Elderberry Wine

[Tom]

For those who make Elderberry wine there is a article in WineMakers .
http://www.winemakermag.com/stories/issue/article/issues/109-april-may-2009/841-elderberry-wine

 

[St Allie]

excellent article thankyou Tom, have bookmarked it for spring.

Allie

 

[WildSeedGrrrl]

Allie,

Wait, I think it just hit me, is it fall or winter in NZ?

It's spring here so I'm already reading up on elderflower and come fall i'll be gearing up for berries. Flower picking sounds so...peaceful. Nice change to the war-obsessed world I seem to be surrounded by.

oh dang, no elderflowers for at least 2 months the fact sheet tells me, so no getting out of fwork to go picking flowers.

 

[St Allie]

WSG,

Yes it's autumn here, we still have the lovely sunny days with sunshowers and the chill has started. Have lit the fire a few times this past two weeks. my elderberry bush has just lost all its leaves, so I won't be seeing flowers for a few months yet. The mandarins are all ripening,and the grapefruit not too far away now. Still picking a late harvest of raspberries and fresh peas, the freezer is full of fruit and veg for winter. I keep seeing recipes for pea pod wine.. makes a nice table white apparently. Sounds weird though.

Allie

 

[WildSeedGrrrl]

Allie,

you think that peapod wine sounds weird? LOL! Well, it's nice to know that you have your limits...but maybe you'll try it anyway. I talked a friend into a future debt of picking elderflowers with me when they come into bloom.

WSG

 

[St Allie]

hehehehe

Well done!

having picked strawberries once on a PYO Farm for $5 a kilo.. I walked for miles, for enough strawberries for 5 gallons of wine.. got sun burned and disenchanted. Never again!.. plus they had all been sprayed which I never do in my garden. So needed a triple rinse.

Now I just grow everything in the garden and freeze as they ripen. I will be making that pea pod wine.. every book seems to open at the recipe page for it..I'm thinking it may be fate...

Allie

 

[WildSeedGrrrl]

Dried Elderberries

I have some dried elderberries and I'm wondering what the measurement is for dried as oppose to fresh would be good for a gallon batch. I took a look at recipes and I'm having a problem figuring out the conversion of grams to cups and ounces would be.

How does this sound to folks:

8oz of dried elderberries
2lbs of sugar
1tsp acid
1tsp pectic enzyme
montrachet yeast
1 campden tablet
1tsp yeast nutrient
1 gallon of water

 

[Luc]

I have never tried dried elderberries, but generally the ratio would be 1/3. So 1 cup dried replaces 3 cups fresh.

Then again I really would like you all to step over to the metric system

By the way, I found nother great site about elderberries:
http://www.elderberries.com/

Luc

 

[WildSeedGrrrl]

Then again I really would like you all to step over to the metric system

Luc

HEHE! I know. At this point I try to keep a little notepad with the conversions written on it close by so I can easily and quickly check.

I remenmber reading in one of my books that dried fruits and plants are more potent than fresh so it's better to use less. I figure if push comes to shove and this one turns out lighter-bodied then I will know for next time. I would like a heavier one at some point to make into a port-style.

I will be trying out your elderflower wine recipe, Luc as soon as I locate a bushes in bloom.

WSG

 

[Luc]

I will be trying out your elderflower wine recipe, Luc as soon as I locate a bushes in bloom.

WSG

Yestareday was a national holliday.
The day before I picked the flowers in the evening
(although it is better to do so in the morning).
I used the harvesting method described on my web-log.

I made 55 liter already !!!

Luc

 

[WildSeedGrrrl]

Elderberry fermented to dry quick

I put the berries in the fermenter on like Thursday and I checked last night and the SG was under .999. I'm wanting to feed it a bit more Honey today and up the alcohol content for this one. A few hours without more honey won't endanger the yeast and cause them to die before I get home from work? I imagine they don't keel over and start cannibalizing each other at the first sign of trouble.

I tasted a bit last night and it has a serious raisin flavor to me.

WSG

 

[Wade E]

Youll be alright but next time add the honey before its done like around 1.020 so that it can stay vigorous. What was the starting sg?