Elderflower wine help!

[Vinorookie]

hi! I’m trying to make a batch of elderflower wine (completely new to this!) following the process below.

My wine’s currently fermenting in a wine bucket and it still seems fizzy, it’s been in there for 3 weeks.

Should I take it out and bottle it now? Can I bottle it in a flip top bottle? (If I release it every day?) I haven’t got a demijohn... do I categorically need one?

Any help is much appreciated!!

Thanks x


How to make elderflower wine
Ingredients

• 1 pint elderflowers (destalked)
• 8 pints boiling water
• 3lbs sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• ½oz yeast

Method

Add lemon rind to the elderflowers, pour boiling water over them and stand for four days, stirring occasionally. Strain through a fine sieve or muslin, then stir in sugar, lemon juice and yeast. Ferment at room temperature (not below 18˚C). When the bubbling has ceased, stir the wine and allow to settle for three days. Strain again carefully. Put in a demijohn to mature for three months, then bottle.

 

[Stressbaby]

What are your specific gravity readings? For this you need a hydrometer. You probably do need a carboy as well but there are workarounds for that. No workaround for the hydrometer.

 

[Rice_Guy]

How to make elderflower wine

• 8 pints boiling water
• 3lbs sugar.

For safety reasons I would finish the fermentation.

8 pints water with 3 pounds sugar gets you to 1.4 gallon (1 gal, 28 oz). A 4 liter glass wine bottle would be nice, as a secondary choice 2 of the large drink bottles (punch? Iced tea? Etc) If you don’t have an air lock the low tech way is to put a balloon over the mouth and let gas burp out.

FYI; Your fermentation calculates to about 15% alcohol, many wines target 11% or hot climate grape maybe 14% It is possible that you will have the yeast stop before the batch is dry

I am looking at elder flowers this week and wondering if I should try this wine? How do you like the in process flavor?