this using the HFW recipe.  12 litres sat in the corner of the kitchen.  The only thing I didn't have was muslin so I have draped a teatowel over the bucket instead.  Hope this is ok!

[chuckmad]

How do you sterilise the plastic bottles??

[maverick]

How do you sterilise the plastic bottles??

I use VWP cleanser which you can get online - possibly in Wilkinsons. I get mine in a local Homebrew shop.

[lmpd]

two days after bottling the champers, and two grolsch bottles out of twelve have burst, lucky we did twice as much and put the rest in lemonade bottles

[MoreWhisky]

Im gona make some now as this sounds great, Hughes recipe sounds nice and easy but Ohbeary's recipe sounds really really nice , i might make both 

[SarahB]

Has anyone tried doing anything with the variety "Black lace"? (V. dark foliage, pink flowers.)  I've never seen berries on ours, but that may just be the birds!  The flowers are just out though, and I do wonder if it might produce pink champagne...

[MoreWhisky]

For Elderflower Champagne, 1ltr white grape juice, 900g sugar, 6 large elderflower heads(not mousey), 1 tsp yeast nutrient, 1 sachet champagne yeast.
pour 2ltr boiling water over elderflower heads, add sugar and cool, strain into demijohn, add grape juice and water to 1 gal, add yeast and nutrient, ferment until clear, siphon into clean demijohn, add 4tsp sugar, bottle in cider/champagne bottles and store cool for 6 months, chill well, open carefully and enjoy.

Can someone please explain what 'not mousey' means , as ive picked some today and dont want it to be 'mousey'

cheers

[Cazzy]

Sorry Sarah, i've never heard of it, give it a try and let us know how it goes.

I started mine on Sunday and had to add some 'optional' yeast this morning, as it just wasn't doing anything.  The smell from the bucket is heavenly though.

I didn't have muslin either and have just placed the bucket's lid on top without clipping it on, just had a peek there and still no activity (a bit like myself in this heat).

I was hoping to bottle it soon as there are plenty of flowers in bloom and I think I want to do another batch or two but we'll see what tomorrow brings. 

[MoreWhisky]

mine is brewing is well Cazzy i also just out the plastic lid on. Not added any yeast tho yet.

maybe i should sprinkle a bit on