1st vinters harvest black currant

[Wade E]

Id probably bring it up to 75* and give it a good stir and see it you cant get that sg to drop down just a little more, Maybe a pinch of energizer just to see if it does anything. I do mean just a pinch though!

 

[Paulc]

Thanks Wade, I will give it a try.

 

[BobF]

It was one of my favs, now I have 18 bushes in my yard.

Wade - I'm thinking of planting some of these.

Where did you get them?
Which cultivar(s) did you plant?
What is your yield like?
What's your recipe?

 

[Wade E]

Last year was my first year with them. I retrieved them from Grapeman here but I grabbed them all as he was getting rid of them. They are the Consort and Titania. Some of these plants are very small as they were basically just babies that had sprung from buds on off shoots. Even though it was the first year here after major transplant with only about maybe 8 bushes big enough to grow anything I still retrieved enough for a 3 gallon batch. I like to use about 8 lbs per gallon.

 

[BobF]

Thanx Wade. Do you think 4qts per -mature- plant (5#) is reasonable for planning? I guess 2 plants per gallon would be a safer estimate ...

24 plants for a 6g batch sounds like a lot of plants!

 

[docanddeb]

Do they spread like raspberries do?

Debbie

 

[Wade E]

Supposedly with mature plants you are supposed to get about 10lbs per bush. I just went out today and cut off the dead wood. There was a lot of damage from the very heavy snow from the winter. I lost one bush which was a smaller one and many branches on a few others. Other then that they are looking good and have leaves already on them. They needed trimming back anyway.
Deb, you cut off branches with buds on them and plant that so that the bud is under ground and it will take route.

 

[docanddeb]

or ROOT....

elderberry propogates that way too....

They don't multiply on their own then?

Debbie

 

[Runningwolf]

or ROOT....

elderberry propogates that way too....

They don't multiply on their own then?

Debbie

I have to argue that point. We use to pick elderberries along the road and then come home and pluck them. Well low and behold we had a plant pop up in the garden next to the driveway right where we cleaned them. This definitely started from a berry. Well after it got about 12" high I transplanted it out back. That sucker took off like a weed and started sending up shoots everywhere. The next summer I decided it was way to invasive and I gave a local nature park about 8 plants over 3" high and another 6 to friends. This was before I was making wine.

 

[Wade E]

That true also, where there are seeds there is the chance of it growing. Its not the easier way of doing it though!

 

[docanddeb]

I have strawberry plants that seeded themselves in my flower garden... more every year... THEY decided to set up housekeeping from compost!

Debbie

 

[Tom]

I have to argue that point. We use to pick elderberries along the road and then come home and pluck them. Well low and behold we had a plant pop up in the garden next to the driveway right where we cleaned them. This definitely started from a berry. Well after it got about 12" high I transplanted it out back. That sucker took off like a weed and started sending up shoots everywhere. The next summer I decided it was way to invasive and I gave a local nature park about 8 plants over 3" high and another 6 to friends. This was before I was making wine.

FOOL ! ! !

 

[Wade E]

Any plants that birds like the fruit from you stand a good chance to get a spread of sprouts everywhere. The birds dont really like my Currants 1 bit so that is awesome!

 

[Runningwolf]

FOOL ! ! !

I was expecting that! I meant to add what Wade did that seed is certainly not way to try and propagate, it was just luck. I have to say if you get one to catch you have a huge patch in no time. It spreads like Sumac.

 

[BobF]

I saved a gallon bag of last year's culls and put them in the freezer. This spring I plowed/disked up a nice place for them, scattered 'em around and disked them in.

I let you know what happens!

 

[Paulc]

So Wade, I followed your advice and on 4-15 added energizer (pinch) and stirred. I also put my wife heating pad for her back on the carboy and put it on low for several hours. Things started bubbling along, very slowly. Checked the SG just now and it is down to 1.010. It started out on the 15th at 1.014. And now it has quit bubbling...

Anyone have any ideas? I had hoped to ferment this dry but it seems I have a long way to go yet. Would anything be gained by racking it? Last time I racked it was on 3-22.

TIA, paulc

 

[Wade E]

Racking it would probably make it not stand a chance. Im guessing this has already been racked which most likely left behind too much viable yeast hence why I ferment to dry in primary. Wine will usually ferment out even when racked but sometimes you end up with this problem when racking and thats why I dont do it until its fermented all the way out! Kep it warm and try adding another pinch of energizer (not nutrient at this point) and stir it up.

 

[Paulc]

It is done. Thanks Wade. Hopefully this will get it going and I can get it below 1.0.

Your post seemed to suggest that too much energizer might cause its own set of problems (and the nutrient). What would be the effects of having added too much energizer? Or adding nutrient? I guess you want a nutrient deficient wine for best bottling, right? Same with energizer?

Thanks,p

 

[Wade E]

Nutrient left unused will leave a nasty taste, energizer not so much as most will settle out but I still veer on the safe side there.

 

[Paulc]

The carboy seems to be bubbling very very slowly. The SG does not seem to be dropping by any measureable amount. Would there be any value in pitching some new yeast? The SG now is still about 1.010 and not budging.

Thanks, Paulc