DRIED Elderberry Wine?

[jamesbsmith]

Has anyone had any good results with making wine from dried elderberries?

I made some once and it came out terribly, then made some with fresh and it was fantastic!

It may have been down to me method: I boiler 250g and 1.25Kg sugar in water for a bit, cooled and pulp fermented for 10 days, strained, and fermented to dry. Maybe the boiling and pulp ferm, extracted too much tannin, although I thought Id be safe with just 250g / Imperial Gallon?!

I have found another recipe / method, and wondered whether this would be better?

Dried Elderberry Wine Recipe.

For 1 Gallon (UK Imp.).

Expected Alcohol: 13.6 - 14.0% ABV

Starting SG 1095 (Absolutely must not be higher than 1100 or lower than 1090)
Final SG 0.992


Elderberries 250g
Raisins 250g(Soak Raisins over night then rinse to remove any oil, then mince in a blender)
White Granulated Sugar 900g
Soft Light Brown Sugar 400g
Pectolase 2 Level Teaspoons
Yeast nutrient 1 Level Teaspoon
Red Wine Yeast – 1 Sachet

RECIPE

Place Elderberries, Sugar Syrup, & Minced Raisins directly in a brew bucket and cover with water, and add one crushed campden tablet per gallon. Leave for 24 hours.

Add Pectolase, yeast & yeast nutrient.

Cover and leave in a warm place (or use brewbelt etc.) to ferment for 3-4 days only. Over this period stir and push down the cap three times a day.

Strain off the liquid into secondary and fit a bung and airlock. When SG reaches 992 and / or fermentation has ceased add one Campden tablet per gallon (also add fermentation stopper at this point if desired). Leave to settle for the rest of the month. Rack. Leave for two months. Rack to storage. Can be drunk 3 months later or left to mature. Tanin profile gradually subsides after the first year but the wine is perfectly drinkable after the initial 3 month ageing.

It would be great to make a cheap red wine all year round?!

 

[bernardsmith]

Not certain but adding yeast WITH the pectic enzyme is going to destroy the action of the enzyme. I'd wait at least 12 hours - perhaps 24 after adding the enzymes before pitching the yeast.
Never had any problems fermenting dried elderberries.

 

[jamesbsmith]

Thanks Bernard,

So it has come out well when you have made dried elderberries?

What recipe do you use please?

 

[WVMJ]

Elders can taste different depending on how you make your wine. If you use whole fruit it tastes one way, if you cook the whole fruit it tastes another way, if you steam juice them it tastes another way and if you dry them the tastes changes once again. Our favorite so far has been a dried elderberry mead, soaking the berries overnight in warm water and then simmering the berries about 29 minutes, you can leave the berries in the primary for a little while if you want to get more tannins out. Dont forget the pectinase. WVMJ

 

[jamesbsmith]

Thanks for that! Im just not a fan of mead! I LOVE elderberry though, so cant wait to get started. A bit gutted Ive got to wait about a year until Ill be drinking it though!

 

[WVMJ]

Who said you had to wait a year? WVMJ

 

[jamesbsmith]

haha! Ive been told it is better after that long... Well maybe Ill wait six months!

 

[WVMJ]

Yes its better after a year, its even better after 3 years, but better later and good now are 2 different things! WVMJ