Elderflower Champagne

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JonnyD

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Good morning,

After deciding to go ahead with this recipe from Andy Hamiton yesterday:
ALCOHOLIC ELDERFLOWER CHAMPAGNE
Grated rind of one lemon
500ml/1 pint of elderflowers
3.5 litres/8 pints of boiling water
1.3kg/3 lbs sugar
Juice of one lemon
Champagne yeast

Put flowers into fermentation bin and mix with lemon rind. Pour over boiling water and allow to stand for 4 days, stirring occasionally.

After 4 days strain through a fine sieve or muslin cloth. Stir in sugar, lemon juice and yeast. Keep at room temperature to ferment, try not to let it go down to 18°c.

When you are sure all the bubbling has ceased, stir the wine and allow to settle for 3 days Strain in demijohn and allow to ferment fully.

Bring 200ml of water to the boil and add 70g of sugar. Allow to cool then strain the wine into a another demijohn leaving the sediment. Add the 200ml of sugar solution and leave in a warm place for 24 hours.

Siphon into champagne bottles seal with champagne corks and secure them in place with metal cages. The wine should be kept at room temp for the first 10 days. After this time it is moved to a cooler place, such as a cellar. They should initially be stored horizontally and over the next three months they should be gradually moved upside down. This can be done by placing the neck into sand. Chill for 24 hours before serving and do not disturb the bottle before opening.

I was surprised to wake up this morning to discover my infused liquid a greeny/brown colour with all the elderflower at the bottom. Was wondering if anyone has brewed this before and if so could tell me if its off or whether I'm on the right lines. I sterilised all my equipment and washed and removed all the bugs from the elderflower.

IMG_4628.jpg

IMG_4629.jpg


Thanks for your input.

Regards

John
 
Is that just water lemon and elderflowers? I would expect it to be a plae yellow colour.

JonnyD said:
Bring 200ml of water to the boil and add 70g of sugar. Allow to cool then strain the wine into a another demijohn leaving the sediment. Add the 200ml of sugar solution and leave in a warm place for 24 hours.

This seems a bit of a weird step to me. Why the need to leave it for 24hrs?
 
images are quite small so hard to tell. Did you remove the white flowers from the green stalks?

Mine's been fermenting for almost a week now and is still lovely and clear with the flower floating on top still fairly white. (i'll upload a pic later)
 
Its just elderflower and lemon rind at the moment. I poured boiling water over like the recipe tells you to. No sugar or yeast in at the moment.

The_Loon said:
What does it smell like ?

it smells of lemon and a little musty.
 
How much green did you remove?

The pic looks like the elderflowers are still attached to a lot of greenery, or are they just floating that way?
 
MadrikXIV said:
How much green did you remove?

The pic looks like the elderflowers are still attached to a lot of greenery, or are they just floating that way?

I have uploaded a bigger pic, thought I took off quite a lot of greenery, not really sure how much I should have taken off. I want to know if I should have let the water cool a little so it wasn't boiling when I put it on or if I should have taken most off the greenery off.
 
I think you have included too much greenery (stems).
Mine is a light lemon colour but I put too much lemon juice in.
If I get chance I'll post a photo of mine when I get home this evening.
 
I agree with Titus, you need to cut the flowers form the stems and includ as little greenary as possible. Did it not mention anything like this in the recipe?
 
alanywiseman said:
I agree with Titus, you need to cut the flowers form the stems and includ as little greenary as possible. Did it not mention anything like this in the recipe?

it only said what i posted on the recipe. how hot does the water need to be when mixing? boiling did seem to burn some of the flowers.
 
Last year I cut the flowers from the stems so I had indavidual flowers if that make sense then added them to boiling water and for an hour I think then added the sugar. Cooled and into the bucket to ferment. I think you will be ok with boiling water. You could try and get a head og flowers and cut the flowers from the head then add boiling water to the stem (minus the flowers) and the flowers (minus the stems) to see if the stems are you issue. Try giving the mixture a taste. If it tastes ok then I would just go for it.
 
You don't have to cut the flowers off.

As mentioned on other Elderflower Champagne threads.

Just put the heads in a black plastic bag and leave for 24 hours in a cool place.
Then just give the back a bloody good shaking, 90% of the petals will fall off.
 
Titus A Duxass said:
Just put the heads in a black plastic bag and leave for 24 hours in a cool place.
Then just give the back a bloody good shaking, 90% of the petals will fall off.


Do am I just using the petals and not the stalks?
 
JonnyD said:
Titus A Duxass said:
Just put the heads in a black plastic bag and leave for 24 hours in a cool place.
Then just give the back a bloody good shaking, 90% of the petals will fall off.


Do am I just using the petals and not the stalks?

From what I have seen that is the case.
 
Thanks for all your input. I have cut some more today and put them into a plastic bag overnight. The other tastes woody hence all the stalks. Shame to waste those heads but its spoilt. So starting again with all your tips and hoping to finally get a brew going! Wish me luck.
 
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