Sharp elderflower

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Hedley

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Joined
Nov 6, 2011
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Hi brewers,

I bottled my first ever batch of elderflower just now. I have only been making wine a year and this is my 4th batch of wine. This one tastes sharp, dry. My girlfriend says it tastes like white wine that has been left out overnight. This was the only wine I added tannins to (accidentally emptying the contents of two tea bags instead of 2 cups of tea into the mix). It was also the only batch I ever had to add Finings to.

Any idea why is tastes like this? Will it get less sharp with age?

Any thoughts most appreciated.

Ross
 
Since its already bottled there is nothing you can do but let it age. From what I understand, new wines often taste " sharp" until they age for a year or two. Mind you I'm just getting started too, but everything I've read says to age.
 
A dry elderflower wine can taste like that without the tannins from the tea. With time those tannins may edge out. May want to consider serving with various fruit syrups to help balance things out, you will be amazed how a minimally fruit flavored elderflower wine tastes. I adore blending 75% dry elderflower wine with 25% sweet raspberry wine/mead. Caution, elderflower wine on its own has a tendency to cause nausea in many people. Plus, the ideas of turning into a spritzer upon serving is pleasant.
 
Thanks people. I have bottled but I could always open the bottles and siphon back into a demijohn, and maybe add some of the fruit syrup you mention, then rebottle, no?
 
You can, if you don't mind reworking it. Just do not forget the k-meta plus sorbate, otherwise you will have bottle bombs. Enjoy!
 
Thanks people. Any recommendations for the fruits syrups? Is there a brand anyone can recommend? Or could I just mix my 4 bottles of elderflower with a bottle of sweet raspberry wine?

Also, why do I need to add K-meta plus sorbate? Would that be to stop the fermentation starting up again on adding the fruit syrup?
 
If your wine is dry and you add a fermentable sugar from any source and if you have not stabilized said wine with a combination of k-meta plus sorbate then the wine will more than likely start to ferment again. Unless you know 100% that every remaining yeast cell in that wine is dead.

As far as brand of syrup, if you have access to some fresh/frozen berries you could make some, or check out the various coffee syrups like Torani brand, for example. Just read ingredient labels so you know what you are buying. Or frozen juice concentrate. And you could blend with sweet raspberry wine.
 
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