I am making my first attempt at wine. I have made ginger beer, but I have always wanted to try something more sophisticated. This is the recipe I am using.
Elderberry Wine
Elderberry Wine
- 4 1/2 cups Elderberries
- 12 cups water
- 5 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 3 campden tablet
- 1 teaspoon pectic enzyme
- 1 teaspoon yeast nutrients
- 1 package wine yeast
- Wash Berries. Remove stalks. Crush and place in primary fermenter. Dissolve campden tablets in 2 cups hot water. Add to primary fermenter. Stir in lemon juice and pectic enzyme. Leave overnight.
Add 10 cups water and yeast. Let sit 3 days, stirring daily. Make sure fruit stays submerged. I used K1V-1116, Lavin Montpellier wine yeast.
On day 4, strain out the fruit. Add sugar and nutrients. Put into secondary fermenter and attach airlock. - For a sweet wine, rack at three weeks. Add 1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup wine. Stir gently, and place back into secondary fermentor. Repeat process every six weeks until fermentation does not restart with the addition of sugar. Rack every three months until one year old. Bottle.