Absolute beginner

[alldigging]

I've acquired some homebrew stuff and am looking at the elderflowers at the far end of the allotment...

I just have equipment - no yeasts or anything else - so I need an easy recipe and to get to a brew shop to buy some stuff ...


Any suggestions for an easy recipe? - I've looked at a few but they all seem to be slightly different, so how do you decide which to do?

[Samurailord]

Hi Diane

Elderflower champagne is a nice, easy brew to make - the only problem is bottling it up as if you get it wrong you could end up with exploding bottles. The safest way past that is to use 1L pop bottles instead - the worst that will happen to them is they will split.

The equipment you will need is a bucket, a hydrometer, two demi-johns, a packet of wine yeast, some yeast nutrient and some white grape concentrate. You can get the white grape concentrate and champagne yeast from Wilkinsons in Middleton - they have a small home-brew section on the upper floor, or you could get it from the local home brew shop. There are two near us - one on Oldham Road in Middleton near the Jolly Carter pub, the other on Oldham Road, Newton Heath (near to Sharps).

I can let you have some sodium metabisulphate to make a sterilising liquid, and some yeast nutrient and I can lend you a hydrometer when you need it - no point in you spending just yet, wait to make sure you will want to try brewing again first!

I have just got mine going last night and I used the following recipe - it's by John Wright, who hangs around with Hugh Fernley Whittingstall.

Choose the flowers that have fully opened and still have cream coloured florets and pick on a sunny morning if possible. They break away easily from the fork between two leaves and you can collect a huge number in just a few minutes. Elderflowers do not thrive in captivity so get to work as soon as you arrive home. This recipe, you will be pleased to hear, is fairly safe, but it does need an extra bit of "kit" – a hydrometer.

20 elderflower heads (This is more than in most recipes, so reduce if you find elderflowers a little overpowering)
900g sugar
150ml white grape juice concentrate
3 lemons, washed
Champagne yeast (follow the instructions on the packet)
Yeast nutrient (follow the instructions on the packet)
4.5 litres of boiled water cooled to room temperature

You only need the florets themselves (too much stalk can add an unwanted bitterness to the brew). Remove them with a fork. "Forking off" as we call it.

Put them in a sterilised bucket and thoroughly mix in the sugar. Leave for about three hours to extract the flavour. Add the water and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the grape concentrate, yeast and yeast nutrient. Halve and squeeze the lemons, then throw in the peel as well. Stir.

Cover the bucket and leave for up to a week, stirring occasionally for the first three or four days. Siphon into a sterilised demi-john and add a bubble-trap. The liquor will still be sweet and has quite a bit of fermenting to go. The bubbles in the trap will appear at about one per second.

This will slow down after one or two weeks and this is the time to test your brew with your "hydrometer". It measures the specific gravity of the liquor, which in turn gives a good indication of the amount of sugar remaining. Remove the bubble-trap and carefully drop in a sterilised hydrometer. It should read "1010". If not, then replace the trap and leave your brew a bit longer.

Andy

[alldigging]

Ahhh you're a star!
I hadn't thought of wilkies! I think the one in Harpurhey is nearer to here -

I know where the homebrew shop is by sharps - and I'd seen there was one in Middleton but I can't place where it is in my head but I know they're not far.

I've never paid enough attention to elderflowers to know how long they stay in flower ... but I assume it's not hugely wrong.

I did read about freezing them until you're ready to make it. I think it'll be Sunday or Monday before I get chance to get to the shops!

Thank you :-)

[billnben]

This is a good one and will keep you going, while others mature.
Wine number 1 Dry Table wine (As featured on the BBC!)

[Samurailord]

That recipe is a good one Bill (or is it Ben? ) - I have made gallons of apple wine that my wife swears tastes just like a good Mosel. In fact, she did swear quite a bit on holiday when she was served an expensive glass of wine and found it was just like my home brew

I do add a couple of extra ingredients - 1 tsp of tanin (or half a cup of realy strong tea) to give the wine a bit of colour - it can be almost colourless otherwise, and a tsp of liquid glycerine - this gives the wine a nice feel in the mouth, but isn't essential.

I also add a tsp of pectolase which stops any potential pectin haze from developing - nobody wants to drink a cloudy, hazy wine!

This wine can be ready in as little as seven days with constant temperature - and is very drinkable straight away too.

Andy

[billnben]

Andy, agree with the glycerine, unfortunately my daughters have discovered it tastes as good as supermarket wine, stocks are dwindling.
Dave aka b&b

[Samurailord]

unfortunately my daughters have discovered it tastes as good as supermarket wine, stocks are dwindling.
Dave aka b&b

Then why are you wasting time posting? Get making some more!!

Andy

[ohbeary]

Andy, agree with the glycerine, unfortunately my daughters have discovered it tastes as good as supermarket wine, stocks are dwindling.
Dave aka b&b

Same problem only with sons, one has left home taking most of the towels and bedding, thankfully remaining son prefers fruity cider from the shops, Swiss visitor enjoys a gallon of pink or two as does SWMBO, must make more pink wine, (see "Home Wine and Beermaking" "a good standard rose'")