fresh elderberries

[Bossbaby]

I am about to try my first elderberry wine, my recipe calls for 1.5 to 2.5 lbs of fruit per gal. my question is whether or not I should use more fruit than that since I have it or will the flavor be overwhelming, I like a bit of flavor just not the wrong flavor??

 

[garymc]

Are you talking about a gallon of wine or some 5 gallon batches with 12 pounds per 5 gallons? I would go toward the heavier end of the range with at least 2.5. Other recipes show 3.5 pounds per gallon. You might do more than one batch with a light, social wine with the lower amount and a dark, rich wine with the higher amount of elderberries per gallon. I have a batch I made "port style" with a lot of berries and a lot of alcohol.

 

[wood1954]

I would use more fruit, I recently made a batch with dried elderberries as I couldn’t find enough fresh berries. Turned out great, well good I guess.

 

[hounddawg]

i raise elderberries , and i go 5-lb to the gallon, but i do bulk age for 7 to 10 years for that robust to smooth out to very good wine,
Dawg

 

[Bossbaby]

thank you for the info!!

 

[Shortround]

GARYMC - can you share your “port style” elderberry recipe?

 

[hounddawg]

GARYMC - can you share your “port style” elderberry recipe?

port huh. i think next harvest i'll try a elder port, i usually only port my skeeter pee,
Dawg

 

[Shortround]

I have probably 30 lbs of elderberries from her the last few years that I want to work on

 

[hounddawg]

I have probably 30 lbs of elderberries from her the last few years that I want to work on

for me that'll make 6 gal as i use 5 lbs elder per gallon of water, any pure elderberry wine needs a few years aging, but i also make 50% elderberry and 50% blackberry,, that only takes 1 year of bulk aging,,, elderberry is very healthy
Dawg

 

[Shortround]

Wow. I’m game for that. What yeast would you use?

 

[hounddawg]

[QUOTE="Shortround, post: 779640, member: 37121"
Wow. I’m game for that. What yeast would you use?
[/QUOTE]
since i like my wine with a higher ABV , I'd use either K1V-1116, MORE aroma, or EC-1118,
elderberry needs to me at least 3 years to start to taste good, now if you like you're wine dry , then not quite so long, but a blackberry-elderberry, all fermented together, same yeast but matures way faster, and to me makes a very good wine,,, that only a year is good, but at close to 2 year is great, i like elderberry, got 10 to 12 plants, this year it was dry here and i did not water, this year if no rain in summer I'm watering
Dawg

 

[Shortround]

Hounddawg - I saw in another post that you back-sweeten to 1.040 for all your elderberry wines. Does that include the blackberry elderberry?

Also, how do you handle the elderberry goo issue?

I remember all the old gold did elderberry wine when I was a kid. I’m not a youngster anymore and wish I had their recipes! They had great ingredients then: good berries, great water and time!

 

[Shortround]

that should say “older folks”!!! Not in a negative way...I have fond memories. What do you think about using Lavlin BM 4x4 for the elderberry?

 

[hounddawg]

Hounddawg - I saw in another post that you back-sweeten to 1.040 for all your elderberry wines. Does that include the blackberry elderberry?

Also, how do you handle the elderberry goo issue?

I remember all the old gold did elderberry wine when I was a kid. I’m not a youngster anymore and wish I had their recipes! They had great ingredients then: good berries, great water and time!

yes, at finish all my wines have a FSG of 1.040, i run fruit and berry heavy, all my wines a robust, elderberry same with black berry i go 5 lbs per gallon of water, most of my wines i ferment using my hydrometer to get a ABV of around 17%, then after my ferment is over i potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite , then back sweeten to a SG of 1.040, yes the green goo, vegetable oil, or oxy clean, or dawn dish washing soap, just rinse really good, the green goo really is not a problem, beings with wine equipment every thing is kept washed and sanitized anyway, , i try to keep everything glass or stainless, i use a vacuum pump to rack with, so the tubing , after i do the rack, i rack about 5 gallons f hot water thru, then i run a K-meta solution till all my lines and filter housing are full of k-meta solution, then just turn it off, the next time i go to use my vacuum pump i just turn my pump on and pump out all the solution, so my pump and lines are kept full of k-meta solion, and always ready to go at the flip of a switch,
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

that should say “older folks”!!! Not in a negative way...I have fond memories. What do you think about using Lavlin BM 4x4 for the elderberry?

I've never tried that one, i tried several yeast, but with a good full flavored country wine i only keep EC-1118 and K1V-1116, i go about my county wines as if you are eating the fruit or berry off the tree or briar patch, my range is very strong flavors like blackberry/elderberry 5 lb to a gallon, to a light flavor like banana i use 12 lb to the gallon of fruit, on lite flavors like banana , i use apple juice instead of water,
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

yep the old timers were elderberry, muscadine and dandelion wines, i like the first 2, never care for dandelion wine, i go with what i can get my hands on, pear, apple, persimmon, peach, strawberry, blackberry, elderberry, tart/sour cherry, Lemon (skeeter pee port}, plum, a little blueberry, i'm sipping SPP so my mind can't remember more,, lol, dang skeeter pee port sure ambushes me most every evening come bed time, lol,, i bulk age every thing but elderberry takes several years aging to be really good, but when you mix elderberry and blackberry then you cut down aging saving years, the old timers i grew up around shot for 8 to 10 year for elderberry, so that's the way i like it, but a few year back i had a little elderberry but not enough for a glass it was only half so i poured blackberry to fill my glass on up, after that i went to making it both ways, i got me a couple 5 gallon stainless kegs I'm fixing to have try clamps wielded on, to use on my elderberry, fill them up date them and label and forget in the closet, i have a hard time staying away from my aging elderberry,, them are my weakness,
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

funny i turned 60 last oct, hehe I'm a old-timer now i recon, sorry did not mean to talk your ear off, dang skeeter pee port anyway
Dawg

 

[Shortround]

No worries there. Not far behind at 55. I hadn’t heard of them waiting that long for their elderberry, but maybe that’s why it was so good. I’ve never tried the SPP. I’ll have to give that one a shot. I don’t think I have ever tried the elderly at 5lb per gallon either, but that will be next!

 

[Chuck Rairdan]

Lots of great info on elderberry wine from Dawg. Did an elderberry, blueberry, pomegranate blend 3 years ago that turned out well and didn't need to be aged very long to be drinkable and of course lots of healthy goodies in that blend. Did a heavy fruit pure elderberry the next year and zoinks, that is some powerful punch. laying that one down for quite some time, may try it again in 2030 lol. This year, lighter on the elderberry, fairly tart, decent amount of oak, and mixed with about 30% reds that I suspect will be very good in 2-3 years.

 

[Rice_Guy]

my goo favorite is PAM cooking spray to get it solubilized then wash with soap water.
the neighbor tells me that latex paint remover worked well, but check if you want the brand on food surfaces.

Also, how do you handle the elderberry goo issue?
I remember all the old gold did elderberry wine when I was a kid. I’m not a youngster anymore and wish I had their recipes!

youthful flavors tend to be sweeter, old fart flavors tend to be stronger, ,,,, elderberry has a major tannic note therefore a five pound per gallon recipe is an adult formula