Elder Flower Champagne

[Samon]

if the elder flowers aren't out yet try a dandelion brew, it's nice and there should be loads of them around.

making up your own brews is the fun part, I might try making an adult lemonade sometime if I dig out my kit later..

 

[bilmo-p5]

You can make a nice sweet white from elderflowers. Do it now and it'd be ready for Christmas. It's like bottled sunbeams in the dark depths of Winter.

 

[Kepis]

Well just come back from brewing shop with 50g dried Elderflowers and champagne yeast due to the elderflowers being dried. Then got the rest of the ingredients so will attempt the Elderflower brew later today.

Let us know how you get on, we bottled 8 litres earlier and have another 8 litres on the go already

 

[Kepis]

just out of interest and going on earlier posts and for my own interest, i checked the alcohol content of the stuff we made a couple of weeks ago vs. the fresh brew made today, it must be just about alcoholic as the hydrometer didnt even register a change in SG between the two samples, not saying there isnt any alcohol in the cham-pag-knee, just such a small amount as to be not worth considering imo.

 

[Kepis]

You can make a nice sweet white from elderflowers. Do it now and it'd be ready for Christmas. It's like bottled sunbeams in the dark depths of Winter.

My old man made some years ago, when we remembered it and tried it out, it was pretty potent, think he sold it NASA in the end as a fuel source

But your right, the flowers do make a superb wine.

 

[atross]

Great post, all ready mad som elderflower delight and cordial. Will be trying the fizz later this week.

What is the wine recipe?

 

[Dougster]

My wide makes this - somehow manages to make it lethal. Can't wait.

 

[Grendel]

Made the batch up yesterday and it’s been bubbling away through the airlock all night. I have my brewing bucket on a heat pad to keep the temperature constant.

Out of interest I presume the longer I leave it the stronger it will get?

I was thinking of leaving it until it stops bubbling then a day to settle?

 

[Grendel]

The airlock seems to be bubbling less now and it's been brewing for 3 days. I presume that would mean it's ready to be bottled?????

 

[Samon]

The airlock seems to be bubbling less now and it's been brewing for 3 days. I presume that would mean it's ready to be bottled?????

when brewing alchoholic drinks you start settling it and bottling it once the bubbling has pretty much stopped. With the elder brew I don't think it'll be very alchohlic at all (unless you put sugar and yeast in it) so it doesn't really matter and usually if you want it fizzy you don't use an air lock on quick brews..

 

[Grendel]

Fair enough.
Have just bottled it in 2x 4 pint plastic bottles. So give it a couple of days to settle then drinking will commence.

 

[The Big Lebowski]

I came across tons of elderflower today (not that you dont see it everywhere anyways) but the closest I could get out of trying several bushes was to get a slight perfume/scent smell... some had no scent.
It might be a little early here, as some tree's are in bloom, some still in bud. What should I be looking for? Do they get very pungent when ideal?

I'm toying with the idea of making some elderflower liquor

al.

 

[nommo]

I know someone who had some success with a small 'Elderfire' distillation experiment using surplus Elderflower Champagknee (made with yeast & sugar to create a very strong sparkling wine) & a vegetable steamer with an inverted lid on which was ice in a bag & inside under the lid - a ramekin... all over a ceramic hob.

I had to have a sip or two. It has a very interesting aroma & flavour. Marketable I reckon - especially with a name like Elderfire

Anyone got a license?

 

[joe.ford]

thanks for the recipe.

I hav'nt had a batch that good for ages. Both bottles are drinkable, rather than 1 good and 1 ready to fuel a rocket.

Second batch is underway, now to wait and see if works too:You_Rock_

 

[Stanleythecat]

Mine didn't get going like last years... and some mould grew on the surface. Is this going to be ok?

I've bottled it in mineral water bottles and give them a sqeeze every day to feel if the pressure is building, they're hardening up and there's no further mould...

hmm! Have twelve litres of gut rot brewing me thinks!

 

[joe.ford]

Mine didn't get going like last years... and some mould grew on the surface. Is this going to be ok?

I've bottled it in mineral water bottles and give them a sqeeze every day to feel if the pressure is building, they're hardening up and there's no further mould...

hmm! Have twelve litres of gut rot brewing me thinks!

That's what I did last year, and I had that same green algae looking froth on top.

That was the batch I could have sold to nasa. It smelt so strong, no one would touch it

Hope yours is atleast drinkable.

Did you sterilize the bottles first?

 

[Stanleythecat]

Not quite that bad! The all was sterile but it was when it was in the bucket that life began on the flowers that were above the surface...

 

[joe.ford]

just a silly question.

After waiting for the stuff to ferment, do you keep it in the same bottles to drink? Or re-bottle into clean bottles with no lumps of sediment sitting in the bottom?

Just starting the 2nd bottle of the 1st batch, have to say it's not as nice as the 1st. Very strange???

 

[Kepis]

ive kept all of mine in the same bottles then when i want a glass i pour it through tea strainer to catch the larger bits

 

[Kerne]

Just seen this thread.

Someone I give a lift to work to gave me a bottle of elderflower champagne that she made recently (she usually "pays" for the lift in cake!). Lovely stuff! Gotta give it a go myself next year.