Elderberry - 1st batch

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ffemt128

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Well since I had 57 lbs of berries and an empty 3 gallon carboy, I decided to start a 3 gallon batch of Elderberry wine. Here is the recipe I will be using. It's kind of a hodge podge of different recipes. Anyway

11 lbs of previously frozen fresh elderberries steamed to produce 1.5+ gallons of juice.
1 can each of Welches Red and White grape juice concentrate.
40 grams acid blend to get must to .65%
2 tsp pectic enzyme (will add 12 hours after campden tablets)
3 campden tablets
1/2 tsp tannin
75 oz of sugar to bring sg to 1.085
water to 3 gallons.

Everything is mixed and in the primary waiting on the pectic enzyme this evening and yeast will be 1116 added tomorrow with nutrient.
 
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I pitched the yeast Saturday morning. This evening around dinner time I checked sg and it was at 1.014. This is fermenting down fast. Temps in the house are around 75 degrees during the day and colder at night due to night time temps. I'm figuring on transferring to a carboy tomorrow or Tuesday time permitting.
 
If the temp in the room is 75* then the must temp probably got to around 78* which surely will make it much faster.
 
Wow that is fermenting fast! Is that common for the 1116? I've never used it.
 
If the temp in the room is 75* then the must temp probably got to around 78* which surely will make it much faster.

I didn't check the must temp, but last night when I stirred it you could feel the temp difference with what was directly above the primary and the rest of the room.

It smells delightful....Can't wait to make a larger batch....
 
If you use the slurry from this batch to start a skeeter pee, it would definitely be a "son-of-a-batch!!"

Just thinking....... LOL
 
I have two bottles of Julie's elderberry. Can't wait to pop the corks. But I'm being good and letting them age. I gotta find some of those berries around here.
Can't wait to find out hour yours turns out Doug.
 
I just checked the sg of the elderberry. It is down to .992 and there has been no visible activity for a week now. Initial small taste, I think it will be quite tasty. Looking forward to labor day weekend to rack again and possibly look to stabilize.
 
Just an update. I stabilized and backsweetened this batch of elderberry on 9/9. Back sweetened to 1.004. It is quite good even at this young age. Bottling will likely be around Thanksgiving.
 
I used the 1116 with a start of 1.10,it went fast to 1.02 then morfed to make it to 14.5 abv.It took some time.This year wont start sooo high.I am stock pileing and only have 30 pounds so far.Eldo extract is also a cure all.and with some sugar is great on pancakes.............Upper
 

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