Elderflower Champagne

[timmy k 592]

If you haven't got an airlock Leave the lid part on to stop pressure build up. Don't worry about the fizz thatll come when you prime the bottles, I done one last year but wasn't keen on the perfume like taste but I done a elderberry wine and was lovely so Im saving all the elder trees for a double batch of wine

[Squeamish5 309]

Well that was a total fail. Down the drain. Today it was really thick.

Looked on a homebrewing site which advises to always use wine yeast unless you are very experienced. Which I'm not. Although more than I was.

Arse.

[Nik_B 3,790]

Well that was a total fail. Down the drain. Today it was really thick.

Looked on a homebrewing site which advises to always use wine yeast unless you are very experienced. Which I'm not. Although more than I was.

Arse.

 

Did you add the correct amount of water 5 litres in total?

[Squeamish5 309]

Lol. Yes I added the correct amount of water.

From what I can gather it's a bacterial infection. (Sounds fun). It was already pretty slimy yesterday. I probably wouldn't have tasted I but it smelled lovely.

I'll try to post link to the home brew site.

Have you started yours?

Pitch the yeast IN.

Dunno whether to start another batch off.... going away for a coupla days and don't want to leave house sitter with potential explosions.

[Nik_B 3,790]

Lol. Yes I added the correct amount of water.

From what I can gather it's a bacterial infection. (Sounds fun). It was already pretty slimy yesterday. I probably wouldn't have tasted I but it smelled lovely.

I'll try to post link to the home brew site.

Have you started yours?

Pitch the yeast IN.

Dunno whether to start another batch off.... going away for a coupla days and don't want to leave house sitter with potential explosions.

 

Wow sounds more complicated than I though, I've been working nights for weeks so as soon as I get a chance I want to start it.

 

Do you think that it matters if you don't pick them on a sunny day? We've had a lot of cloudy weather and rain recently.

[Squeamish5 309]

It's not a complicated process. Sterilise bucket, put ingredients in. Wait few days. Pour down drain.

I've been making cordial for 20 odd years. The first batch of the season I've always picked on a sunny morning..... there's a day when they smell just right to start..... But to be honest, I'm not sure that it matters all that much if they're picked on a cloudy day. I wouldn't pick them wet though.

I don't think I've ever been able to distinguish which bottle of 'elderflower 2016' was made from flowers picked on a dull day.

[Nik_B 3,790]

It's not a complicated process. Sterilise bucket, put ingredients in. Wait few days. Pour down drain.

I've been making cordial for 20 odd years. The first batch of the season I've always picked on a sunny morning..... there's a day when they smell just right to start..... But to be honest, I'm not sure that it matters all that much if they're picked on a cloudy day. I wouldn't pick them wet though.

I don't think I've ever been able to distinguish which bottle of 'elderflower 2016' was made from flowers picked on a dull day.

 

Thanks, I do tend to overthink things, probably best just having a go and see how it turns out.

[Squeamish5 309]

 

It's not a complicated process. Sterilise bucket, put ingredients in. Wait few days. Pour down drain.

I've been making cordial for 20 odd years. The first batch of the season I've always picked on a sunny morning..... there's a day when they smell just right to start..... But to be honest, I'm not sure that it matters all that much if they're picked on a cloudy day. I wouldn't pick them wet though.

I don't think I've ever been able to distinguish which bottle of 'elderflower 2016' was made from flowers picked on a dull day.

 

Thanks, I do tend to overthink things, probably best just having a go and see how it turns out.

Do it babe. Why not just go out now, get 10 flower heads (providing you've got a lemon and half a bag of sugar in) and make a batch of cordial. Us a saucepan or a mixing bowl. Cover it with a clean tea towel. Take you 10 mins max.

I found a recipe for making pop from cordial.

[Squeamish5 309]

http://www.farminmypocket.co.uk/home-brewing/recipes-home-brewing/elderflower-champagne-cordial

 

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=331418

[Nik_B 3,790]

We've been a bit slow but got ours started today, there is the odd brown flower here and there will that still be ok?

[devon flighter 421]

just crack on nik as long as not to many ,we bottled our cordial today (9ltr) picked our flowers last wed in the sun definitely seems more flowery this batch than when we just picked whatever the weather,

[Nik_B 3,790]

just crack on nik as long as not to many ,we bottled our cordial today (9ltr) picked our flowers last wed in the sun definitely seems more flowery this batch than when we just picked whatever the weather,

 

Thanks we are really looking forward to sampling this

[Squeamish5 309]

You doin champagne, Nik?

(Flowers pretty much over here so watching you to see if it's worth gathering the last 8 heads I can find.....)

[Nik_B 3,790]

You doin champagne, Nik?

(Flowers pretty much over here so watching you to see if it's worth gathering the last 8 heads I can find.....)

 

I'm following the recipe from the OP but I used a wine yeast which is mixed with nutrient...should I have used champagne yeast? So hopefully champagne but we'll settle for any result

 

We've still got flowers on our bush but they turning brown in places, there is another huge tree up the road which has loads on it so we shall be paying that a visit next year. I wonder if you can freeze the flowers?

 

We went to some friends last week who are really into foraging and making things and they gave us a glass of Elderflower wine made from pink elderflowers....they reconed it was 15% but after one sip I think it might have been stronger

 

I'm going to start some beer in a day or two as well now we're getting the bug lol

[Nik_B 3,790]

It's sat behind me in my office happily bubbling away

 

Smells lovely already!