Elderberry Wine

[Julie]

Elderberry is probably my favorite wine. I have a friend who has elderberries growing on her property so I get about 40 pounds of elderberries from her every year. Yes there is a lot of work but boy is it worth it.

I freeze the berries first then shake them off of the stems. I use 3# per gallon and make seconds. Also I backsweeten to 1.005 and use a little corn syrup for backsweetening.

This year I lightly oaked the full body.

 

[Mud]

You're lucky the freezing bit works. What I got off without thawing and running all over my hands was full of stems.

What do you mean by "seconds"?

 

[Julie]

You're lucky the freezing bit works. What I got off without thawing and running all over my hands was full of stems.

What do you mean by "seconds"?

I had found on another website there was an elderberry thread and some of the people said that they did not worry too much on getting stems in the wine. So I don't and my wine comes out very good. Yes I make sure I get out as much as I can but I don't fuss over it. Also, it helps if you have someone else helping you so you can get through the process before the berries are all defrosted.

I put the berries in a straing bag leave in the primary for about 3 days, lightly squeeze take the bag out and put it in another primary and add white grape concentrate to make another 6 gallon. This makes an elderberry blush.

For the amount of work you do with these little berries it sure feels good when you can get double on your return.

If you are interested I can post the recipe.

 

[BobF]

I had found on another website there was an elderberry thread and some of the people said that they did not worry too much on getting stems in the wine. So I don't and my wine comes out very good. Yes I make sure I get out as much as I can but I don't fuss over it. Also, it helps if you have someone else helping you so you can get through the process before the berries are all defrosted.

I put the berries in a straing bag leave in the primary for about 3 days, lightly squeeze take the bag out and put it in another primary and add white grape concentrate to make another 6 gallon. This makes an elderberry blush.

For the amount of work you do with these little berries it sure feels good when you can get double on your return.

If you are interested I can post the recipe.

Julie - I would like to see your recipes. I have my first elderberry batch clearing now - I didn't make second run. I think I would also feel better if I was getting more for the effort

 

[Julie]

Here goes. I got the recipe from another site by a guy named Paul. The only thing I do different is to I use water for the first batch, the full body and then use grape concentrate for the blush.

Elderberry Wine
This recipe makes five gallons of elderberry wine and another five gallons of elderberry blush. In the beginning, when pressing the berries, do a thorough job because they don’t break open as easy as you might think.



Ingredients:

15 Pounds Fresh Elderberries
2 Gallons Water
6 11.5 Oz. Cans Welch’s Frozen White Grape Juice
7-8 Pounds Sugar, approximately (enough to bring S. G. to 1.090-1.095)
2-3 Tbls. Acid Blend approximately (enough to bring acid level to 0.65)
2 Tbls. Yeast Nutrient
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
5 Campden Tablets, Crushed
1 Packet Lalvin RC 212 Yeast

Instructions:

Place the frozen elderberries in a nylon bag, tie the top of the bag and place in a nonreactive container that will hold at least four gallons. When the elderberries are thawed, press thoroughly, and cover with two gallons of boiling water. After the mixture cools, add pectic enzyme, cover and let it sit for 12 hours. Remove the nylon bag and allow it to drip until it stops. DO NOT SQUEEZE or you will get a green substance that will have a bitter taste to it. When this is complete, transfer the contents of the container to a primary and return the nylon bag to the container and cover. This will make the 5 gallons of blush, so when finished with the wine recipe, you will cover the nylon bag with two more gallons of boiling water and repeat the entire process. Thaw the six cans of white grape juice, add it to the primary, and bring the water level up to the five gallon mark. Take a reading with your hydrometer and add enough sugar to bring the specific gravity to approximately 1.090-1.095. Stir until all sugar is well dissolved. If you have a TA kit, check the titratable acidity and correct it to 0.65. Add the yeast nutrient, and the crushed campden tablets. Wait 24 hours and add the yeast. Cover the primary with a cloth and check the S.G. daily. When the must reaches 1.010 in approximately one week, rack to a secondary and put under an air lock. Rack again in two weeks and then every two months until clear.

Stabilize, add 5 campden tablets, wait ten days and bottle. I like to add ½ to 1 cup of light corn syrup mixed with 1-2 cups of hot water at bottling to give it a smooth taste.

Repeat the process to make another five gallons of elderberry blush.

 

[Mud]

I second that! <covers face in shame and sneaks away>

-oops. posting same time as Julie-

 

[BobF]

Here goes. I got the recipe from another site by a guy named Paul. The only thing I do different is to I use water for the first batch, the full body and then use grape concentrate for the blush.

Elderberry Wine
This recipe makes five gallons of elderberry wine and another five gallons of elderberry blush. In the beginning, when pressing the berries, do a thorough job because they don’t break open as easy as you might think.



Ingredients:

15 Pounds Fresh Elderberries
2 Gallons Water
6 11.5 Oz. Cans Welch’s Frozen White Grape Juice
7-8 Pounds Sugar, approximately (enough to bring S. G. to 1.090-1.095)
2-3 Tbls. Acid Blend approximately (enough to bring acid level to 0.65)
2 Tbls. Yeast Nutrient
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
5 Campden Tablets, Crushed
1 Packet Lalvin RC 212 Yeast

Instructions:

Place the frozen elderberries in a nylon bag, tie the top of the bag and place in a nonreactive container that will hold at least four gallons. When the elderberries are thawed, press thoroughly, and cover with two gallons of boiling water. After the mixture cools, add pectic enzyme, cover and let it sit for 12 hours. Remove the nylon bag and allow it to drip until it stops. DO NOT SQUEEZE or you will get a green substance that will have a bitter taste to it. When this is complete, transfer the contents of the container to a primary and return the nylon bag to the container and cover. This will make the 5 gallons of blush, so when finished with the wine recipe, you will cover the nylon bag with two more gallons of boiling water and repeat the entire process. Thaw the six cans of white grape juice, add it to the primary, and bring the water level up to the five gallon mark. Take a reading with your hydrometer and add enough sugar to bring the specific gravity to approximately 1.090-1.095. Stir until all sugar is well dissolved. If you have a TA kit, check the titratable acidity and correct it to 0.65. Add the yeast nutrient, and the crushed campden tablets. Wait 24 hours and add the yeast. Cover the primary with a cloth and check the S.G. daily. When the must reaches 1.010 in approximately one week, rack to a secondary and put under an air lock. Rack again in two weeks and then every two months until clear.

Stabilize, add 5 campden tablets, wait ten days and bottle. I like to add ½ to 1 cup of light corn syrup mixed with 1-2 cups of hot water at bottling to give it a smooth taste.

Repeat the process to make another five gallons of elderberry blush.

Thanks! To clarify the last line, are you making two second runs or one second run?

It almost sounds like you're getting 15g out of one batch of berries

 

[Julie]

No, you are only making one second run. I should re-do those instructions, I copied them as they were posted.

 

[Jbuck]

brings back memories

I just started making wine yesterday, but I do have fond memories of picking elderberries with my grandmother some 45 years ago. We picked stem and all, put in paper bag them pulled the berry off the stem sitting around the table at grandmaw's that night. She made jelly.

 

[Julie]

I just started making wine yesterday, but I do have fond memories of picking elderberries with my grandmother some 45 years ago. We picked stem and all, put in paper bag them pulled the berry off the stem sitting around the table at grandmaw's that night. She made jelly.

My Mom always made elderberry jelly, that is where I got my love for elderberries. You need to fine that elderberry patch and make wine from it now. You are gonna love it.

Oh by the way, Welcome to Winemakingtalk.

 

[jtstar]

Attention Julie

Here goes. I got the recipe from another site by a guy named Paul. The only thing I do different is to I use water for the first batch, the full body and then use grape concentrate for the blush.

Elderberry Wine
This recipe makes five gallons of elderberry wine and another five gallons of elderberry blush. In the beginning, when pressing the berries, do a thorough job because they don’t break open as easy as you might think.



Ingredients:

15 Pounds Fresh Elderberries
2 Gallons Water
6 11.5 Oz. Cans Welch’s Frozen White Grape Juice
7-8 Pounds Sugar, approximately (enough to bring S. G. to 1.090-1.095)
2-3 Tbls. Acid Blend approximately (enough to bring acid level to 0.65)
2 Tbls. Yeast Nutrient
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
5 Campden Tablets, Crushed
1 Packet Lalvin RC 212 Yeast

Instructions:

Place the frozen elderberries in a nylon bag, tie the top of the bag and place in a nonreactive container that will hold at least four gallons. When the elderberries are thawed, press thoroughly, and cover with two gallons of boiling water. After the mixture cools, add pectic enzyme, cover and let it sit for 12 hours. Remove the nylon bag and allow it to drip until it stops. DO NOT SQUEEZE or you will get a green substance that will have a bitter taste to it. When this is complete, transfer the contents of the container to a primary and return the nylon bag to the container and cover. This will make the 5 gallons of blush, so when finished with the wine recipe, you will cover the nylon bag with two more gallons of boiling water and repeat the entire process. Thaw the six cans of white grape juice, add it to the primary, and bring the water level up to the five gallon mark. Take a reading with your hydrometer and add enough sugar to bring the specific gravity to approximately 1.090-1.095. Stir until all sugar is well dissolved. If you have a TA kit, check the titratable acidity and correct it to 0.65. Add the yeast nutrient, and the crushed campden tablets. Wait 24 hours and add the yeast. Cover the primary with a cloth and check the S.G. daily. When the must reaches 1.010 in approximately one week, rack to a secondary and put under an air lock. Rack again in two weeks and then every two months until clear.

Stabilize, add 5 campden tablets, wait ten days and bottle. I like to add ½ to 1 cup of light corn syrup mixed with 1-2 cups of hot water at bottling to give it a smooth taste.

Repeat the process to make another five gallons of elderberry blush.

Hi Julie
On this recipe you say that you use water the first time you make it you use water it's not real clear how much water you use the first time can you post this information I am very interested in using your recipe this will be my first time for elderberry wine.
Thanks

 

[Julie]

Hi Julie
On this recipe you say that you use water the first time you make it you use water it's not real clear how much water you use the first time can you post this information I am very interested in using your recipe this will be my first time for elderberry wine.
Thanks

Hi JT,

I know the recipe is a little confusing, I got if from someone else. The ingredients listed are for each carboy. So when you the first batch, instead of using welch's white grape juice I add more water. When it comes time to take the berries and place them into another carboy to make the seconds I add the welch'e grape juice.

Does this help? Also, I keep the acid level around .65% to .68%

 

[livsmom]

could you use freeze dried berries just wondering

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

I think the dried ones might have an even better taste then the fresh ones, kind of like rasins vs grapes, a bit deeper and richer. WVMJ

 

[non-grapenut]

Lucky guy. That goo is a pain in the ***. Wonder if it's got something to do with plant type?

It's apparently oil-based if oil dissolves it off the walls of your primary. My first guess is it comes from the Berry seeds. I'm going to try using just juice with this year's crop. I will let you all know if the goop thing gets solved. Lynn

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Cleaning the Green Goo: A Nonpolar Nightmare

We dont get too excited about a few little stems in our berries, it would just take forever to get every single one of them. Do make sure to get out any green berries as unripe berries are said to cause nausea. A green goo or grunge, made of some nonpolar products from the elderberry plant, especially high in the green berries and possibly stems, can build up on the sides of the primary. Nonpolar substances are not water soluble and are resistant to cleaning by soap and almost anything else. In the April 2003 edition of Wine Maker magazine, in the Readers Tip: Elderberry Ooze, Dave Moyer suggested to use canola oil to remove the green goo. Also, one of the worlds leading experts in fruit winemaking, Mr. Jack Keller (http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/) has determined that simple vegetable oil will dissolve the grunge, and then the vegetable oil can we washed off with dish soap to clean the primary. We used vegetable oil to clean the green elderberry gunk from our primary and can testify that it works very well.

Fermenting in Plastic Food Grade Bags.

We have also experimented with plastic food grade bags lining the primary and these have worked well for barrels but for just a five gallon primary are too much trouble. The nice thing about the bags is after you transfer the wine out of the primary you just throw the bag away. Barrel bags from www.bestcontainers.com/.

It's apparently oil-based if oil dissolves it off the walls of your primary. My first guess is it comes from the Berry seeds. I'm going to try using just juice with this year's crop. I will let you all know if the goop thing gets solved. Lynn

WVMJ

 

[ckvchestnut]

Hello Everyone! I'm new to this forum and to winemaking in general! I'm really excited about getting into making lots of different stuff at home! My husband has been making hard apple cider and beer for a few years already but I hadn't really gotten involved in the important details!

We have dabbled on making wine from kits a bit. Last year was my first year of making a 5 gallon batch of wine from some different varieties of red and Concord grapes that we grow here. It turned out lovely! We bought our farm almost 7 years ago and have planted various fruit and grapes with the intention of doing our own wines here.

Ok to the point now! I found this recipe for the elderberry wine and blush and was very excited to try it. So we picked almost 30lbs of elderberries and I have started 2 - 5 gallon batches of the wine and 2 - 5 gallon batches of the blush. The only thing is that one batch had the full 15lbs of berries and the 2nd batch came up short at about 13 or 14lbs. I had extra white grape concentrate on hand (4 cans) I was going to put them all in the batch of red that had the less berries. But not paying attention I put 2 of them in the 15lb batch and 2 in the 13lb batch.

Should I add more grape red or white grape concentrate to the 13lb batch of red? What about the batch of blush that I am using the 13lbs of berries in? The sg reading on the must of the two reds came to somewhere between 1.090 and 1.095 on both last night just before pitching the yeast.

My 2 batches of blush are waiting for the campden to disperse and I will be pitching in the yeast for those tonight. I've labelled everything including the yeast used. I could not ind the Lalvin RC-212 anywhere. So I used Lalvin EC-1118 for both reds and plan to use Lalvin 71B-1122 and K1-V1116 on the blushes. It'll be interesting to see how they all differ.

I was confused about how long to keep the fruit in the red must for so I think I left it for 12 or 24 hours. I followed a recipe somewhere else for the reds as it wasn't listed here. It called for 10lbs sugar to the 15lbs of fruit. Why does the blush only have 7-8lbs of sugar? Which is best? 7 or 8lbs? Or just add to get an sg reading around the same as the reds? Sorry for all the questions I hate being confused lol! I also read never to ferment on these fruit for more than 4 days, any advice on that?

Any advice and guidance would be much appreciated! I look forward to learning a lot from you folks here on the forum! Carolyn

 

[Loner]

I would advise that you use the poundage as a guideline only. I would add 2/3 of what's called for and then take a hydrometer reading and add sugar to get my starting gravity up to 1.090. If your ferment to dry you will be in the 12% abv range on your finished product.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thank you! I have read that as well and the same info on adding acid blend if called for so I think I may have been lucky this time in putting the amount of sugar called for as the SG did read in that range just before adding the yeast. I did find it a bit confusing doing the acid test because for me the colour on my drops went from purple (natural colour of wine must to purplish blue) I never quite saw grey or maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. I did add the solution to the test jar in .5cc increments.

 

[ckvchestnut]

I just read on another elderberry thread to leave the fruit in the re must for 3 days? I left mine in for only 12-24 hours. I did not squeeze the straining bags or let all the juice drip out of them before transferring them to other primaries to start my blushes. Will this be a problem? Right now the berries are the primaries for my blush batches and no yeast has been added to those batches yet. Could I ferment them in the blush batches for 3 days and then remove them and put them back into my red batches? Even though the reds I just started with yeast last night? After all the work I picking and cleaning these berries I would not want to screw up my elderberry wine!

I also read that after the blush 2nds I could make a "skeeter pee" with the same berries?? I found the link to skeeter.com and will check the recipe out. I never heard of that name before but it sure is fitting!