Elderberries

[Arne]

Our elderberries are turning already. Most years they don't even start turning til around labor day. Gonna be gone by then this year. The berries are a bit smaller than usual. Guess I'll give em a try once more. They are not my favorite, but maybe I can do something to make them a bit better. As dry as it is the crabapple tree has so much fruit on it the branches are hanging close to the ground. Will wait til they start falling and gather enough for another 5 gal. batch. It makes a good wine with a smack your lips aftertaste. Anyway things are different here from other years. Everything maturing early. Hope that doesn't mean winter is going to be here soon. Arne.

 

[oldwhiskers]

I am wanting to do elderberry this year also, I have never made it.

 

[wood1954]

looks like a good crop

I have found a ton of wild elderberry bushes this , if we get some rain it should be a very good year. I think it makes excellent wine. I'm hoping to beat the birds for enough to make 10 gallons and this year I'll oak it. Good luck with yours. I seem to find the wild bushes along old rail road tracks. The flowers really stand out in the spring making it easy to find them.

 

[bg7mm]

put a batch to ferment yesterday, well did the 24 hour soak, pitched the yeast at 3:30 PM today

 

[Gowers Choice]

All the fruit has run 2 to 3 weeks early this year.

 

[Wade E]

Yeah, my currants were way early this year here. What didnt you like about the elderberry wine? How many did you use per gallon and did you float them to make sure they were all ripe? The unripe ones will make it very astringent so beware of that and not to scare uou but unripe ones can also poison you if too many are used. Did you sweeten the wine at all?

 

[Arne]

Yeah, my currants were way early this year here. What didnt you like about the elderberry wine? How many did you use per gallon and did you float them to make sure they were all ripe? The unripe ones will make it very astringent so beware of that and not to scare uou but unripe ones can also poison you if too many are used. Did you sweeten the wine at all?

From what I can figure out, I just do not like the taste of elderberry much. Cleaned em all, floated the bad stuff out. Very few unripe ones. Sweetened it some, made a blush out of it as well, made a skeeter pee with the lees, and still, think it is just the elderberry taste. I can drink it, just have other wines that are much better. Just me, others say it is really good. Did you move your fruit bushes when you moved? Hope so so you still have something out of the yard to ferment. Arne.

 

[tonyandkory]

I have never tried elderberry wine before but I just bottled 1 gallon of a Acai/elder berry wine that I experimented with and it turned out quite nice.
next batch I will probably add a couple hibiscus flowers for a smoky flavor and 1 - 2 oak cubes for a week or so for just a slight hint.

It finished at 1.00 and is still sweet tasting ... well see how it is after it sits in the bottle a few months.

 

[ffemt128]

All the Elderberry I have made I oaked. I generally used the Medium French toast cubes and went with 2-3 oz for 4-6 weeks. Last year's batches I experimented with using Tartaric Acid vs Acid Blend. I was told by those who compare the 2 the acid blend had a smoother finish but the tartaric had a more bold flavor. All initial juice was mixed and split before starting so I know it wasn't a case of different juice, both had equivalent acid %, PH and SG.

I just love the taste of elderberry wine.