| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| DorsetScott |
Elderflower ChampagneAfter having made edlerflower champagne for a few years using the same recipe I've decided this year to experiment and find out my favourite.So far I've made 6 different recipes, and before I start searching random internet sites for different recipes I thought I'd try here. Anyone care to share their recipe? I'll make a small batch to taste test alongside all the others, and will share my favourite recipe when I have decided. |
| dpack |
grape white grape juice and a half a pound of flowers to the gallon for a couple of days,sieve and up the sg with sugar to give about 12% when fermented out bottle with a tablespoon of sugar for the fizz
i used pet bottles for the last stage for safety as it can be a bit lively sort of ok and fairly quick |
| sean |
Not champagne but strawberry and elderflower is delicious. |
| Nicky cigreen |
here's mine |
| madcat |
The rain has ruined all the flowers round here. |
| DorsetScott |
Cheers guys, there's another couple to add to the pool of recipes.
And strawberry and elderflower sounds intriguing too. I'm stocking up on flowers at the mo, couple of hundred heads in the freezer, 3 jam jars full of dried ones, reckon I'll be able to make a big batch of my favourite!!! Hope a final flush comes out for you madcat, can't imagine not having my elderflower goodies. Must admit Elderflower Delight was a favourite last year. |
| roobarb |
Does freezing the elderflower heads have any adverse affects to flavour and fizz production? I don't normally add any extra yeast, but if using frozen elderflower heads would I need to add extra? We're off on holiday next week, so I'm not going to be around to watch the brew develop, so want to get some heads in the freezer this week, before they all go over and make it on our return. |
| dpack |
if anything frozen give out more flavour so long as they are frozen in airtight containers |
| DorsetScott |
No adverse effects on the flowers although you may well need to add extra yeast when using them. When they defrost they are pretty limp and a slightly browny colour, but taste and appearance of finished brew is identical.
I don't use airtight containers, I just stick them in plastic bags to be honest and haven't had any issues. It is worth bagging them up in the amounts you'll be using though, it's very hard to seperate out and count heads when they're defrosted. I find bags of 10 (or multiples of if you make bigger brews like me) work pretty well. |