How to Make Elderflower Champagne
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- čas přidán 14. 06. 2024
- In this tutorial, Ben and Lois show you a simple recipe for making Elderflower Champagne. Collecting local spring water, and using sugar, lemon juice, white wine vinegar.
Recipe used here:
20 litres of water
2kg of sugar
10 x unwaxed lemons (peel & juice)
5 x table spoons of white wine vinegar - Jak na to + styl
Your videos are one of the things keeping me sane in these messed up times. Peace.
You should not wait until you have mold. That is a sign that something might have gone a bit too much and not really a sign of fermentation. It is enough to put it in a closed container (no cloth that brings in air) and pick it up after maybee 2 days. Also to avoid exploding bottles. let it ferment completely first and after that add about 8-10 grams of sugar when botteling. That way you get a controlled second fermentation in the bottle and no bombs :)
For metric people: to achieve an effervescence as strong as champagne, you can go as high as 16 grams per litre added to a whine that’s completely fermented out (final gravity below 1.000) , provided you use pressure-safe bottles. I’d strongly advise chilling the bottles before opening to avoid having to deal with a fountain. For milder carbonation, use less. My preference goes to 12-14 grams per litre, which falls close to 10 grams per wine bottle.
Another lovely video, thank you Ben and Lois!
I made this recipe last year and It came out so delicious! I still have 2 bottles left and it is a lot drier now less sweet and so good. I’m making a new batch tomorrow :) Thank you for this video!
Thanks a lot that’s great news.
We are hoping to get another batch made this week too.
Best of luck
cheers Ben
Thanks very much Ben and Lois. Will be trying this soon.
Loved this...thank you!
Enjoyed this. Thanks x
Can't wait to have enough flowers to do this. Thanks so much. You guys are beautiful team. Xx
Great I can’t wait till the sunshine and flowers are back writhed. Glad you enjoyed it
Many thanks cheers Ben
In New Zealand and collecting the elderflowers tomorrow. Merry Christmas to you all and thanks for the awesome video. So si,ple so pure. Angela Christchurch
Thanks Angela so pleased you enjoyed it. Crazy to think your picking flowers as we are in our darkest months.
So good to hear and best of luck.
cheers Ben and Lois
🇳🇿
You two are awesome, thank you.
Wow thanks a lot. Glad you found it useful. cheers Ben and Lois
Super video, thanks guys 💚👍
Definitely will be trying this. Just started my own channel & covered making a syrup & other Foraged recipes. Keep up the great work & inspiration
What a lovely couple!! We use that spring in Malvern!! Iv just brewed up this morning!! Have liked and subbed.
A lovely video thanks
Mmmmmmmm yummy 😋
ive asked my to make some for me.
I'll have ago myself 2morrow, ive made cordial befor tdat was nice but apple n elder flower cider I'd like to make also.. Have a lovely weekend and enjoy the sunshine ☀ guys happy crafting 😊
The mold is nothing to do with the fermentation. Mold is from Bacteria on the stems that are poking out of the brew. That is why you should remove the flowers from the stems using a fork. Then all the flowers will be under the surface of the liquid and the yeast will kill off any Bacteria. Also, ideally you should take a starting gravity with a hydrometer. Then let it ferment right out. This is where an Airlock (Bubbler) is essential. Then take the final gravity. The % Alchohol can be worked out then. Then prime the bottles with half teaspoon of sugar and fill them to about 1" from top. Seal and store in a warm room for about a week or two to let secondary fermentation take place. This is what gives the condition (bubbles). It could now be drunk but will improve with age. Move bottles to a cooler place, ideally a cellar and try to keep for as long as possible.
Couldn’t agree more. 😊
Edit: and for some extra sweetness if you don’t like it bone dry, you can add non-fermentable sweetener. If you want that non-fermentable sweetener to be 100% natural, you can use Stevia leaves or Stevia extract (powder) or something similar. Add it along with your priming sugar.
Mold is a fungus and not a bacteria. But you are right neither are yeasts, both are bad for the brew. Yeasts ferment the sugar. An airlocked ferment is much safer at avoiding any but yeasts.
Hi Ben and Louis, thanks for the elderflower champagne video Val and I tried your recipe.... Absolutely fantastic results thank you again. 👍🥂🥂🥂🥂
Apologies #LOIS exceptional bubbles BTW
Really cool!!!
As ever a lovely video very interesting, think I might have a go. Just wondered if Lois could do a shop tour, as I do leather work myself, it's always good to see how others do things and yes I do have some of your work :)
Trying it now😀😍
Lovely people. Best of luck to you both. Prepare, prepare, prepare.
Well thanks a lot 👍
I just love it
Keep them coming this videos are awesome 👏🏽
I hope you can make some money from CZcams too!
😳mold? Scary, but I think I'll try it ☺. Gotta wait til my bushes grow, they're new💜🌱🌱
Hi. Great video. I have 1 question. You have made 20 litres and left for 2 weeks to mature. Does the whole batch then need drunk or refrigerated to stop the fermentation process or could I safely store the bottles in the garage and refrigerate a bottle at a time and drink at my leasure? Thanks.
I’m brewing a batch of this right now and am looking forward to enjoying a glass or ten in due course. However I am a little worried I could have ruined everything - I used cheese grater to zest my lemons because sadly I don’t have a hand turned cherry lemon juicer!😉
Great. Looks easy. How does this compare to making elderflower cordial?
I made a much smaller batch last week - I bottled after 3 days and am still 'burping' them as they continue to ferment in their plastic containers. Can't wait to try it in about a week's time & if it's worked, there's still enough time in the season for another batch or 2 after. In the meantime - cordial 😋
Hi. Thank you. I just made 2.5 gallons and it was fizzing while i was pouring it. I actually made it 3 days ago. Its quite fizzy already....
I’ve never see a elderflower head that big, that’s crazy
Why do you add the white wine vinegar? Im making elderflower wine, not champagne so curious if I need to add it or what the benefit of adding it is.
Getting lit from elderflower drink. Sounds legit.
Won't the sulfites present in most vinegars ruin the fermentation? What's its function?
Hello. Where do you keep the bottles for those 2-3 weeks? In a fridge or just at room temperature? Thank you
what purpose does the white wine vinegae serve?
Couldn't find a sharper knife to open the sugar? ;) Very nice, thanks!
Could I use apple cider vinegar instead of white wine?
Have you guys tried to make it with honey/raw honey?
Could you use bottled spring water ...x
Pauline hughes yes you can,I have made some from bottle spring water from Lidl which is 17 pence per bottle and use the same bottle to decant
How long does this keep for please? Thankyou for sharing 😊
Ideally consume it within about 2 weeks but can be kept up to a month if you keep it in a cool dark place.
If you want something that will last longer make elderflower syrup instead 👍
I’m trying it with rose petals
How did it go - I'm trying rose champagne this year
@@MrMoekanz delicious.
@@cloudsculptor1 Great! I have 2 and a bit gallons on now!
Hey how was the champagne btw? We neeeed to know!
Can you not drop a small amount of sugar into the bottle and then that creates fizz after a few days.
You can, but too much sugar causes too much fizz, which in turn can cause explosions. You're better putting the sugar in with the elderflower heads during primary fermentation
What means 20 to 25 heads? Why don't you weigh them. Not everywhere you can find heads that big.
Can someone please help me with this question?
I am confused because when I have researched Elderflowers, it says that the flowers are toxic and should be cooked to take the poison out. However, when you cook them, it removes the yeast.
When I have watched people make Elderflower wine, they typically dissolve the sugar in boiling water and then top the boiling water up with cold water so that the yeast remains when they add the flowers. But because they add the flower heads to cold water (therefore not cooking them)... wouldn't they be toxic?
Ahh i'm confused how this works! 😂
I know your question is five months old. I commented 8 months ago on the subject of mold, wild yeasts, and the toxicity of elder plant parts.
The short version is: you are correct. It is better to expose the blossoms to heat. The toxins are quite volatile, so pouring boiling water on them and letting the liquid cool whilst just covered with cloth (cheesecloth, a clean T-shirt, or anything else you like that allows air through) will rid you of the toxins. I’d also advise you to remove the petals from the stems as the stems contain more cyanogenic compounds than the blossoms. It.s easily done with a fork although your fingertips will do the job… only slower. Add any other ingredients, whilst the water is still hot the sugar will dissolve more easily which is a plus. Yes, the heat will destroy a lot of the wild yeasts on the flowers. But those same yeast spores float around in the air and are present on a lot of non toxic plant parts you can add once your liquid has cooled
Now you either wait, and let wild yeast spores in the air find your fermentation liquid. It’ll take several days. Or add non toxic raw plant parts. Or add a wild yeast culture you made ahead. Or use a bit of baker’s yeast. Or use wine yeast.
Sources of wild yeast:
Fresh fruit - they’ll alter the flavour but a very nice combination is raspberries or strawberries.
A ginger bug - have a look, the internet abounds with recipes and videos. A few tablespoons of active ginger bug will barely affect the flavour of your wine because it is so diluted, but will contain lots of wild yeast spores.
Apple peels from organically grown, unwaxed apples - they carry A LOT of wild yeasts, and won’t affect the flavour noticeably unless you add loads
Rose petals - provided the roses are untreated, they will do the same as the untreated, unheated elder blossoms. All members of the rose family are non toxic. If you use unscented roses, they won’t add anything to the wine except yeast and some nitrogen, which yeasts actually need to thrive so that’s a good thing. White and any light coloured rose won’t add colour. Red roses, dark pink ones etc will darken your wine. Scented roses will add their aroma. Take your pick.
Dandelion petals - they add a bit of a honey like flavour, a tiny bit of colour, lots of yeast. Do not add the green parts at the bottom of the flower.
Pear blossoms, apple blossoms, plum blossoms, peach blossoms - all non toxic. Some are scented but none of them strongly. All of them harmonise well with elder blossoms
Pear peels - more subtle than apple.
Sun dried organic raisins - they add a bit of syrupy depth to your wine and the skins have yeast on them. Just make sure they’re sun dried and not treated with sulphates or sulphites.
If you want to ensure healthy and safe fermentation, use a bucket or fermenter with an airlock. Sanitise your equipment. Be careful of how much sugar you add. Look up my comment, there is information on the dangers of bottle bombs. Or look up home brewing channels on that subject.
Have fun making elderflower champagne. I make some every year, but use wine yeast and as I’ve been making wines, meads and ciders since the late eighties, I’ve got a bit of extra winemaking equipment that allows for more control, and a safer process. Elderflower champagne definitely is worth the effort.
Obviously not worried about dirt going into the mixture.
Mold and vinegar are two things I don’t want in my brew!!
Seriously, green mould like that is absolutely not healthy. Would never ever recomend people doing it like this.
By using some kind brewers or bakers yeast in combination with a closed container with an air lock, the possibility of green/unhealthy mould is at least reduced. And also, please wash the elderflower to avoid bugs in the brew 🙃
If you wash it it removes all the pollen, and so much of the flavour. I’m on the fence about the mould though tbh. Mould and yeast are not the same thing…
There is no need to airlock this ferment, it’s so quick. there are natural/wild yeasts on the flowers which is why you don’t need to add yeast and also should not wash the flowers. Give them a shake to get bugs off.
But I agree the blue mould is not ok, although it was on top and not in the actual liquid - this could be avoided by “punching down” the flowers under the liquid a couple of times per day, as in traditional wine making.
So what about everyone eating blue cheese for centuries?
@@conorgordon8108 - Different type of mould. There is no yelling which type of mould grew on these stems. Even if drinking this might not make you sick immediately, a lot of moulds produce toxins that are dangerous long term because they accumulate in your body. Some even cause cancer. Mould on an alcoholic fermentation is never a good sign. Even when it’s ‘just’ floating on top, the spores and toxins will be dissolved throughout the liquid. Punch the ‘cap’ formed by flowers/stems/fruit of any wine, mead or cider at least once a day for the first 3-7 days and then remove the solids. Or: use an airlock and ‘swirl’ your brew once or twice a day to thoroughly wet the floating bits for as long as you want to leave them in. Then remove, allow fermentation to fully run its course, wait for the liquid to clear, then siphon off the sediment at the bottom of your fermentation vessel. Process as desired. If you want it sparkling, safest is to then prime your wine with a precisely measured amount of sugar (never more than 16 grams per litre!) and some yeast. Bottle in pressure safe bottles and allow to stand for 2 weeks or more.
First rule of making your own fermented alcoholic beverages is: if there is mould, dump the batch. Unless you are a mycologist and can safely identify the mould. One caveat: mould is not the same as a Croyson line (line of dried yeast running along the top liquid level of your fermenter). A Croyson line is basically dried yeast foam. The appearance is different from mould though. It’s not green or black. It’s got the same colour as the yeast sediment at the bottom of the bucket, maybe a bit darker due to being dried out. And it’s never fuzzy.
nooooo!
I never saw mould ever. and do this over 40 years.
throw that away, it will poison you
JP jay, .........a little white 'mould' is okay, ......but NOT blue mould. Also just cut the flowers off the stems which are bitter and slightly poisonous.
@@mikanfarmer - As the daughter of a biochemist who is familiar with mycotoxins, I dump any brew that has mould on it, regardless of the colour of the mould. Alcoholic ferments and moulds do NOT go together and the majority of the moulds growing in/on those ferments are bad news. Some short term (making you sick immediately after drinking if you ingest enough), some long term because they accumulate in your system and may even cause cancer. No thanks. But perhaps I’m overly cautious.
Completely agree on removing the stems. I use a fork to ‘rip’ the flowers off the stems. Once all blossoms are collected and separated, I dump them in a straining bag for easy removal afterwards and pour boiling water over them to destroy the cyanogenic glucosides that are contained in all parts of the elder plants (admittedly, in lower concentrations in the blossoms). For wild fermentation, I’d cover the bucket/fermenter with cloth. For a more controlled fermentation, I’d allow to cool, add my other ingredients and a wine yeast (or even baker’s yeast), cover, add an airlock, and swirl/stir once a day to break the cap/wet the blossoms. I’d remove the bag after 3-7 days and allow to ferment out until clear. Then I’d prime the wine or the pressure-safe bottles and bottle.
I’d also use a hydrometer to determine initial gravity, when fermentation is done and to check post-priming gravity prior to bottling but that’s me. I’ve accumulated a few toys over 30 years of home brewing.
Follow up please!?!?
7:47 I have to respectfully disagree. The kind of mold you’re having in the brew is not something you want. At all. It’s an indicator, yes, but an indicator of something gone wrong. You absolutely should not be looking to have green/black mold in your brew. I think it’s important that your viewers understand this.
Sorry, no. All kinds of wrong.
I’ve been making meads, wines and ciders since 1989-1990. I grew up among wine makers and my father holds a PhD in biochemistry. I’m commenting here because I want you and your viewers to be SAFE.
First of all, mould is NEVER a good sign when making wine, mead or cider unless you’re making rice-wine like sake and your method of alcohol conversion is the mould used to convert starches into sugars and this is not the case here. Other moulds are usually not safe. Please, please PLEASE do not allow mould to grow on your wine. Either keep your flowers/fruit submerged by popping them in a sanitised brewing bag weighed town by sanitised fermentation weights to keep the bag from rising, or give your bucket a good swirl twice a day.
Second danger: all parts of the elder plant contain cyanogenic compounds that when ingested, are converted to cyanide by our body through the digestive process. The concentration is highest in stems, barks, seeds and unripe fruit but even the flowers themselves contain those compounds. So please, please do not ferment on the stems like you did. Take a fork, and comb through those beautiful flowerheads to separate out the flowers. Use the flowers only and throw those stems away.
The concentration of cyanogenic compounds won’t be high enough to kill you, bit they can make you sick and damage your organs (either temporarily or permanently, depending on how much you ingest and how sensitive you are). Why do that to yourself and those you share your champagne with? Fortunately, those compounds are quite volatile at a little above room temperature. Simply use recently boiled HOT water, pour that over your flowers. If making elderberry wine, cover them with hot water, bring them to a boil, then allow to cool. It’ll do the job.
For wild fermentation, add in some fruit peels, apple peels work a treat. Add them to your cooled, room temperature mixture. Remember what I said about mould: either break the ‘cap’ that forms 1-2 times a day for 3 days to a week, then siphon off your must or remove the brewing bag and allow fermentation to continue as you normally would. Please don’t pour, you’ll be introducing oxygen at a stage when your brew shouldn’t be in the presence of oxygen (production of off-flavours or turning your hard work into vinegar are the issues). Use a siphon.
Last: bottle bombs. Be careful of how much sugar you add and when you bottle, as too much carbon dioxide building up inside your bottles will make them literally explode, turning them into glass grenades. When I make my elderflower champagne I use wine yeast, let all the sugars ferment out completely, add a precisely measured amount of sugar and then I bottle. The end result will be bubbly but there is no danger of bottle bombs. Also: please use PRESSURE-SAFE BOTTLES for your own safety. Swing top bottles that used to contain beer, thoroughly washed out, are safe. If need be, order new rubber seals and replace the old ones. But please check to make sure you are using safe bottles.
I’ve seen video footage of bottles exploding due to them being unsafe and also footage of bottles exploding due to people using too much sugar for bottle carbonation. It’s scary how far and how fast those glass shards can fly. You can get seriously injured.
I’ve been home brewing and fermenting for a long time. I’ve got zero objections to using wild fermentation instead of cultured yeasts. But I want people safe around my brews and I’m assuming, so do you.
Please don’t take my comment wrong. It’s purely out of genuine concern and I know what I’m talking about. I wish you lots of happy brewing and fermenting, and many happy hours enjoying the end product with one another, your friends, your family and your loved ones.
Thank you for your insight and taking the time to comment.
That is dark mould, do not drink that.
Mould on an alcoholic fermentation is always a bad sign. “Dump it” would be my advice. Submerging the stems and flowers once to twice a day would have prevented it. After 3-7 days, remove the solids (most of them) by scooping out or pouring through a straining bag and allow fermentation to continue. Or even better: separate the flowers from the stems with a fork and use only the petals. Put these petals in a straining bag and add this to the bucket with the other ingredients. Makes both breaking the cap and removal easier.
This video scared the crap out of me. Made following good practices and free from mould, elderflower champagne is delicious. Made like this has me screaming “Noooooooooo!”
Alcohol fermentation is an anaerobic process so anything on the surface is bad. That stuff looks furry and not good.
@@nc8313 - Exactly.