Popping Country Wine cherry the weekend 1001 questions

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Turbotez

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Feb 28, 2010
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Brierley Hill, West Mids
Right, going to be making my first proper country wine Saturday. Picked the Elderflowers today, hope i have enough but at the same time, not too many as it would be a shame to waste them. They are now in the black bin liner, with plenty of air!
Im going to be using Mr C.J.J. Berry's recipe;

Elderflower Wine (2)

Elderflowers (not pressed down) 500ml
Sugar 1.5kg
Raisins 250g
Lemons 3
Tanin 1tsp
Water 4.5litres

Method;

remove flower heads from stems (black bin bag style), pour boiling water (4.5litres im guessing) over the flowers, add sugar, chopped raisins and lemon juice. When cooled to 21ºC add yeast, tannin and nutrient (gonna fire in a couple of vitB1's aswell).
Then goes on to say leave to ferment for 4 to 5 days, strain into DJ and leave to ferment out. when its clear, rack, then 2 months later rack again and bottle.

Questions (as asumption is the mother of all f~*k ups)

There is no mention of stiring the must, should this be twice daily?

Shall i add the tanin to the sugar to prevent lumpy tanin?

Whats the likley ABV? would like something around 11-13% so its drinkalbe

Can i use a hand blender to 'chop' the raisins?

Do i need a CT in the must to prevent infection from the flowers or will the boiling water deal with that?

Can i leave the must until the following Saturday or will this cause problems?

Anything else i should do/know?

Thanks guys
 
I stir the must once a day.

Sugar goes in while the waters is hot, the tannin when its cool

Not sure on ABV

If you throw the raisins in with a litre of hot water, before adding anything else you can use a hand blender to chop them.

Boiling water will kill all natural yeasts and infections.

I've left my elderflower on the must for 12 days now, really need to get another bung and airlock this weekend.
 
going by the sugar and raisins the wine will probably end up at about 16% which would be a little high to mine i added 1200g witth a little tannin but no raisins
defo use a C.T. as all flowers carry natural yeast and yes stir 2-3 times daily to give the yeast some air
i would also add a nutient of some kind as flowers have none
as for raisins first wash them in warm water to remove the oil then just chop coarsly with a knife
another good trick is to put flowers and raisins into a tight as i makes sraining alot easier and its easier to clean up
 

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