What's going on in your winery today..

[Cellar_Rat]

Will you use the Elderberries to add to the grape wines Pete?

The elderberries will add more that just sweetness. So the purist is me is screaming NOOOOOOO!

However a useless side note....
There is a very very old way (c18 something) to make red wine from wine grapes, because the elderberry colour is sooooo strong. When red wine was imported from the continent , cunning London wine dealers would also make an elderberry and local white grape wine and pass it off as the more expensive red - me thinks to people with a the less discerning palate.

[Lisa Cairno]

plans more plans yippeee

Well im off to lidl today to purchase some more juice dont know what yet im going to surprise meself!!
ive got another 2 DJ's so im gonna make a couple more gallons of the quaffable stuff
I am having so much fun with this its magical!!!!!!!!!

Questions

when to use
a) Tannin
b) Pectic enzyme

I always use
1 tsp nutrient
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp citric acid
is this correct to use citric acid in every batch?
thank you my darlling quaffies

[owlwithoutfeathers]

Hi Lisa,

If you look at Bobs Wine Number "Serials" in the beginners section that shows you when you would be using those additional items.

Wine Number One, Two, Three etc.

Hope that helps.

[Lisa Cairno]

I meant with which fruit and why not the recipes.

i.e. im making a cherry wine tonight.

I have just purchased 2 jars of cherries in syrup from Lidl 350g drained weight in each.680g each with syrup. im going to use all cherries
Ingredients cherries sugar water.

My Thoughts on the recipe im gonna do (advice would be wonderful)

squish cherries in a liquidiser add the syrup cherry squish into DJ check SG top to 1090 if necessary want not too dry.
add Yeast and Nutrient and leave to ferment.


Questions for cherry wine
1. Should i add citric acid to the mix or not?
2. When should i rack the wine off the sediment (at what sg?)
3. Should i add anything else like pectic enzyme or tannin ( cos i will have to buy some)
Please help with this cant wait yummy scrummy

[lockwood1956]

The elderberries will add more that just sweetness. So the purist is me is screaming NOOOOOOO!
.

It isn't about sweetness...

Elderberries are superior in almost every department to grapes in winemaking phenolics quality, the only area where grapes are superior is in sugar content. elderberries have been found to have been added to a lot of French wines over the years. check out the listing of phenolic compunds elderberry v's grape on the first page of "making wine from elderbberries" (T. Edwin Belt)

elderberries processed correctly can make superb wines, only surpassed by wines from top quality grapes. Elderberry/grape blends can be totally fab, especially 2nd runs.

regards
Bob

[lockwood1956]

Having said that.......i wouldn't add them to a first run

but would certainly consider a blend

[owlwithoutfeathers]

Just destalking a carrier bag load of elderberrys.

Quick question: do i have to be careful not to include any green berries and stalk matter?

Will this be bad if some are left in the brew? Do i need to fish out every last green berry and every last bit of stalk?

Thanks

Owl.

[goldseal]

I'd try go get the majority out. Do you put yours in a bowl of water and skim off the floating berries and debris?

A few stalks and a couple of green berries should be OK.

[Cellar_Rat]

I saw a quick way of doing the destalking last year - was it beating on the side of a bucket?

[billybuntus]

I saw a quick way of doing the destalking last year - was it beating on the side of a bucket?

Its the only way to fly.

Beats picking them off any day of the week.

[crusher]

Yes Brian, It works a treat, no afro combs, forks, etc.
I found a deep bucket (like a 5gl fermenter) grip a bunch of the stalks firmly, put an old towel over the top of your arm and bucket (or you will have elderberries every where) and bash them hard on the sides.
The really good thing is that only the ripe ones come off and those are the ones we want
Owl, If you wash them when youv'e finished destalking any green, under-ripe or bad ones will float so are easy to remove. You really don't want them in your wine.

[owlwithoutfeathers]

Thanks for the info guys.

I've got the large majority of noticibly underipe ones out - in total i've destlaked a net weight of 2.5kgs! Phew!! Not bad for a free forage out of the way of any roads as well - an old disused railway line.

I got the majority of stalks out as well - painfully by hand and fork and sift. Bloody boring as hell!!

I just got hold of a copy of Bill Smith's "Award Winning Wines" and i fancy making some of his Burgundy, Chianti and Barolo style wines. I want to follow his recipes to the letter; where is the best place for buying oak (he talks about strips as well as shavings.)

Thanks.

Owl.

[lockwood1956]

Karl does bags of Oak chips

https://www.hobbywinesupplies.co.uk/index.php?cPath=21_49

[Cellar_Rat]

Jewson do it too.

[owlwithoutfeathers]

Thanks again guys.

Apologies if there is actually another post on this, but the book mentions oak chips and contact time with the wine of over 3 months (in some cases 6 months +).

The chips from the homebrew stores say contact time of 1-4 weeks.

Any thoughts?

Owl.