Elderberry concentrate

[Tball]

I've been off the forum for a while, but I'm still making country wine, albeit in a bit lazier way. I have less time for fruit picking, so I use concentrates. I just discovered that Brownwood Acres now has elderberry concentrate in quarts. I'm wondering if anyone has developed a recipe that they like using elderberry concentrate.

 

[Scooter68]

If the price is fair - the content looks good (100% Elderberry Juice, no other juices used as fillers, etc. ) Keep in mind that Elderberries are the only fruit I've heard folks talk about using in lesser quantity per gallon. Not certain as I've only made one batch of Elderberry and that was with "Vintners Harvest" juice which is also 100% Elderberry juice. Their can is supposed to be good for either a 5 gallon batch (Stated to be a light-bodied wine result) or a 3 gallon batch described as being a "Full-Bodied" wine. My batch that just went into bottles after 14 months is very solid flavor and almost reminds me of a red grape wine but with more tartness to it.
Looking at the prices - The Vintners Harvest is a 96 ounce can good for 3 gallons is $11.00 more than the brownwood acres 32 ounce bottle which states it's good for 64 servings of unknown volume. Normally most servings of beverages are 8 oz. if that is their guidance then that would make the Brownwood Acres product better priced IF that 8oz serving size is correct. I would contact them to be sure and find out when they will have it back in stock. Both are free shipping.

Personally I might us the quart from Brownwood for a 3 gallon batch - that would still be less expensive than the Vintners Harvest.

OH and if you look up the Vintner's Harvest Elderberry - they have the recipe on the can and I think on their web site. The biggest unknown is how much sugar it going to take to bring that FruitFast juice up to your desired starting SG. On their bottle it say only 30 calories per serving - that's a VERY low sugar content. But sugar isn't that expensive.

This an image of the back of the Vintner's Harvest can showing the 3 gallon recipe.

 

[wood1954]

Not quite so lazy but you can make good wine from dried elderberries at a decent price.

 

[Tball]

Thanks for the info. Now there's a twist. While cleaning out the freezer, we found 10-1 quart bags of last years blueberries. I think I'll try and do an elder and blue mix. I already have a name picked out for the new batch. "Don't Panicle." It makes sense in my warp.

 

[hounddawg]

check out www.homewinery.com
they sell 55 kinds of reduced concentrates, all pure single fruit/grape/berry each concentrate is 1/2 gallon and good for 4 gallons, if ordered online, if ordered over the phone you can buy pints to go with the 1/2 gal concentrates. descent prices , great product, water reduced make a much stronger concentrate, i mainly go with real fruits and berries, but on bad years or bad health this is my go site, they say 1/2 gallon concentrate per 5 gallon water, but if you want robust. go only 4 gal per 1/2 gallon concentrate,
Dawg

 

[reeflections]

check out www.homewinery.com
they sell 55 kinds of reduced concentrates, all pure single fruit/grape/berry each concentrate is 1/2 gallon and good for 4 gallons, if ordered online, if ordered over the phone you can buy pints to go with the 1/2 gal concentrates. descent prices , great product, water reduced make a much stronger concentrate, i mainly go with real fruits and berries, but on bad years or bad health this is my go site, they say 1/2 gallon concentrate per 5 gallon water, but if you want robust. go only 4 gal per 1/2 gallon concentrate,
Dawg

That's just the info I was looking for today Dawg. Except for Banana, I have been using frozen berries from Walmart for my fruit wines but they have not been stocking enough for me lately, and I hate to hoard it during these times, so I have been looking for an alternative. Not a lot of shopping choices here in the Ozarks, as you know.

Does your ratio of 1/2 gallon of their juice to 4-5 gal of wine not include any crushed fruit at all?

 

[hounddawg]

That's just the info I was looking for today Dawg. Except for Banana, I have been using frozen berries from Walmart for my fruit wines but they have not been stocking enough for me lately, and I hate to hoard it during these times, so I have been looking for an alternative. Not a lot of shopping choices here in the Ozarks, as you know.

Does your ratio of 1/2 gallon of their juice to 4-5 gal of wine not include any crushed fruit at all?

i use each 1/2 gal concentrate to 4 gal water, for a strong robust wine, 3# 1/2 gal of concentrate plus 12 gallon water to give you 13.5 gallon wine, so with topping off you end up with 12 finish gallons of wine, the one below is 1/2 gal blueberry, 1.2 gal black raspberry and 1/2 gal tart cherry you can see the color is as robust as the flavor, if you like blushes or lighter wines then go 4.5 to 5 gal to the 1/2 gal concentrate,
Dawg

 

[reeflections]

i use each 1/2 gal concentrate to 4 gal water, for a strong robust wine, 3# 1/2 gal of concentrate plus 12 gallon water to give you 13.5 gallon wine, so with topping off you end up with 12 finish gallons of wine....
Dawg

That sounds good Dawg. Thanks!

I went to their site and the prices seem very reasonable. They don't give you much info on the juice though. I assume it 100% one juice pasteurized, and without any additives? Does it need to be refrigerated? Shelf life?

I ask because their shipping is reasonable when you buy more than one bottle.

Oh, and to get this thread back on track, I think I will try their elderberry.

 

[hounddawg]

That sounds good Dawg. Thanks!

I went to their site and the prices seem very reasonable. They don't give you much info on the juice though. I assume it 100% one juice pasteurized, and without any additives? Does it need to be refrigerated? Shelf life?

I ask because their shipping is reasonable when you buy more than one bottle.

Oh, and to get this thread back on track, I think I will try their elderberry.

yep set all your extra's in the freezer, they will not freeze solid, and a few years ago i called and talked to the owner, he started this in 1955, and he swore everything was single fruit/berry/grape
you can ask @dralarms he spends close to $400 a year there,
Dawg

 

[reeflections]

yep set all your extra's in the freezer, they will not freeze solid, and a few years ago i called and talked to the owner, he started this in 1955, and he swore everything was single fruit/berry/grape
you can ask @dralarms he spends close to $400 a year there,
Dawg

OK. I'm gonna give them a try.
Thanks again!

 

[FTC Wines]

I too spend lots a year ther, about $300. I use one pint of their concentrate to one gallon of water, comes out great. I do use my Vinmetric 300 to check acid and ph. Been using them for 10 years. Roy

 

[crushday]

I went to homewinery.com and checked out their site. Not a lot of info on any of their concentrate listings so I emailed them to get more information about the Elderberry. I got a response within an hour. Here's the conversation over email:

Can you tell me more about the Elderberry concentrate? Not any information on the site except the price.

Is it 100% juice?
Are there berries within?
Is there a printed recipe?

thanks, Crushday

Answer:

It’s 100 percent juice, it’s blended with grape juice and natural essence. No pulp or berries just concentrated juice. “Our” recipe or setup sheet is on the info page of the website. Any and all questions are welcome by phone or email thanks

Josh
Home winery supply

 

[reeflections]

It’s 100 percent juice, it’s blended with grape juice and natural essence

Josh
Home winery supply

That's disappointing. I just ordered 4 bottles.

Thanks for that info Josh.

 

[hounddawg]

That's disappointing. I just ordered 4 bottles.

Thanks for that info Josh.

the ole man lied to me, that changes my thinking',
Dawg

 

[reeflections]

the ole man lied to me, that changes my thinking',
Dawg

If the wine comes out tasting good, it doesn't matter.

 

[hounddawg]

If the wine comes out tasting good, it doesn't matter.

I've used most all non grape from them, and they have all been very good, back in 2005 or 2006,,, i called and a gruff older man told me he had been doing this since 1955, and singe fruit, I've got better than 40 gallons aging from there right now, your'e from the Ozarks same as me, and that, rubs me wrong knowing I've vouched for a untruth, i'll not stop using them because there product is very good, but that crap sure makes me gun shy to recommend anyone,
Dawg

 

[reeflections]

Well I don't hold it against you at all. Maybe that ol' guy is gone now anyway. If you think it's a good product, that's good enuf for me. I ordered 1 each of blueberry, apricot, cranberry and passion fruit. I'm looking forward to trying them all and seeing what happens.

I do understand how you feel though, I've been there myself.

 

[dralarms]

That old guy is my new neighbor. They must have changed something since he retired because he told me the same Thing.

 

[hounddawg]

That old guy is my new neighbor. They must have changed something since he retired because he told me the same Thing.

no offence intended to your neighbor at all, i was just sitting here wondering, i'd met and talked to SAM Walton several times, and while he lived wal-mart was great, but the johnny come lately s, are so greedy that most everything is mainly from overseas, it does make me feel better knowing the guy told me straight, and the greedy johnny come latelys are greedy, thank you for telling me, i feel much better,
Dawg AKA, Richard

 

[hounddawg]

now to remove my foot from my mouth
Dawg