Elderberry color

[Stressbaby]

I made my first batch of elderberry wine. I used this recipe:
http://winemakermag.com/841-elderberry-wine

I pitched the yeast 9/21. pH 3.61. For whatever reason, I either forgot to add Kmeta when moving to secondary, or I else I didn't write it down. I realized this about a month ago and so I checked SO2 with a titret and it was 30. I added Kmeta at that time.

Today I got it out to rack it and the wine tastes GREAT and looks great in the carboy, however it doesn't have the color of a typical red wine; it has a somewhat brownish or maybe even oxidized color in the wine glass.

The airlock has come off just twice in 2 months, once to test the SO2, once to add the Kmeta.

Is this normal for elderberry or did I let the SO2 get too low?

 

[frosti]

I've made a couple elderberry from dried/concentrate or port. The all have came out burgundy deep color. But have been amazing. I think its the color of the berry. My 2 cents

 

[wineforfun]

Did you use the lemon, orange, etc. like the recipe called for? I have 10lbs. of elderberries I was going to start 2gal. with and was going to follow the basic recipe on WVMountaineerJack's website.

 

[Stressbaby]

Did you use the lemon, orange, etc. like the recipe called for? I have 10lbs. of elderberries I was going to start 2gal. with and was going to follow the basic recipe on WVMountaineerJack's website.

Yes, I used the citrus.

I pulled a mason jar of leftovers from this batch that has been in the fridge for 2 months in order to compare. This mason jar full of wine never got the Kmeta. The mason jar without the kmeta is definitely brighter red in color. I recall that a couple of my reddish wines (crabapple, hibiscus) had their red color dulled upon addition of kmeta.

So with a little searching I may have found my answer: SO2 bleaching. It is reversible (whew!). Here are a some threads:
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f5/wine-changed-color-16387/
http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=63415
http://www.brsquared.org/wine/Articles/SO2/SO2.htm

Here is the best link:
http://www.aromadictionary.com/articles/sulfurdioxide_article.html

Sulfur dioxide's ability to bind to many other substances can present a few problems in red wines. SO2 readily binds to anthocyanins, the compounds that make red wine red. When bound, the anthocyanins are effectively bleached, which results in lighter coloured and less commercially desirable wines. This is more of an issue with very young red wines as they contain higher amounts of these simple anthocyanins. In older wines, most of the anthocyanins are chemically connected to tannin molecules, something which renders them far more resistant to bleaching by SO2. In any case, the bleaching is not a terminal problem for wines in the medium to long term. The SO2 level of all wines naturally declines over time, and as this occurs, the colour returns.

Sounds like maybe I need some tannins...

 

[Arne]

The elderberry should have lots of tannins in it already. Let it sit for a while before you do anything. At least that is how I read your article. Arne.

 

[Stressbaby]

Good point, thanks Arne.