2012 Elderberries

[ffemt128]

Starting sg was 1.088 on both 6 gallon batches. Yeast was pitched late Saturday morning and both batches are fermenting strongly at this point. I'll adjust acid post fermentation to my desired level and go from there.

 

[ffemt128]

Just checked the SG on both batches. SG was 1.018 on both. Looks like I'll be transferring to carboys this weekend. Smells so good.

 

[BobF]

I love the smell of fermenting elderberries in the morning!

 

[ffemt128]

Checked sg again this am, one bucket was a 1.010 and the other at 1.014. My daughter was sleeping so I racked into 2 - 6 gallon carboys. Both are filled to the very bottom of the neck and I poured about a 1/2 gallon into the bucket I had set aside that is being made from the skins. I'll definately be able to pull a 3 gallon batch from that at this point. I'll use that for topping up as needed in hopes of ending with 14 gallons in the long run. 12 of those will be from steamed juice (7 lbs per gallon) and the remainder will be from the skins left over after steaming.

 

[oldwhiskers]

Doug, what's your opinion on the difference between wine from fresh elderberries and wine from dried elderberries? I have had neither and I am thinking on making some from dried elderberries to try it.

 

[ffemt128]

Doug, what's your opinion on the difference between wine from fresh elderberries and wine from dried elderberries? I have had neither and I am thinking on making some from dried elderberries to try it.

I've only made it from fresh elderberries so far and each time I steamed the berries to extract the juice. You may want to PM CRACKEDCORK, he grows them and has likely done both. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

We do them every way, fresh, steamed and dried, just depends on what we want from them. We dry our own and we really like all the wines we have made from the dried berries, its different than from fresh berries, a little more depth of flavor maybe, its not as different as using grapes vs raisans to make wine with but it is a difference. That derecho got a lot of our plants, knocking them down and a lot of the berries are lost on the ground. We plan on drying most of the little we get this year to intensify their flavor. Dried elderberry mead, a black raspberry and dried elderberry mead and another chocolate elderberry, maybe this time with dried elderberries instead of fresh are in the planning stages. Crackedcork

 

[oldwhiskers]

We do them every way, fresh, steamed and dried, just depends on what we want from them. We dry our own and we really like all the wines we have made from the dried berries, its different than from fresh berries, a little more depth of flavor maybe, its not as different as using grapes vs raisans to make wine with but it is a difference. That derecho got a lot of our plants, knocking them down and a lot of the berries are lost on the ground. We plan on drying most of the little we get this year to intensify their flavor. Dried elderberry mead, a black raspberry and dried elderberry mead and another chocolate elderberry, maybe this time with dried elderberries instead of fresh are in the planning stages. Crackedcork

Thanks, that's what I was looking for.

 

[ffemt128]

Any luck at all, i'll be racking my elderberry wine into 3 clean 5 gallon carboys sometime Friday morning. If that is the case, ill add my kmeta and start the soaking process as well.

 

[Boyd]

Only found about 5 pounds of ederberrie this year and I checked out bushes 50 miles from home. Lots of flowers earlier in the year but no berries.

Last year I had a freezer full and gave away 5 gallons to my aunt to make jelly for her church bazzar and another 5 gallons cleaned to another wine maker. Damed drought got to them I think.

Oh well I have about 15 gallons aging from last year. I guess that is better than a poke in the tail with a sharp stick

 

[ffemt128]

DJROCKINSTEVE - Tell Marilyn we have 15 gallons of elderberry going now and we'll be sure to save her some when it's ready. I know she laike the past batches. LOL

 

[ffemt128]

I have 15 gallons of elderberry sitting in carboys now. This was racked on September 10. Next racking I'll stabilize, make acid adjustments and backsweeten. I'm thinking this will probably take place sometime the middle of October.

 

[ffemt128]

I'll be racking the 15 gallons of Elderberry today and stabilizing. If all goes as planned I'll make acid adjustments and back sweeten this weekend.

 

[ffemt128]

Racked and stabilized the Edlerberry last night. I did not sample the juice but the aroma was unbelieveable. I was considering getting a can of the Vinters Harvest Elderberry concentrate and using this to back sweeten with. Sort of along the lines of a fpac. I don't think I would need it flavor wise but the thought ran through my head.

Any thoughts?

 

[wineon4]

I just bottled 10 gal of elderberry this fall and used Winexpert Red Grape concentrate to back sweeten and add body. Using the Elderberry conc. should be great. Will help with the body. I love mine with the Winexpert Red Grape concentrate, really enhanced the color also.

 

[ffemt128]

Racked the 15 gallons of Elderberry this morning and backsweetened to 1.008. Sweetness seems just about right. Will oak 5 gallons of it with 2 oz of medium toast french cubes for 4 weeks then taste in after that. Other than that I have a very full bodied, strong elderberry wine at this point. I'm very happy with it. Alot of berries went into making this batch and I tried something different by not steaming as much as usual, then fermenting the skins as well.

 

[ffemt128]

I added 2 oz of medium toast French oak cubes to one of the 5 gallon carboys of Elderberry this morning. This will now sit until after the holidays before sampling. Last year I left it in for 6 weeks and I think it was just right.

 

[ffemt128]

Racked 5 gallons of this today. Put 3 gallons back into carboy and bottled 8 bottles. Very full bodied. Considering adding American Oak to the 3 gallon carboy to see the different flavor profile compared to the French oak. Given how full bodied this is, it will do well with some long term aging.

 

[ffemt128]

Racked, filtered and bottled 3 gallon batch of Elderberry. Verry Verry full body and flavor. Gave a bottle to a friend of mine and had a bottle with Spaghetti last night for dinner.

 

[ffemt128]

Very happy with how this turned out. I will be following the same process next year in an effort to duplicated if possible.