Elderberry wine - big time

Post date: Jan 26, 2013 8:16:24 PM

So far, the elderberry wine seems like by far the most successful of the reds I've made.  I've decided to use it as a test to go large.  I got a big primary (7.5 g), and have two 6 gallon Better Bottles coming, so I will make a 6 gallon batch.  I'm going to use the recipe I used before without modification (other than multiplying everything by 6).  I'm also switching yeasts to EC-1118 - from everything I've seen, Montrachet is not likely to work well - starting sugar is too high, and final alcohol potential is too low - don't know why it didn't stick last time.  That would be as follows.

6 gallon water

15 lbs sugar

24 oz dried elderberries

24 oz raisins

2 tbsp acid blend

2 tbsp yeast nutrient (Fermax, also from Beer & Wine Hobby)

6 Campden tablet, crushed

1 pkg Lalvin EC-1118

1/26/13 2PM

Sanitize everything.  Put 15 lbs sugar in primary, pour 14 cups boiling water over it, stir until dissolved.  Rinse elderberries in a sieve under cold water, then put in mesh bag. Pour about a cup of boiling water over half the raisins in a food processor, pulse until cut up into little bits.  Pour into mesh bag, repeat with other half of raisins, then rinse processor with boiling water into the bag.  Tie off bag, add bag to primary, stir everything with a spoon, and top up to 6 gallon with cold water (with the bag out and dripped).  SG=1.120, temperature not recorded.

1/27/13 2:30PM

Pitched yeast after rehydrating per directions on packet.  Weighed the fermenter - fully loaded it is 67 lbs.  I think that after fermentation, it should be several pounds lighter, just going by the SG, right?  If it goes from 1.120 to 1, it should reduce by 12%, right?

2/2/13 10AM

Fermentation is still going strong.  I stir and squeeze the bag with the spoon every day or so.  Sweetness is coming down, flavor is getting stronger.  Doesn't seem very alcoholic yet.

2/7/13 8AM

Took out and squeezed fruit bag.  Took gravity - 1.034 - currently at 11.7% alcohol.  Tastes very good, just slightly sweet.  I would prefer it dryer.  Fermentation is still going.

2/12/13 8PM

Fermentation has slowed way down.  Weight is 56.3 lbs - weight went down by 10 pounds!  Racked into 6 gallon Better Bottle.  Gravity is 1.010, 15%ABV.  Taste is fairly nice, a little more harsh than before, but I'm sure that will mellow out.

2/20/13 8AM

Fermentation is still going, but very slowly at this point.  Generated a qr code for this page which I will put on the label:

3/11/13 8PM

Racked into another 6 gallon Better Bottle.  FG is 0.998 at 70 degrees F.  Fermcalc says this is 16.6% ABV.  As before, this tastes drinkable now, although it does taste pretty alcoholic (it is, but the flavor should mellow a little).  Wine is very clear.

4/7/13 11AM

Bottled.  Wine is very clear, and tastes great.  A very mild sherry note, might be a little oxidation, although that may also be the raisins.  Tried to degas some during bottling by crimping the hose, and splashing onto the surface - got a lot of carbonation coming out.  28 750ml and 6 375ml bottles.

4/8/13 8PM 

Finally came up with a name - I remembered that the crazy aunts in Arsenic and Old Lace disguised their poison in elderberry wine...  Made a label to make the connection:

8/24/13 3PM

This wine is nice - I definitely serve it to company.  It has a sweetness that isn't sugar - something about the elderberries, I think.  It has something of a port note, but on this wine, unlike the apple, it is a good fit.  All the raisins gave it a fair bit of body, so the port flavor complements that.

8/14

I still have about 8 bottles - some of the sweetness has gone away, so it's actually somewhat nicer now.