Elderflower Champagne... time to get going!

[Hilary B]

Extra yeast doesn't produce extra alcohol. It just speeds the process up and thus speeds up the production of Carbon dioxide - thus the bangs and the fizzing over.

If you are in a rush then add extra yeast and use an airlock but it will not make your end product any more alcoholic. Personally, I found over the years that adding extra yeast just made a cloudier end product and as I like it fairly clear I still had to wait for it to clarify. So for me nothing was gained. I also found using the natural wild yeast on the flowers made a more flavoursome drink.

Keep it simple is my motto. I use only elderflowers, water, wine vinegar, lemon zest and juice and sugar. I bottle in old plastic lemonade or tonic bottles (talking of which gin and elderflower shampagne is superb). Never had a failure and only 2 blow-outs in 15 years with 3 or 4 batches a year. I just put my 2nd batch (10 litres) on to brew for this year.

If the brew is still fermenting in the bottles, initially this produces a 'sparkle', if it continues it leads to explosions.
If there is any sweetness left, then the only reason for it to have stopped fermenting is that the yeast present is not tolerant of any more alcohol. Wild yeast may very well have a very low alcohol tolerance (perhaps as low as 4% or less?). 'Bought' yeast will ferment out the sugar until either there is no sugar left, or the alcohol level is too much for that particular yeast, anything from about 7% to 14% depending on exactly what sort of yeast you have.

[OverWyreGrower]

We've got 20 litres of it, bottled last night, sitting under the sink in my utility room.

Have never made it before, but went by the recipe on h2g2 as linked on this thread. Am very excited to see how the next 2 weeks pans out in terms of fermentation/fizz!

Am collecting more pop bottles from people at work to brew some more... not sure if 20 litres will last until Christmas!!

[shirlthegirl43]

I have just been out with Aranthos and I think this will be the last flowers we can pick, they are going over here - except for the ones at the tops of the trees

Going to make a 20 litre batch or maybe two.

To keep some for Christmas, hide it and forget about it - worked here last year

[LostGoddess]

Great thread everyone. I am in the same boat as alot of other posters here. First batch Elderflower Champagne is on the go following HFW's recipe. I did add a pinch of yeast as directed by HFW and now it is fermenting. I have my swing top bottles at the ready and I think I will bottle it tonight and put it somewhere fairly blow-safe just in case!
I am also going to try and pick more on wednesday to do aother batch relying only on the wild yeast and bottle it in plastic pop bottles.
I really hope I will get something good out of this as I have never made any home brew before *fingers crossed*

[danmon_81]

well just a heads up for everyone.....

This is my 2nd year making the champagne...
Last year its was too sweet...(HFW recipe)
This year i used half the sugar and bought some wine yeast from wilko's (more alcohol i was thinking)
tried it at the weekend...very,very fizzy and not very nice....might have to run out and start again!!!

[kentvegplot]

Explosions!

About 90 minutes ago I was about to log on to the vine when I heard a big bang from the kitchen....

...one of the lemonade bottles in the cupboard above the cooker had given way! The cupboard door was pushed open, elderflower up one wall and over the floor. Contents of cupboard wet through......

I've just finished the clearing up (oh well, I suppose the floor needed a wash anyway). Perhaps next year I'll NOT follow HFW advice to add a pinch of yeast

[lainey lou]

About 90 minutes ago I was about to log on to the vine when I heard a big bang from the kitchen....

...one of the lemonade bottles in the cupboard above the cooker had given way! The cupboard door was pushed open, elderflower up one wall and over the floor. Contents of cupboard wet through......

I've just finished the clearing up (oh well, I suppose the floor needed a wash anyway). Perhaps next year I'll NOT follow HFW advice to add a pinch of yeast

We had an explosion, luckily it was in the shed!
All the bottles are now wrapped in a black bin bag in the shed to contain any further explosions!!

[LostGoddess]

I could do with some advice...
I bottled my first batch of Elderflower Champagne today. First of all I was surprised at the colour, it was quite yellow. Is this normal? I was expecting it to be quite clear.
Also, I couldn't resist a taste and it didn't taste that good. I was expecting it to be quite sweet but it was actually quite vinegary. Will this change once it's been bottled a while?

I have started another batch today following the BBC recipe from the link posted on this thread and I think this batch will have a more subtle flavour and less alcoholic content than the first lot (I added a pinch of yeast a la HFW's recipe for the first lot)

I would be grateful for any words of wisdom as I wait for the seemingly inevitable explosions!!!

[sarraceniac]

It won't be clear LG and will be quite yellowish. BUT it shouldn't be vinegary. It should be quite sweet but not fizzy until it has been in the bottle for a few weeks. I keep pushing this but I will re-iterate that in 15 years of making this nectar I have never had a bad year. But I don't worry about yeasts and bottles and high alcohol. If I want more kick I mix it with, in my case, gin but vodka works too at the time of drinking. It is sheer nectar but please keep it simple.

[Scottishnewbie]

I made my first lot today inbetween a million other jobs and used the BBC site as recommeded earlier on this thread. I couldn't believe I only needed FOUR, albeit large, sized heads - is this right?

[sarraceniac]

I made my first lot today inbetween a million other jobs and used the BBC site as recommeded earlier on this thread. I couldn't believe I only needed FOUR, albeit large, sized heads - is this right?

Read the full thread SN. I suggest a pint. 4 should be perhaps 24.

[LostGoddess]

Thanks for the words of wisdom Saraceniac
I think I might bin half of the first batch so I have enough of the swing-top bottles I bought to bottle the second batch. It was definately vinegary and I was also surprised that it had a fizz when I was bottling it. Oh dear, I've made fizzy elderflower vinegar!

[Scottishnewbie]

Read the full thread SN. I suggest a pint. 4 should be perhaps 24.

I did read the full thread and I also used the BBC h2g2 recipe which definately stated FOUR large heads! I've gone and done it now so will it be ok do you think?

[Scottishnewbie]

This is the recipe I use. They have lots of other recipes for elderflowers and elderberries on there too.

BBC - h2g2 - How to Make Elderflower 'Champagne'

Shirl - do you only use the 4 flowerheads the recipe suggests?

[Snadger]

.......................Oh dear, I've made fizzy elderflower vinegar!

Put it on your chips!