Comments on: The elderflower champagne has beaten us http://www.blagger.co.uk/brewing-and-winemaking/decanting-the-elderflower-champagne/ Self-sufficiency, growing food, keeping chickens, recipes Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:40:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Nik http://www.blagger.co.uk/brewing-and-winemaking/decanting-the-elderflower-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-140 Nik Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:35:32 +0000 http://www.blagger.co.uk/?p=370#comment-140 The longer you leave it, the better it should get. If you can hold off for a few months (or until Christmas), then you will give it time to mature. The longer you leave it, the better it should get. If you can hold off for a few months (or until Christmas), then you will give it time to mature.

]]> By: Sam http://www.blagger.co.uk/brewing-and-winemaking/decanting-the-elderflower-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-138 Sam Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:20:46 +0000 http://www.blagger.co.uk/?p=370#comment-138 Hi there, I bottled my elderflower on the 20th June, it's started to fizz and i've had a wee taste of it. All i can say is it's bloody sweet!! Is this normal or shall i leave it longer for the sugar to turn to alcohol? Any tips etc Many thanks Hi there,

I bottled my elderflower on the 20th June, it’s started to fizz and i’ve had a wee taste of it. All i can say is it’s bloody sweet!!

Is this normal or shall i leave it longer for the sugar to turn to alcohol?

Any tips etc

Many thanks

]]> By: george http://www.blagger.co.uk/brewing-and-winemaking/decanting-the-elderflower-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-139 george Sun, 07 Jun 2009 07:02:07 +0000 http://www.blagger.co.uk/?p=370#comment-139 Hi, I'm just about to start making my first batch of elderflower wine {the champagne sounds a bit scary} I've read the recipes but I'm not sure when is best to pick the flowers or what to do with the stalks, do I leave them on or pick off the flowers first. Hi, I’m just about to start making my first batch of elderflower wine {the champagne sounds a bit scary} I’ve read the recipes but I’m not sure when is best to pick the flowers or what to do with the stalks, do I leave them on or pick off the flowers first.

]]> By: marty j http://www.blagger.co.uk/brewing-and-winemaking/decanting-the-elderflower-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-136 marty j Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:29:12 +0000 http://www.blagger.co.uk/?p=370#comment-136 just done my 1st batch of the champagne usin a recipe i got off th net. i used glass bottles wif the metal caps hope shes guna stay in the bottles (fingers crossed) i left it for 4 days before bottlin, only very slightly fizzy when i put it in,n its gone a wee bit cloudy in bottles should i have waited longer before bottling??? just done my 1st batch of the champagne usin a recipe i got off th net. i used glass bottles wif the metal caps hope shes guna stay in the bottles (fingers crossed) i left it for 4 days before bottlin, only very slightly fizzy when i put it in,n its gone a wee bit cloudy in bottles should i have waited longer before bottling???

]]> By: Nik http://www.blagger.co.uk/brewing-and-winemaking/decanting-the-elderflower-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-137 Nik Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:28:06 +0000 http://www.blagger.co.uk/?p=370#comment-137 We are storing our elderflower champagne in bottles inside a large metal dustbin in the kitchen, as we don't want the flying corks to make a mess of the kitchen any more. Whether your champagne will keep until your wedding, I don't know, but I would make sure you had a few bottles of regular fizz to hand as a fall-back if I was you. We are storing our elderflower champagne in bottles inside a large metal dustbin in the kitchen, as we don’t want the flying corks to make a mess of the kitchen any more.

Whether your champagne will keep until your wedding, I don’t know, but I would make sure you had a few bottles of regular fizz to hand as a fall-back if I was you.

]]> By: kerry http://www.blagger.co.uk/brewing-and-winemaking/decanting-the-elderflower-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-135 kerry Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:14:31 +0000 http://www.blagger.co.uk/?p=370#comment-135 I have bottled my first harvest of elderflower champagne but dont want to drink it till May next year (my wedding)Will it keep that long ? Should I of addded anything to it ? How should I store it ? I have bottled my first harvest of elderflower champagne but dont want to drink it till May next year (my wedding)Will it keep that long ?
Should I of addded anything to it ?
How should I store it ?

]]> By: Jamie http://www.blagger.co.uk/brewing-and-winemaking/decanting-the-elderflower-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-134 Jamie Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:18:07 +0000 http://www.blagger.co.uk/?p=370#comment-134 The reason that your bottles are exploding is that you haven't left it to ferment long enough before bottling. Using fewer flowers or less yeast won't really change things - the fermentation will keep happening until either all of the sugar is used up or the alcohol concentration kills the yeast (around 15% I think for most wine making yeasts, probably lower for airborne ones). I like to do this the same way that I do beer, fermenting it until it finishes and then priming each bottle with half a teaspoon of sugar. The reason that your bottles are exploding is that you haven’t left it to ferment long enough before bottling. Using fewer flowers or less yeast won’t really change things – the fermentation will keep happening until either all of the sugar is used up or the alcohol concentration kills the yeast (around 15% I think for most wine making yeasts, probably lower for airborne ones). I like to do this the same way that I do beer, fermenting it until it finishes and then priming each bottle with half a teaspoon of sugar.

]]> By: Serena http://www.blagger.co.uk/brewing-and-winemaking/decanting-the-elderflower-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Serena Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:46:58 +0000 http://www.blagger.co.uk/?p=370#comment-132 I don't think the problem is the use of glass bottles, but the use of corks. HFW uses flip top bottles, like these from lakeland (http://www.lakeland.co.uk/preserving-bottles/F/C/storing-preserving/C/storing-preserving-preserving/product/11087_11086) which should be much more secure than the corks. Though I would still leave some airspace. Look forward to see how the 2nd attempt goes and the arrival of your chickens. I don’t think the problem is the use of glass bottles, but the use of corks. HFW uses flip top bottles, like these from lakeland (http://www.lakeland.co.uk/preserving-bottles/F/C/storing-preserving/C/storing-preserving-preserving/product/11087_11086) which should be much more secure than the corks. Though I would still leave some airspace. Look forward to see how the 2nd attempt goes and the arrival of your chickens.

]]> By: Pumpkin~Power http://www.blagger.co.uk/brewing-and-winemaking/decanting-the-elderflower-champagne/comment-page-1/#comment-133 Pumpkin~Power Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:59:00 +0000 http://www.blagger.co.uk/?p=370#comment-133 The problem isn't the champagne its the fact you are using glass bottles. I really don't know where HFW got the idea of using glass bottles as they have no give in them to allow the champagne to expand/ carbonate equalling disaster! I have never heard of anyone doing them before for exactly that reason. Use 2 litre plastic bottles leaving a couple of inches free at the top and then release the gas every couple of days. You should have relatively few problems then. I made my champagne a month ago and it is still safely contained and ready for drinking. Chin, chin! The problem isn’t the champagne its the fact you are using glass bottles. I really don’t know where HFW got the idea of using glass bottles as they have no give in them to allow the champagne to expand/ carbonate equalling disaster! I have never heard of anyone doing them before for exactly that reason. Use 2 litre plastic bottles leaving a couple of inches free at the top and then release the gas every couple of days. You should have relatively few problems then. I made my champagne a month ago and it is still safely contained and ready for drinking. Chin, chin!

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