Elderberry Wine

[jgmann67]

My sister messaged me yesterday and asked about making wine from elderberries. She has them all over her back yard.

Anyone have a primo recipe to share??

 

[cmason1957]

There used to be a member on here named something like wvmountainjack. He grew lots of elderberries and had a website with several recipes. I have made it and have a recipe, first time I made it was wonderful, next few times not so great.

Beware of the dreaded green goo, vegetable oil, then Oxyclean to get rid of it. I always thought maybe lining the fermenter with a trash bag might be the way to go, but SWMBO overruled that idea.

 

[Johnd]

Here’s an old WMT thread that may help, but don’t think his website is still around.... https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/pure-elderberry-wine.41048/

 

[salcoco]

https://winemaking.jackkeller.net/index.asp i believe Jack Keller has some

 

[jgmann67]

There used to be a member on here named something like wvmountainjack. He grew lots of elderberries and had a website with several recipes. I have made it and have a recipe, first time I made it was wonderful, next few times not so great.

Beware of the dreaded green goo, vegetable oil, then Oxyclean to get rid of it. I always thought maybe lining the fermenter with a trash bag might be the way to go, but SWMBO overruled that idea.

I might just use a fermenting bucket that I don’t mind parting with at the end.

 

[Rice_Guy]

elderberry, , have a primo recipe to share??

I grow elderberry too. My feeling is that it is high on tannic, low on aromatic, low acid and fair on color stability. As a result I am mixing it with Concord grape; high acid/TA, good aromatic, good color stability.
Last years batch:
. . . . . . Concord, , 11.9kg
Calcium carbonate 14.3 gm
. . . . . Elderberry, , 8.5kg
. . . . . . . sugar , , , 3kg
. .yeast nutrient
note! NO added water !

This year, after comparing mine with another club member, I back sweetened to 1.001. Favorite so far is 2017 which was sweetened to around 1.010. Will see how this does in wine contest next month.

As Craig notes green gunk. It comes off easily with Pam kitchen spray (ie lecithin emulsifier in oil)

 

[winemaker81]

I made elderberry wine from fresh fruit in 1986 and 1987. My notes from those batches are here:

https://wine.bkfazekas.com/1986-elderberry/

https://wine.bkfazekas.com/1987-elderberry/

Back then I recorded in a notebook and didn't write a lot of details, but at least you can see my proportions.

 

[JustJoe]

I use elderberries in my wine but I mix them with other fruit. I use half elderberries and half either chokecherries or wild grapes. IMHO the elderberries make a great improvement in almost any fruit wine. The cherry wine turns out more like a good grape wine with strong cherry overtones rather than the thin pale wine we often see coming from cherries.

 

[Hokapsig]

we made our elderberry from juice, and after stabilizing, we let it sit on 90% cocoa chocolate bars. One bar per 6 to 8 gal. After 4 months, it takes on a flavor of a grape tootsie pop center. It sells very well for us, but we sweeten ours to around 1.040 (that's what our customers demand).

 

[robert81650]

Your customers are probably right......Hate dry wine....sweetness gives it more flavor...............

 

[winemanden]

I use elderberries in my wine but I mix them with other fruit. I use half elderberries and half either chokecherries or wild grapes. IMHO the elderberries make a great improvement in almost any fruit wine. The cherry wine turns out more like a good grape wine with strong cherry overtones rather than the thin pale wine we often see coming from cherries.

I may be wrong, memory's not as good these days, I'm sure I read it somewhere that in 1800's Portugal (port) anyone caught adding Elderberries got the death penalty.

 

[wood1954]

I made a batch last fall as I didn’t have enough fresh I ordered a pound of dried berries and it turned out very nice, however I should have added some acid it’s too flat but flavor is good. I think I’ll try it again this year. Just joe good idea with the wild grapes.

 

[hounddawg]

elderberry mixes very well,,,
but on my elderberry wines i use 5lb to the gal fresh but i freeze them first, and a good elderberry needs 8 to 10 years of aging, i've got more blooms this year then i've had in the last 30 to 40 years, muscadines seem to be doing very well too.. good lord willing, i should have way over a hundred pounds or better, since i got 2 carboys aging with blackberry/elderberry, all i get this year after everything and bottled they will disappear for many years,
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

we made our elderberry from juice, and after stabilizing, we let it sit on 90% cocoa chocolate bars. One bar per 6 to 8 gal. After 4 months, it takes on a flavor of a grape tootsie pop center. It sells very well for us, but we sweeten ours to around 1.040 (that's what our customers demand).

yup all my elderberry wines i bottle at FSG 1.040
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

I made elderberry wine from fresh fruit in 1986 and 1987. My notes from those batches are here:
1986 Elderberry – Bryan's Wine & Beer Making Site

1987 Elderberry – Bryan's Wine & Beer Making Site

Back then I recorded in a notebook and didn't write a lot of details, but at least you can see my proportions.

get you a fruit picker basket put it on a extendable paint pole, i see you went 10 lbs to 4 gallon water, i use 5 lbs elderberry per gallon of water,
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

Your customers are probably right......Hate dry wine....sweetness gives it more flavor...............

Amen swweeetttt
Dawg

 

[wood1954]

Blackberry elderberry sounds great and is so healthy

 

[hounddawg]

Blackberry elderberry sounds great and is so healthy

extremely healthy, artrius , diabetes, heart problems,an so much more, i was looking through a plant remedies, and to my surprise, i found out dandelions are very good for health, every country wine i make has medicinal purposes, dandelions helps boost your immune system,,,
Dawg

 

[winemaker81]

get you a fruit picker basket put it on a extendable paint pole, i see you went 10 lbs to 4 gallon water, i use 5 lbs elderberry per gallon of water

At that time (over 30 years ago) the recommendation was 2 to 2.5 lbs of fruit per gallon. Since then I use 4 to 5 lbs of fruit, of pretty much any type, which matches your recipe. Elderberry is strong enough flavored that a smaller quantity of fruit will work, but I agree that more fruit will make a better wine. For less strongly flavored fruits, it's a necessity.

 

[hounddawg]

At that time (over 30 years ago) the recommendation was 2 to 2.5 lbs of fruit per gallon. Since then I use 4 to 5 lbs of fruit, of pretty much any type, which matches your recipe. Elderberry is strong enough flavored that a smaller quantity of fruit will work, but I agree that more fruit will make a better wine. For less strongly flavored fruits, it's a necessity.

yep cept for apple, banana, pear, and other light fruits,, them i use 12lbs per gallon