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  • Dried Elderberries Bad Smell

    I brought 250g of dried Elderberries and am makeing some Elderberry & Blackberry Wine, but even when first opening the bag of dried Elderberries, it smells like cat **** or maybe cabbage that has gone off

    I have read that Elderflowers can give off a bad smell, but is it also normal for
    Dried Elderberries to give off a bad smell as well?

    Mrs Solly is non too happy as its stinking the kitchin out

  • #2
    hmmm

    i've not had that before...I would be ringing the supplier i think
    N.G.W.B.J.
    Member of 5 Towns Wine and Beer Makers Society (Yorkshire's newest)
    Wine, mead and beer maker

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    • #3
      Hi Solly,

      In my experience dried elderberries can and usually do have quite a pungent scent. This morning I took delivery of 15Kg of berries from Karl (Cheers Karl), they were sealed in 30 individual plastic bags but even a couple of hours after carrying them down to the garage my clothes still smell strongly of elderberries. My partner complains bitterly when the wine is in the primary stage as the 10 gallon batches stink to high heaven. It starts of barely perceptible but after a couple of days pushing down the cap is an unpleasant duty. Come the end of the week I'm glad to get it into carboys.

      Obviously it's all worth the trouble in the end. To me the berries smell strongly of liquorice. I can't really describe the fermentation smell, I just know we don't find it at all pleasant.

      If the berries looked OK I would imagine they are fine to use.


      Good luck with the batch,

      Best Wishes,

      Paul.

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      • #4
        They should smell of elderberries not cat pee though

        I have experienced cat pee smell with flowers but not berries.
        N.G.W.B.J.
        Member of 5 Towns Wine and Beer Makers Society (Yorkshire's newest)
        Wine, mead and beer maker

        Comment


        • #5
          This could become problematic. I'm not really familiar with the scent of cat-pee or that of rotting cabbage and Solly seems unfamiliar with the scent of elderberries. Would it be possible to make a set of 'scratch-and-sniff' cards available to WAH members so we have a cat-pee benchmark?


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          • #6
            Originally posted by Bill Berry View Post
            This could become problematic. I'm not really familiar with the scent of cat-pee or that of rotting cabbage and Solly seems unfamiliar with the scent of elderberries. Would it be possible to make a set of 'scratch-and-sniff' cards available to WAH members so we have a cat-pee benchmark?


            Just think ammonia, that's the part of the cat pee smell you'll notice first......

            regards

            fatbloke and cat "owner"......
            Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

            Some blog ramblings

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Bill Berry View Post
              This could become problematic. I'm not really familiar with the scent of cat-pee or that of rotting cabbage and Solly seems unfamiliar with the scent of elderberries. Would it be possible to make a set of 'scratch-and-sniff' cards available to WAH members so we have a cat-pee benchmark?
              Sounds like a good idea Paul.........being the Owner of 2 cats (and loads more that Mrs Solly intieces into our garden) it's pretty much like cat - pee but like you say the smell is starting to fade a bit, its due to going into a DJ on about Wednesday and must say it cant come soon enough

              On a side note the dried Berries were in a sealed bag, but the BB date was the end of July 2010, maybe they were getting towards the end of their shelf life hence the reason for the smell?

              I did pick some fresh Elderberries last year, but it was such a chore and spent the best part of a few of hours picking and getting the berries from their storks only to end up with a small container worth of berries after that I decided it was just easier and quicker just to buy some, but could'nt find any fresh ones, so brought some dried ones last year.

              Read somewhere that 250gs of Dried Elderberries are equivalent to about 900gs of the fruit....can post the recipe if anyone wants it (just found it on Ebay from a seller selling dried Elderberries) in the Beer & Wine Making section.

              Comment


              • #8
                Yeah Solly, much easier to buy them than to PYO. At least with dried berries you can decide when to start a batch rather than being forced into it by Mother Nature.

                I don't know if this is of interest but here is my recipe for Dried Elderberry Wine.

                http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/...ead.php?t=4376

                Best Wishes,

                Paul.

                P.S. Post your recipe I'd be interested in seeing what your working from.
                Last edited by Bill Berry; 05-07-2010, 09:57 PM.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Bill Berry View Post
                  This could become problematic. I'm not really familiar with the scent of cat-pee or that of rotting cabbage and Solly seems unfamiliar with the scent of elderberries. Would it be possible to make a set of 'scratch-and-sniff' cards available to WAH members so we have a cat-pee benchmark?


                  Count me out for any 'scratch and sniff' malarky....
                  I'm allergic to cats........ AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaccchoooooo

                  Dogs, are coooool tho
                  Insecure people try to make you feel smaller.

                  Confident people love to see you walk taller

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Bill Berry View Post
                    Yeah Solly, much easier to buy them than to PYO. At least with dried berries you can decide when to start a batch rather than being forced into it by Mother Nature.
                    -----%<-----
                    haven't you ever thought about trying one of those new fangled, erm, preservation, erm, cold, erm, thingy, erm, freezer

                    Old Ma nature, well she only decides when you gotta pick 'em........ the rest getz frozzled and you still get the choice of when you want to start a batch......

                    oh er missus! look at 'im with iz posh, in door, electrimickater thingy, freezer!

                    regards

                    jtfb
                    Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

                    Some blog ramblings

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Yeah, John, a freezer would do it.

                      Sadly our's is quite small and nearly always full. On top of that we get through the equivalent of 60Kg of fresh berries. I'm not sure I could pick that many. I'd certainly struggle to locally. For smaller quantities though freezing is probably the way to go (especially if you have the room).

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