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Elderberry Wine Recipe (2)

2 pounds elderberries 2 oranges, juice and rind 2 campden tablets 1 teaspoon nutrients 2 1/2 pounds granulated sugar (about 7 1/2 cups) 1/2 teaspoon pectic enzyme water 1 package wine yeast

Crush elderberries and place in primary fermentor. Add 12 cups cold water, orange juice and rind, campden tablets, nutrients and pectic enzyme. Let sit overnight. DO NOT add sugar yet.

The next day, add yeast. Stir daily until frothing stops -- about 3 days. ADD SUGAR. Strain and siphon into secondary fermentor and attach air lock.

For a dry wine, rack in three weeks, and every three months for one year. Bottle.

For a sweet wine, rack at three weeks. Add 1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup wine. Stir gently, and place back into secondary fermentor. Repeat process every six weeks until fermentation does not restart with the addition of sugar. Rack every three months until one year old. Bottle.

When wine is 6 to 12 months old, bottle. Wine is ready to drink one year after the date the batch was started.

 

Variation: Spiced Elderberry Wine

Use 1 lemon in place of the oranges.

Use 3 pounds brown sugar in place of the granulated sugar.

Add with yeast:

1/2 oz thinly sliced ginger root

2 inch cinnamon stick

1 cup raisins, chopped

Proceed as above.

 

 

 

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ELDERBERRY WINE (recipe from dried elderberries)

INGREDIENTS (for 1 gallon): 6 oz. Dried Elderberries 1 Gallon Warm Water 2 lbs. Sugar 1/2 - 1 lb. Chopped Raisins 1 1/2 tsp. acid blend 1/2 tsp. Super Ferment Yeast Nutrient 1 Campden Tablet (crushed) or 1/8 tsp. Sodium Metabisulfite Wine Yeast   PROCEDURE: 1. Mix all the ingredients EXCEPT the wine yeast in primary fermenter. Stir well to dissolve. 2. Allow to cool to 70-75 degrees F. 3. Add wine yeast. Cover with plastic sheet and tie down. 4. Allow to ferment for 4-6 days (until S.G. 1.030). Stir daily to break up pulp cap. Strain out the pulp and knead to extract the juice. Syphon into sterilized secondary fermenter and attach fermentation lock. Note: A second run may be made from the discarded pulp. Add another gallon warm (not hot! ) water, more sugar, more acid blend (increase amount to 2 tsp.) and more yeast nutrient. Ferment 10 days on the pulp. Continue the original procedure. A lighter wine will result. 5. Rack into another sterilized jug at three weeks and attach fermentation lock. Always fill the jug as full as possible. Rack again in about 1 month. 6. When wine is clear and stable, it may be bottled. The addition of 1/2 tsp. potassium sorbate stabilizer is recommended. If a sweeter wine is desired, add simple syrup to taste (2 parts fructose or sugar to 1 part boiling water). 7. Bottle and cork and stand upright for 3 - 4 days then lay on its side and allow to age for 4-6 months in a dark, vibration free place.

 

 

 

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Fresh Elderberry Wine

 

4 lbs. fresh elderberries, _with_ stems

2.5 lbs. (5 cups) white granulated sugar

1 level tsp. yeast nutrient *

1 level tsp. acid blend *

1 Campden tablet *

1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme powder *

1 gallon hot water

 

Wine yeast *

 

Stabilizer Tablets *

(these are used when you're corking the finished wine)

 

Use only sound, ripe berries.  The thin stems connecting to the

clusters of fruit can be left connected, however DO remove the larger

main stem. 

 

Crush fruit and put all ingredients EXCEPT wine yeast and stabilizer

tablets into your priary fermentor (I used a big 5 gallon plastic bucket),

in the order listed (ending with hot water).  Stir to dissolve sugar. 

Cover fermentor with a plastic sheet (I used a hefty lawn/leaf bag and

secured it with a large rubber band).  This mixture is known as the "must."

 

When must is cool (70-75°F), add wine yeast and re-cover fermentor.

 

Stir the must twice daily (always re-cover fermentor).

Check the wine's temperature to make sure it's between 65-75°.

Adjust temperature accordingly if necessary.

(I started the process in the bath tub so that I could surround it with

water to control the temperature.) (Although it's really important to

have 2 bathrooms!  :o)

 

Ferment for 5-6 days or until the must's specific gravity is 1.040. (Note,

I didn't want to buy the $70 thingy that measures specific gravity, so I

just "winged it" and fermented 5 days.  It worked!)

 

Strain out all fruit pulp, press pulp to squeeze out all excess liquid. 

Rack (siphon) the liquid into sterilized glass gallon jugs or wine bottles,

and attach fermentation locks.

 

Rack the wine into fresh bottles in 3 weeks; being careful to avoid as much

of the pulpy/yeasty stuff on the bottom of the bottle.

 

Rack the wine again 3 months later; again try to avoid the sludge from the

bottom of the bottles.

 

When wine is clear and stable (no more bubbles), you may sweeten it to your

taste at the time of bottling by adding sugar syrup (1 parts sugar to 1 part

water).

 

Pour wine into sterilized wine bottles.  Add Stabilizer tablets to prevent

renewed fermentation.  Insert cork.  Store wine on its side to prevent cork

from drying out, preferably in an even temperature environment - rapid

heating and cooling will destroy wine; a basement or underground storage

is best.

 

Age at least 1 year. (Although it's pretty darn good when new!)