Comments on: Make Elderflower Champagne – Taste of Spring – Elderflower Fizz

By: Swan Creator

Swan Creator — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 01:03:33 +0000

This receipe should be fairly safe – only had one glass bottle explode yet out of 60!!
10L water
1.7 Kg Sugar
12 flowerheads
2 lemons (sliced, but not juiced – just add as slices)
2 Tbsp vinegar (cider or white wine)

Mix sugar into the cold water (this will only take 1-2 minutes vigurous stirring) – then add the flower heads, vingar and lemon slices. This is best done in a sterilised plastic bucket – sterilise with boiling water and allow to cool.

Cover loosely (tea towel, etc) and leave stand for 1 week, stirring twice daily. Do not add extra yeast, and bottle whether show signs of fizzing or not. You can leave for up to 10 days before bottling, but you must stir twice daily. Bottles must be sterilised.

Elderfolwer champagne will naturally have a cloudy appearance, and there will be some sediment – it’s a natural drink, not ‘cleaned’ by chemicals or preseratives.

As the elderflower is now nearly finished blossoming, the same receipe applies for Meadowsweet – though I’m not sure what it’s tast will be like – just did my first brew tonight!!

This receipe tasted best when I drank it after 10 months, but was good from day 1!

By: Jane

Jane — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:49:02 +0000

Have been persuaded to re-try the champagne after years of only making the cordial , because of said explosions. Had not heard in the old days(15 yrs ago) that plastic bottles were the best, and have just this afternoon bottled it into glass. Should I re-bottle? Also my recipe didn’t say I had to wait until it was fermenting in the ucket, so had bottled it according to time recipe only, ie 3 days. So what should I do?

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:34:04 +0000

I’m making my first batch of Ederflower champagne ever at the moment. I used about 30 heads of elderflower and 3 large lemons in about 27 litres of water, but I only added 1.8kg of sugar. It gives a reading of approx 5.5-6% abv on my hydrometer and is bubbling away as we speak after 16 hours. Not got any foam yet but it smells great! I’m wondering if I used enough sugar though, should 1.8kg be enough for 27 litres or should I add a bit more? I’ll be letting it ferment for 6 days then bottling with a teaspoon of sugar in each champagne bottle, so hopefully that’ll avoid breakages! Any tips would be welcome!

By: carol

carol — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 20:59:47 +0000

I Have made 19lts of Elderflower champers……only when I tried it, it has gone ‘gloopy’ kind of a slimey texture…It has been fermentng for 14days…plenty of fizz…. it tasted ok, but any ideas of where I have gone wrong… or how to remedy it?? I thought possibly emptying half the bottle and addnd extra water??

By: Pasty Muncher

Pasty Muncher — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 22:24:05 +0000

Fingers crossed Lionel

By: Pasty Muncher

Pasty Muncher — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 22:23:06 +0000

@Heather – woo – do let us know how it turns out. I’ve been eyeing up the sambucus negro and wondering the same.

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:55:29 +0000

I am about to make my very first batch of elderflower champagne and as I have some black elder in my garden, wonder if this can be used too? It might make a nice pink champagne???

happy bottling one and all…

By: Lionel

Lionel — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:52:24 +0000

We have just made a 4 litre version which is in a 10 litre plastic camping water bottle with tap closed. We were hoping for a stronger version of the champagne but unsure what will happen – it is currently sitting in front of the the fireplace in my living room – wish me luck!

By: Grazing Kate

Grazing Kate — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 09:01:05 +0000

Just linked to your recipe on our SW food page on Facebook – feel free to come and visit and join the discussion!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_151672788219720&ap=1
Grazing Kate´s last [type] ..Bagel and Beans – Great Budget Food in Central Amsterdam

By: Isabel

Isabel — Tue, 31 May 2011 22:20:19 +0000

Well, so far so good… i am onto my 2nd batch for this year. But PLEASE somebody tell me.. is this right… i have used plastic bottles and they are sitting in my garage, the ‘champagne’ was the colour of a well hydrated person’s pee ( sorry!) but has turned cloudy after 2 weeks. I tasted it tonight, and it has a lovely pleasing taste and a little fizz but what worries me is that it has a viscosity.. slightly syrupy. It does not taste too sweet, I was wondering if I had made a cordial by mistake! Whats happening? It this going to change in the next few weeks? Is this thick liquid safe? Its seems strange…..
I used 10 litres of water,
1 kg sugar,
skin and juice of 2 lemons,
4 tbsp of white wine vinegar,
at least 10 flower heads, picked on a sunny midday.
I kept it for 24 hours in a lidded bucket and stirred it every 8 hours ( about) then strained and bottled.

Thank you to all who can help.