Can you make elderflower ...............

Latest Articles

Can you make elderflower ...............
Page Previous 1, 2, 3 Next

Downsizer Forum Index -> Recipes, Preserving, Homebrewing

Author

Message

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 08 8:31 am Post subject:

bingo wrote:

I put it in a 5L water bottle.

This is probably why.......

Thats the problem

The 5l water bottle is made out of PET. All well and good, it'll hold the pressure, but the cap is not designed to keep that in.

The cap on, say, a 1.5l coke bottle IS designed to hold that pressure... And it can do so far better than the plastic bottle. So it is VERY important to release some pressure as it gets too hard, otherwise you MIGHT end up with a novel and rather exciting new decorating opportunity.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 08 9:16 am Post subject:
And you'll know when the pressure has built up: the bottle will go completely rigid!

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 08 6:42 pm Post subject:
Ours is lovely, at a guess what would the alc. content? 2% maybe?

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 09 6:38 pm Post subject:

gil wrote:

what kind of elderflower champagne do you mean, Bingo ?
The sort that is slightly fizzy, not very alcoholic,
or the methode champenoise version with a secondary fermentation of the wine in a champagne bottle ?

Gil, do you have a method/recipe for the latter, please?

oliveoyl

Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 425

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 09 8:21 pm Post subject:

I'm having a go at this too but have a problem... it's not doing anything... I haven't made wine or anything before, but assumed it would froth up or show some signs of life? I put it on 4 days ago and as there was no action as of yesterday, added a little wine yeast... 24 hours later, still nothing.

I used HFW's recipe + pieces of root ginger (inspired by Minamoo). What could I be doing wrong?

Edit... it's working now

Last edited by oliveoyl on Sat Jun 13, 09 8:54 am; edited 2 times in total

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Fri Jun 12, 09 9:45 pm Post subject:
OK folks - I have a food grade plastic bucket with lid. I have elderflowers. I have plastic water bottles with lids. SO HOW DO I MAKE ELDERFLOWER CHAMPAGNE? (oops - shouting sorry )

oliveoyl

Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 425

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 09 8:56 am Post subject:
I got the recipe from here Rosie https://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/elderflower-champagne-recipe_p_1.html

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Sat Jun 13, 09 5:39 pm Post subject:
Cheers oliveoyl - I'll try and find the time to have a go at that

Dani

Joined: 03 Mar 2009
Posts: 126
Location: Hertfordshire

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 09 10:14 pm Post subject:
slightly odd shift, but does anyone freeze their elderflowers before using them to make champagne?

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 09 7:07 am Post subject:

cab wrote:

I've got 1.5l fizzy water bottles - will these work or must I go and buy some horible pop just to get the bottles?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 09 7:08 am Post subject:
Fizzy water bottles will be fine.

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 09 7:17 am Post subject:

sean wrote:

Fizzy water bottles will be fine.

Excellent - adds "Collect elderflowers" onto my To Do List

Shane

Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 3467
Location: Doha. Is hot.

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 09 7:58 am Post subject:

Dani wrote:

slightly odd shift, but does anyone freeze their elderflowers before using them to make champagne?

I froze mine this year, but only because I didn't have time to make wine, cordial and champagne all in one go!

They went a bit brown around the edges, but the flowers in the middle of the frozen lump were still white after I'd defrosted them. The champagne didn't start fermenting without me adding some wine yeast this year, so I either killed the natural yeast by freezing or there wasn't any there in the first place.

Had a sample this weekend - still too sweet, so I'll leave it for another week or so, but it tasted okay otherwise!

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 09 2:56 pm Post subject:
I've started to make this and may have made a mistake - I've poured the near BOILING water/sugar solution over the flowers and added the cold water. Some of the flowers have gone very brown. Have I boobed?

Shane

Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 3467
Location: Doha. Is hot.

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 09 2:58 pm Post subject:
It should turn out okay (that's the method for making cordial), but you will have killed any natural yeasts, so you'll have to add your own. Bread yeast will do in an emergency, but I'd add a general beer or wine yeast if you've got one to hand.

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Recipes, Preserving, Homebrewing	All times are GMT Page Previous 1, 2, 3 Next
Page 2 of 3

View Latest Posts