Elderflower wine...

[coloradoclyde]

Got a batch of Elderflower wine bubbling away....
This is the first time I have ever made it...
Anyone else ever make the stuff?

 

[Katahdin]

some parts of the elder berry plant contain poison.Memory says stems!!!The berries make a fine wine.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Yes, the stems are poisonous.

The flowers and berries are edible...

 

[Vaino]

Who's delegated to take the first sip...just in case?. Just kidding and good luck w/ the wine.....Fred

 

[coloradoclyde]

Took a sip this morning when I took a gravity reading....I'm still alive... :grin:

 

[Silky921]

You have my interest naturally. Are they also referred to as elderberry?

 

[coloradoclyde]

The berries are called elderberries, the flowers are called elderflowers...The tree or bush goes by a host of names, but commonly the elder bush.
The flowers also make a tea....and are considered medicinal.
The woody parts of the plant contain a cyanide type chemical and will make you sick.

If the cyanide scares you... remember, apple seeds contain a cyanide compound also .....so do many other fruit pips.....It's not the poison that kills you....it's the amount.

 

[coloradoclyde]

It's a simple recipe.....
Water (1 gallon)+-
Enough sugar to reach a gravity of 1.100
The juice and rind of 2 lemons
Teaspoon of yeast nutrient.
20 elderflowers heads (plucked from the stems)
Wine or champagne yeast.

Bring water to a boil and remove from heat....add all ingredients except the yeast.. Stir to dissolve the sugar... allow to cool to pitching temperature.. aerate...and add yeast.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Are they also referred to as elderberry?

Elderflower wine and elderberry wine are two distinctly different wines...

Elderberry wine is usually dry and dark red similar to a merlot....

Elderflower wine is very light, dry and similar to a champagne ..

 

[Silky921]

Thanks CC. Looks like I've got a new project to work on.

 

[Katahdin]

You ever make Dandolion(sp)wine,use just the flowers,good but labor intensive.

 

[coloradoclyde]

No, but I have drank plenty of it...which is why I haven't made it....not my favorite.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Silky, elderflower wine should be sparkling when finished....easy to accomplish if bottling in champagne bottles....but, I have to put it in beer bottles. so I must be mindful of the amount of carbonation or risk blowing a bottle up.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Once a month I sit on a beer tasting panel...Tonight I took along a bottle of my elderflower wine/champagne.
It was one month old but I wanted early opinions.

It was well received and was asked to return at the Christmas tasting...

It reminded me of Fresca.

 

[tenngun]

Took a sip this morning when I took a gravity reading....I'm still alive... :grin:

The old joke about the guy falling from a ten story building comes to mind...passing each floor calling 'so far so good'
My dad made dandelion wine about the same way. My own personal "Rancid Crabtree" while growing up made a cactus flower wine along the same lines. It was one of my first taste of booze.

 

[Silky921]

If it's tasting good that early in the game, your outlook is bright. I've had some that smelled rather unpleasant early, but turned out well, so you must be doing something right.

Just remember to keep air out and out of sunlight if you can.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Oh ya...I bottled it too early....It's way over carbonated. when I opened the bottle last night it shot 4' in the air....I lost half the bottle to fizz. I wanted it to be fizzy, but not that much....It's now cold crashing in the fridge to stop bottle fermentation and to absorb more C02

 

[nhmoose]

Once a month I sit on a beer tasting panel...Tonight I took along a bottle of my elderflower wine/champagne.
It was one month old but I wanted early opinions.

It was well received and was asked to return at the Christmas tasting...

It reminded me of Fresca.

Wow 4 month suspension for it???? :rotf: :rotf:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Well, I'm not in Bordeaux country.. And I'm not Paul Masson. :haha:

One of the major points of the tasting is to evaluate the aging progression... Some wines do not age well, same goes for beer.

And no! I wasn't "suspended".....They liked it so much they wanted to try it again with some more age.....To see if it gets even better or worse.

 

[colmoultrie]

If anyone on the forum is in a position to supply the East coast (NJ) with elder seedlings, please PM me. I've lately been hankering for an Austrian dessert of elder flowers fried in pancake batter with powdered sugar. I know it'll be a few years away, so I'd like to start the process ASAP.