2013 Elderberries

[wood1954]

elderberries do have their own peculiar smell. It gets better after it's aged a while and then ends tasting really good, still has it's own smell tho.

 

[ffemt128]

Well with the various projects that were going on at the house this year I didn't get to pick near the elderberries I wanted to. Yesterday I steamed the berries so that I could defrost the freezer. I ended up with 2 1/2 very full gallons of Elderberry juice. I had a total of about 30 lbs. I'm thinking of making a 5 gallon batch which I will likely start this week. Juice has been dosed with kmeta and is in the cellar now near the door where it is cool.

 

[ffemt128]

Mixed up all the ingredients for a 5 gallon batch of Elderberry from 2 1/2 gallons of steamed juice. This should work out to be about 6+lbs per gallon. Starting SG 1.086 and ph 3.32. I'll adjust TA post fermentation to taste.

 

[dessertmaker]

Thinking of taking some elderberry syrup made with elderberries and honey and making an elderberry melomel. What's the SG you guys normally start with?

 

[Julie]

Mine is usually around 1.080 - 1.085

 

[dessertmaker]

Cool. Anything outside of normal juice wines that I need to take into consideration before I attack this project? It'll be my first mead. Local lady makes the syrup and sells it for like $5 for 16 oz. so it's pretty much gonna be a lot like a kit wine for me.

 

[ffemt128]

Cool. Anything outside of normal juice wines that I need to take into consideration before I attack this project? It'll be my first mead. Local lady makes the syrup and sells it for like $5 for 16 oz. so it's pretty much gonna be a lot like a kit wine for me.

Not much different than any other juice wines. Sugar and acid are usually very low if using juice or berries. Check both of those and go at it.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

If we steam elderberries we like to use the straight juice, if we press the juice from berries it can be used at 100% juice but diluting it to 75-50% can be better. What does the lady use to make her syrup sweet, any preservatives? You might be better off trying to buy berries from her instead of her syrup. WVMJ

 

[fivebk]

I would suggest that you make a straight mead and when it's done then add the elderberry syrup. I think you will retain more flavor from the syrup if you add it post fermentation.

BOB

 

[dessertmaker]

If we steam elderberries we like to use the straight juice, if we press the juice from berries it can be used at 100% juice but diluting it to 75-50% can be better. What does the lady use to make her syrup sweet, any preservatives? You might be better off trying to buy berries from her instead of her syrup. WVMJ

Honey, hence the melomel. Literally all id have to do is add water and mess with the TA if necessary and then pitch the yeast

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

One of our local wineries sells an elderberry syrup made with his own elderberries and he adds a special chocolate syrup (also one without the chocolate), you have to be carefull to balance the amount of ice cream you have in the bowl filled with elderberry chocolate syrup. It is also an awesome backsweetener AND the milk in it acts as a fining agent! If you knew the gravity of the syrup you could calculate how much you would need for a whole batch, you might have to dilute it by 30-50% to get a fermentable level of honey. Good luck. WVMJ

 

[ffemt128]

Edlerberry went into the carboy. Looks and smells great so far. I ended up with 5 1/2 gallons from about 36 lbs of berries. I'm happy with that ratio.

 

[mainecr]

My wife and I picked, processed, and froze until we ran out time. We never went to pick from "the mother load", a 10 acre parcel I spied during spring bloom. No idea how much we processed until I pulled them out to ferment. Seems we had froze 127 pounds. 6 gallons of blackberry elderberry, and 30 gallons of elderberry in secondary.

 

[Julie]

My wife and I picked, processed, and froze until we ran out time. We never went to pick from "the mother load", a 10 acre parcel I spied during spring bloom. No idea how much we processed until I pulled them out to ferment. Seems we had froze 127 pounds. 6 gallons of blackberry elderberry, and 30 gallons of elderberry in secondary.

Nice haul! The elderberry/blackberry is a nice blend another good blend is elderberry/cherry

 

[mainecr]

I was given and processed 200 pounds of Bing and Ranier cherries. Never thought of a cherry elderberry. I was thinking of an elderberry blueberry.
We have a blueberry pear going right now as the last fresh batch of the year!

 

[ffemt128]

Elderberry-Bluberry is another nice blend. I made that once. Man was it good.

 

[ffemt128]

I bottled my 2013 Elderberry this am. I back sweetened to 1.008 and did not oak this batch. Labels are printed and will go on the bottles later today.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

What doesnt elderberry enhance? We did an elderberry plum, so good I planted some plum trees to see if we can make it even better with our own plums and elderberries. Elderberry and apple cyser is on the list for this year. Elder + currant, Elder + Red raspberry, Elder + Black raspberry, fresh elders + Dried elders, Elders in chocolate, Elders in Bochet, elderberries in your pancakes, they go with everything. WVMJ

 

[Julie]

What doesnt elderberry enhance? We did an elderberry plum, so good I planted some plum trees to see if we can make it even better with our own plums and elderberries. Elderberry and apple cyser is on the list for this year. Elder + currant, Elder + Red raspberry, Elder + Black raspberry, fresh elders + Dried elders, Elders in chocolate, Elders in Bochet, elderberries in your pancakes, they go with everything. WVMJ

If you can get some fredonia grapes or juice blend that with elderberries.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

We take a WE port kit, add 2 gal of elderberry juice to their 3 gal kit, add extra nutrient/oak etc, toss the instructions in the trash and let it go for as long as it needs, I can see why the port makers of old used to boost the color and tannins of their ports with elders, this is almost thick! WVMJ