Elderberry Wine (berry)

[tjpackham10]

Hi everyone
Just wondered what you top up with?
I have been using cooled boiled water but have read that using another wine would be better?
Thanks

 

[winemaker81]

When topping up any batch, choose a top up wine that is as close to your batch as possible. For lighter fruits, a neutral-tasting white is probably the best choice, e.g., don't use a heavily oaked Chardonnay.

For elderberry wine? Any decent quality red wine works fine, although I'd use a heavier wine.

Kit vendors say to top up with water. IMO that should be a last resort. Water dilutes the wine and can change the balance of acid, sugar, etc.

I plan batches based upon my container size. Since I have mostly 5 US gallon carboys, I typically start batches of wine in the 5.5 to 6 gallon range. This normally provides sufficient top up during bulk aging. I have a drawer full of airlocks and drilled stoppers of all sizes, and a collection of bottles from 125 ml to 4 liters. It's normal to have 3 or 4 bottles of varying sizes containing top up wine.

 

[tjpackham10]

When topping up any batch, choose a top up wine that is as close to your batch as possible. For lighter fruits, a neutral-tasting white is probably the best choice, e.g., don't use a heavily oaked Chardonnay.

For elderberry wine? Any decent quality red wine works fine, although I'd use a heavier wine.

Kit vendors say to top up with water. IMO that should be a last resort. Water dilutes the wine and can change the balance of acid, sugar, etc.

I plan batches based upon my container size. Since I have mostly 5 US gallon carboys, I typically start batches of wine in the 5.5 to 6 gallon range. This normally provides sufficient top up during bulk aging. I have a drawer full of airlocks and drilled stoppers of all sizes, and a collection of bottles from 125 ml to 4 liters. It's normal to have 3 or 4 bottles of varying sizes containing top up wine.

Hi I have a problem as I can't go out due to lockdown. I don't have any red wine in the house! Is there anything else I could use?

 

[winemanden]

Hi I have a problem as I can't go out due to lockdown. I don't have any red wine in the house! Is there anything else I could use?

Just use whatever you've got spare. Failing that do as before top up with water, better than letting your wine oxidise. It may change the balance slightly but that's far better than oxydation.

 

[winemaker81]

White wine will work. Depending on the amount added, it may lighten the elderberry a bit without diluting it.

If you're going to sweeten the elderberry (which I recommend -- bone dry elderberry is unpleasant), you can stabilize and add a commercial fruit juice. Pretty much any juice will do, although ones without added sugar are better. But since you can't go out, whatever you have has to be good enough.

Do you understand what stabilization is? [I'm proceeding as if you don't -- the information may benefit others.]

When a wine has completed fermentation, potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite can be added to prevent a renewed fermentation. This must be done when back sweetening a wine, else the remaining yeast will resume fermentation, eating the new sugar.

If you don't have sorbate on hand, all is not lost. Add juice and be prepared for the wine to ferment again (you will probably need to move the wine back into the primary fermenter). But add more than you need, e.g., if you need a cup of top up, I'd add at least a quart of juice. This way you will have top up for later rackings as well.


Regardless of what I said previously, if all else fails, use water. Water may dilute the wine, but air will destroy it.

 

[hounddawg]

Hi everyone
Just wondered what you top up with?
I have been using cooled boiled water but have read that using another wine would be better?
Thanks

everyone's different, i keep a few thumb hole jugs both gallon an half gallon, and a few clear wine bottles with bungs for every size and airlocks to boot, so when i ferment, i ferment extra, that allows me to top off with what i am making ,, i only do country wines, never a kit nore any grape, i do a fair amount of elderberries, blackberries, skeeter pee, banana, strawberries, so on so forth, others top off with water or a like type wine, but that's a pev of mine i only top off with what i'm making,,
Best of Luck to You
Dawg,,,

 

[tjpackham10]

White wine will work. Depending on the amount added, it may lighten the elderberry a bit without diluting it.

If you're going to sweeten the elderberry (which I recommend -- bone dry elderberry is unpleasant), you can stabilize and add a commercial fruit juice. Pretty much any juice will do, although ones without added sugar are better. But since you can't go out, whatever you have has to be good enough.

Do you understand what stabilization is? [I'm proceeding as if you don't -- the information may benefit others.]

When a wine has completed fermentation, potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite can be added to prevent a renewed fermentation. This must be done when back sweetening a wine, else the remaining yeast will resume fermentation, eating the new sugar.

If you don't have sorbate on hand, all is not lost. Add juice and be prepared for the wine to ferment again (you will probably need to move the wine back into the primary fermenter). But add more than you need, e.g., if you need a cup of top up, I'd add at least a quart of juice. This way you will have top up for later rackings as well.


Regardless of what I said previously, if all else fails, use water. Water may dilute the wine, but air will destroy it.

Hi thanks for your message.
I have been able to get half a bottle of red wine from a neighbour so have added it. Was a little short so topped with a small amount of boiled water.
I have a carton of apple juice that I could use to back sweeten and I have campden tablets.
Should I now leave it for a couple of months before I back sweeten?
Do I then take a hydrometer reading.

 

[Scooter68]

No need to take an SG reading if the wine finished fermentation some time ago unless you just want to to get your final reading.

As far as adding sorbate.... Some believe that sorbate, over time, will contribute an off flavor to wines. I've never experienced that but then my oldest bottle of wine is about 2 1/2 years old - They get consumed before they get much older than that.
Soooo I prefer to play safe and not add any sorbate until just before (1-3 days) I'm going to back-sweeten and bottle. I wait to back-sweeten until then so my wine flavor is closer to a finished - ready-to-consume state.
Having said that - taking one more SG reading just before bottling is nice to help keep records as to how much you sweetened up that wine. Next time you might chose to do more or less and that reading will give you a ballpark number for the next time.

By the way - Keeping records is really a good idea. It lets you track what you did and accurately repeat those steps OR avoid steps that didn't work out so well. It also helps folks help you - by identifying possible mis-steps that you might make.

I noticed also that you mentioned boiling your water. Unless your water source is questionable I don't see any real need to do that. Perhaps just buy purified, or spring water. I prefer to avoid topping off with water but it is possible to plan ahead when starting your wine and allowing for that slight dilution. 3-4 oz per gallon isn't going to change a lot but if you have to do that over and over with each racking - THEN it will change the outcome.

 

[hounddawg]

most every one of my wines bottle at a FSG of 1.040, what do you expect of a country boy raised on sweet tea,
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

Hi everyone
Just wondered what you top up with?
I have been using cooled boiled water but have read that using another wine would be better?
Thanks

i make extra wine so top off with the same wine i make,

 

[winemaker81]

Campden tablets are sodium metabisulfite, which does the same as potassium metabisulfite. A common abbreviation is K-meta (K is the symbol for potassium).

Metabisulfite (in either form) will not stabilize wine on its own. Potassium sorbate is needed as well, otherwise added sugar (in the form of juice) will produce a second fermentation. This link will provide some information regarding sorbate.

While I normally recommend buying from a local shop, since you're house bound, mail order works.

 

[winemaker81]

I managed to not paste the link ...

https://winemakersacademy.com/potassium-metabisulfite-wine/

 

[cmason1957]

Campden tablets are sodium metabisulfite, which does the same as potassium metabisulfite. A common abbreviation is K-meta (K is the symbol for potassium).

Campden tablets can be either Sodium (Na) or Potassium (K) metabisulfite, they are not limited to just one or the other.

 

[winemaker81]

Campden tablets can be either Sodium (Na) or Potassium (K) metabisulfite, they are nor limited to just one or the other.

Huh, I didn't realize. Which indicates how long it's been since I used Campden tablets.

 

[robert81650]

Good Dawg..........don't let the dry wine drinkers take over.......Southern folks like sweet tea and sweet wine................