I'm Hazel, and in Nov 2006 my friend Jane and I took on a half plot at Hill Allotments, Sutton Coldfield - we want the satisfaction of growing and eating our own fruit and veg, and to improve our diet (and fitness!).
This is the story of what happened next...........
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Elderberry & Apple Wine
The elderberry & apple wine continues to froth at an alarming rate - I might put it into a couple of demijohns tomorrow, but at the moment it's fizzing away like mad in a bucket.
Many years since I made wine, cannot remember the first thing about how to do it. Does all the froth mean there's a huge amount of sugar for the yeast to work on and this is the side-product?
I used a fork to pull the berries from the 'umbrella' stalks, Dale - but that did leave a little hair like stalk on each berry. Given how many berries went in the bucket, I wasn't going to de-hair them all, so that's how they went in!
I looked at some of the wine making forums, and there's no words of caution from a health point of view with the stalks, although there was some talk of the wine tasting 'woody' if the stems were left on. Don't know if they mean the 'ickle hair like ones on each berry though, or the bigger 'branches'. We'll see in due course, I guess!
It smelt incredibly rich and fruity for a couple of days, Bilbo, but that's given way to a familiar yeasty smell. I do hope it retains some of it's 'bouquet'.
The froth is just the build up of the CO2 bubbles with any impurities (e.g. stray berries - you can see a few in the pic) - bit like scum on the top of jam, I guess. I stir it ever day or so whilst in the bucket and it breaks down.
Next stage is to pour in into the DJ's (poured through a seive on a funnel) then any pips/dead yeast sink to the bottom as it starts to clear.
Elderberry wine is a favourite :O) I have actually bough two small bushes for the garden as they don't grow wild over here ... Have you tried elderflower wine - very nice ...I made a sparkling wine many year ago with it ... very quaffable :O)
The elderberry & apple wine continues to froth at an alarming rate - I might put it into a couple of demijohns tomorrow, but at the moment it's fizzing away like mad in a bucket.
Hazel did you just pull off each individual berry, as I have been told the stems are poisonous.
ReplyDeleteBet it smells amazing too.
ReplyDeleteMany years since I made wine, cannot remember the first thing about how to do it. Does all the froth mean there's a huge amount of sugar for the yeast to work on and this is the side-product?
I used a fork to pull the berries from the 'umbrella' stalks, Dale - but that did leave a little hair like stalk on each berry. Given how many berries went in the bucket, I wasn't going to de-hair them all, so that's how they went in!
ReplyDeleteI looked at some of the wine making forums, and there's no words of caution from a health point of view with the stalks, although there was some talk of the wine tasting 'woody' if the stems were left on. Don't know if they mean the 'ickle hair like ones on each berry though, or the bigger 'branches'. We'll see in due course, I guess!
It smelt incredibly rich and fruity for a couple of days, Bilbo, but that's given way to a familiar yeasty smell. I do hope it retains some of it's 'bouquet'.
The froth is just the build up of the CO2 bubbles with any impurities (e.g. stray berries - you can see a few in the pic) - bit like scum on the top of jam, I guess. I stir it ever day or so whilst in the bucket and it breaks down.
Next stage is to pour in into the DJ's (poured through a seive on a funnel) then any pips/dead yeast sink to the bottom as it starts to clear.
Elderberry wine is a favourite :O) I have actually bough two small bushes for the garden as they don't grow wild over here ... Have you tried elderflower wine - very nice ...I made a sparkling wine many year ago with it ... very quaffable :O)
ReplyDeleteD
I've only just discovered elder bushes, Dinzie - but elderflower wine defo on the list for next year...
ReplyDelete