Elderberry Wine progress

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montanaWineGuy

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6 days ago I moved the wine from the Primary to the 6 gallon Carboy, and had an extra 1/2 gallon.

I did my first racking this morning as there was a good amount of sediment on the bottom and there was the green goo starting to float and cling to the carboy. I was able to rack and not suck up any of the sediment and my 1/2 gallon extra still has some left. Feels like this is going to be a good batch, compared to last year which was fair to good. :db
 
We just opened up a 2006 elderberry yesterday to celebrate the first day of August, we had oaked it, it was so rich and marvelous sitting in the grass drinking this wine, this was better than any grape wine we have ever had! If you are only making ave to good elderberry you should be able to improve it a little somehow. More berries, different soaking times on the skins, oak or no oak, aging it different times, something to tweak it a little. Are you guys picking the blue elders or black ones? WVMJ
 
WVMountaineerJack said:
We just opened up a 2006 elderberry yesterday to celebrate the first day of August, we had oaked it, it was so rich and marvelous sitting in the grass drinking this wine, this was better than any grape wine we have ever had! If you are only making ave to good elderberry you should be able to improve it a little somehow. More berries, different soaking times on the skins, oak or no oak, aging it different times, something to tweak it a little. Are you guys picking the blue elders or black ones? WVMJ
Click to expand...

Last year was my first year making wine. I didn't know much and was blindly following directions. Last year the wine took on an awful odor. This year it smells fine, and the tiny siphon taste wasn't anything to be concerned about.
 
Then friend you can only go upwards! A lot of use on this list have only seen the typical black elderberry that grows in the east. Do you know what species of elderberries these are? There is one out west that is blue and gets a powdery covering on it that is also very good for making wine. WVMJ
 
I racked the 12 gallons this morning, and the wine is a strong smooth Elderberry flavor, not at all cloudy, the sediment at the bottom was minimum, and green goo was also very little and mostly clinging to the carboy walls, i.e. not at all in the liquid. I added some Concentrated Grape juice to keep it at 12 gallons. I'm looking forward to bottling this some time late next month. Should be my best yet! :D
 
WVMountaineerJack said:
Then friend you can only go upwards! A lot of use on this list have only seen the typical black elderberry that grows in the east. Do you know what species of elderberries these are? There is one out west that is blue and gets a powdery covering on it that is also very good for making wine. WVMJ
Click to expand...

These are typical Black Elderberries. I do see the powdery ones, in small small quantities. My research has me calling them Oregon Grapes. I like them and wish I could find a larger crop of them. I even have them growing on my property, but again very very small numbers.
 
It's been a month since my last racking and only a very thing line of the green goo is there. Clearing nicely and I hope to bottle in a month. I took a tiny sip, and the Elderberry flavor is very strong. Good Strong! Last year the EB wine was barely tolerable and sugar made it drinkable. This will likely get some sugar, but it is way better then last year. :db
 
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