Elderflower Champagne... time to get going!

[Hilary B]

I have my second batch of cordial in the bucket (my recipe says 5 days before straining, and the first batch is very good). I plan on making a batch every week as long as I can find elderflowers. We have 2 demi-johns of wine on the way as well.
As a matter of curiosity (I do that sort of thing<g>) I measured the flowers as I was removing them from the stalks. 20-25 heads came to 1 pint of flowers.

[Sunbeam]

I have followed HFW's recipe and have just strained the 'champagne' through the muslin cloth after 4 days in the pan- I now need to leave it for a few more days. I have had a taste and it was very elderflowery and very very syrupy so I have let it down with a couple of mugs of water. I shall taste it again in a few more days jus prior to bottling (in lemonade bottles) - at what point does it become an alcoholic drink and not just an elderflower flavoured cordial>

[sarraceniac]

I have followed HFW's recipe and have just strained the 'champagne' through the muslin cloth after 4 days in the pan- I now need to leave it for a few more days. I have had a taste and it was very elderflowery and very very syrupy so I have let it down with a couple of mugs of water. I shall taste it again in a few more days jus prior to bottling (in lemonade bottles) - at what point does it become an alcoholic drink and not just an elderflower flavoured cordial>

Sunbeam, it is supposed to be sweet. The yeast (either from the flower heads or added, depending on your recipe) works on the sugar breaking it down into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The CO2 gas produces the fizz and the alcohol gives it the kick. It gets less syrupy as it goes on. I know people that drink it after 3 weeks but I don't touch mine for about 4 months. I prefer a slightly higher alcohol content which is also rather drier. I would say the Hugh F-W's recipe is a bit more substantial than most so I would leave it closer to my 4 months. Probably drinkable after about 2 months though.

[Sunbeam]

It gets less syrupy as it goes on.

Whoops! I knew it would be a sweet drink but wondered whether it was so syrupy because I had added too much sugar despite following the recipe - I know the yeast feeds off the sugar etc but didn't realise it would become quite so syrupy in the meantime. I hope the couple of extra mugs of water won't do too much damage! thanks for the advice!

[sarraceniac]

Don't worry Sunbeam. HFW's recipe is so heavy that an extra few pints of water would still make an acceptable drink.

[Waffler]

Slightly concerned that having followed the h2g2 recipe, after 2 days of standing my liquer is not doing anything. In the recipe it doesn't stay it will start to ferment or anything, but in HFW's it says it should after 2 days and if not add some yeast. I guess I'll have to leave it now until tomorrow evening, but advice would be welcomed.
I boobed a little as I stupidly added my flower heads whilst the water was hot - I guess killing off the yeast - so added a few more to hopefully provide the yeast it would need. I hope it works as we tried the cordial tonight and it is lovely.

[Snadger]

Fancied making some of this but wondered if a five gallon plastic brewers barrel could be used as I aint got any bottles!.

I used to use it for making Guiness but found it was a bit too tempting to have it on tap all the time!

[shirlthegirl43]

Slightly concerned that having followed the h2g2 recipe, after 2 days of standing my liquer is not doing anything. In the recipe it doesn't stay it will start to ferment or anything, but in HFW's it says it should after 2 days and if not add some yeast. I guess I'll have to leave it now until tomorrow evening, but advice would be welcomed.
I boobed a little as I stupidly added my flower heads whilst the water was hot - I guess killing off the yeast - so added a few more to hopefully provide the yeast it would need. I hope it works as we tried the cordial tonight and it is lovely.

I don't use hot water when making mine - h2g2 recipe - but expect you are right and the yeast would be killed by that. It doesn't do anything in the bucket. The ferment such as it is happens in the bottles. Don't panic. There is time to do another batch if the first fails anyhoo.

[shirlthegirl43]

Fancied making some of this but wondered if a five gallon plastic brewers barrel could be used as I aint got any bottles!.

I used to use it for making Guiness but found it was a bit too tempting to have it on tap all the time!

I am unsure how successful the brew barrel would be Snadger. Keeping the pressure up when you start drinking the contents would be tricky, resulting in flat champers.

Go to Lidl and buy some of their cheap lemonade (18p for 2 litres) and tip it if you don't normally drink it - cheap enough bottles.

[Sunbeam]

Slightly concerned that having followed the h2g2 recipe, after 2 days of standing my liquer is not doing anything. In the recipe it doesn't stay it will start to ferment or anything, but in HFW's it says it should after 2 days and if not add some yeast. I guess I'll have to leave it now until tomorrow evening, but advice would be welcomed.
I boobed a little as I stupidly added my flower heads whilst the water was hot - I guess killing off the yeast - so added a few more to hopefully provide the yeast it would need. I hope it works as we tried the cordial tonight and it is lovely.

You might've killed off the yeast, but if you added the extra cold water before hand it should've been fine. I did the HFW recipe and mine did nothing for the first 2 days but by day 4 it looked really manky and mouldy - tastes good though! Prepraring to bottle tomorrow

[Snadger]

I am unsure how successful the brew barrel would be Snadger. Keeping the pressure up when you start drinking the contents would be tricky, resulting in flat champers.

Go to Lidl and buy some of their cheap lemonade (18p for 2 litres) and tip it if you don't normally drink it - cheap enough bottles.

I think you can add a Co2 cartridge to the top to keep the pressure up!

[alanbalan]

Am making a batch of Elderflower Champagne. I've just filtered it into bottles and it is cloudy. Should it be? Or should it be clear?

There is a little sediment in the bottom too?

It's my first time and don't know what to expect. Please help.

[sarraceniac]

Am making a batch of Elderflower Champagne. I've just filtered it into bottles and it is cloudy. Should it be? Or should it be clear?

There is a little sediment in the bottom too?

It's my first time and don't know what to expect. Please help.

No problem Alan. It is just the natural yeast. You won't taste it.

[JimmerG]

Here's a word of warning - and a question.....!

I added a bit of extra yeast to my elderflower champagne - to give it a more alcoholic kick. I stuck it in champagne bottles with proper plastic corks and wire cages - however 3 weeks down the line 6 of the 12 bottles have blown their corks, and the others look like they'll be going soon too. Even if the corks stay on, upon opening the bottle 3/4 of the contents are immediately ejected!! However the champange in the swing top bottles has been a huge success, even if it takes 10 mins to carefully open each one! (Swing top bottles are designed to 'leak' excess pressure)

So this build up of pressure is obviously linked to the addition of extra yeast... so to make slightly more alcoholic champagne - should I stick the mixture in a demi john with an airlock, let the yeast feed off the sugar, and allow it to let off a bit of CO2 for a few days before sealing it in Champagne bottles?

Thanks

Jimmer

[sarraceniac]

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.