Elderberry Wine
This recipe makes five gallons of elderberry wine and another five gallons of elderberry blush. In the beginning, when pressing the berries, do a thorough job because they don’t break open as easy as you might think.
Ingredients:
15 Pounds Fresh Elderberries
2 Gallons Water
6 11.5 Oz. Cans Welch’s Frozen White Grape Juice
7-8 Pounds Sugar, approximately (enough to bring S. G. to 1.090-1.095)
2-3 Tbls. Acid Blend approximately (enough to bring acid level to 0.65)
2 Tbls. Yeast Nutrient
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
5 Campden Tablets, Crushed
1 Packet Lalvin RC 212 Yeast
Instructions:
Place the frozen elderberries in a nylon bag, tie the top of the bag and place in a nonreactive container that will hold at least four gallons. When the elderberries are thawed, press thoroughly, and cover with two gallons of boiling water. After the mixture cools, add pectic enzyme, cover and let it sit for 12 hours. Remove the nylon bag and allow it to drip until it stops. DO NOT SQUEEZE or you will get a green substance that will have a bitter taste to it. When this is complete, transfer the contents of the container to a primary and return the nylon bag to the container and cover. This will make the 5 gallons of blush, so when finished with the wine recipe, you will cover the nylon bag with two more gallons of boiling water and repeat the entire process. Thaw the six cans of white grape juice, add it to the primary, and bring the water level up to the five gallon mark. Take a reading with your hydrometer and add enough sugar to bring the specific gravity to approximately 1.090-1.095. Stir until all sugar is well dissolved. If you have a TA kit, check the titratable acidity and correct it to 0.65. Add the yeast nutrient, and the crushed campden tablets. Wait 24 hours and add the yeast. Cover the primary with a cloth and check the S.G. daily. When the must reaches 1.010 in approximately one week, rack to a secondary and put under an air lock. Rack again in two weeks and then every two months until clear.
Stabilize, add 5 campden tablets, wait ten days and bottle. I like to add ½ to 1 cup of light corn syrup mixed with 1-2 cups of hot water at bottling to give it a smooth taste.
Repeat the process to make another five gallons of elderberry blush.[/QUOTE]
This the recipe that Julie posted on our forum
