Elderflower Sparkling Wine - Using Dried Elderflowers

A forum for winemakers to discuss their craft
Post Reply
User avatar
floydmeddler
Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
Posts: 4160
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:37 pm
Location: Irish man living in Brighton

Elderflower Sparkling Wine - Using Dried Elderflowers

Post by floydmeddler » Thu Apr 30, 2020 12:39 pm

For a few years now, I've been promising my wife, mother and mother in law that I'd dedicate a tap on my keezer to sparkling elderflower wine. It's lockdown, so I'm finally getting round to it as have no excuse...

I ordered dried elderflower and am underwhelmed by their aroma. I wasn't expecting in your face freshness and zing as I would expect from fresh, but was expecting a bit more than this. Is this normal? Should I still go for it? Am planning on using 100g in a 20L batch of wine. Happy to buy from a reliable source if anyone has one. I'd love to get my hands on some vacuum packed ones.

Cheers,
Floyd

TheSumOfAllBeers
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 677
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 11:21 am

Re: Elderflower Sparkling Wine - Using Dried Elderflowers

Post by TheSumOfAllBeers » Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:22 pm

Elderflower should be starting to bloom any day now. You could just harvest fresh?

User avatar
floydmeddler
Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
Posts: 4160
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:37 pm
Location: Irish man living in Brighton

Re: Elderflower Sparkling Wine - Using Dried Elderflowers

Post by floydmeddler » Fri May 01, 2020 7:38 am

Cheers TSOAB. I didn't think it was this early. Always thought start of June.

TheSumOfAllBeers
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 677
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 11:21 am

Re: Elderflower Sparkling Wine - Using Dried Elderflowers

Post by TheSumOfAllBeers » Fri May 01, 2020 11:52 am

Depends where you live, but when I harvested them, I was always looking out for them from May. Some places they would not show up until late May or June, and blooms can persist into July; but they are best harvested early in the season when there is good weather.

Maybe scottish isles it might bloom later, but down your neck of the woods (Brighton) I would be keeping an eye out for it.

User avatar
floydmeddler
Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
Posts: 4160
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:37 pm
Location: Irish man living in Brighton

Re: Elderflower Sparkling Wine - Using Dried Elderflowers

Post by floydmeddler » Fri May 01, 2020 12:25 pm

Cheers. Fingers crossed!

HLA91
Steady Drinker
Posts: 71
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2011 11:50 pm

Re: Elderflower Sparkling Wine - Using Dried Elderflowers

Post by HLA91 » Sun May 31, 2020 10:18 am

Don't quote me but I believe some people have 'enhanced' the elderflower by using a preservative free cordial such as Bottle Green Elderflower https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/p ... /251631485 might be worth a shot if your fresh and/or dried are a bit duff.

User avatar
floydmeddler
Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
Posts: 4160
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:37 pm
Location: Irish man living in Brighton

Re: Elderflower Sparkling Wine - Using Dried Elderflowers

Post by floydmeddler » Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:04 am

I can conclude that that dry is no match for fresh. Did 2 x 10L batches dry/fresh and the difference was immense. I'll never use dry again. I combined the two batches in a corny and 'dry hopped' with more fresh. Resulting 20L is tasting very nice now. Just need to condition for 6 months now!

User avatar
floydmeddler
Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
Posts: 4160
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:37 pm
Location: Irish man living in Brighton

Re: Elderflower Sparkling Wine - Using Dried Elderflowers

Post by floydmeddler » Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:04 am

HLA91 wrote:
Sun May 31, 2020 10:18 am
Don't quote me but I believe some people have 'enhanced' the elderflower by using a preservative free cordial such as Bottle Green Elderflower https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/p ... /251631485 might be worth a shot if your fresh and/or dried are a bit duff.
I've heard that too. I like the idea of keeping this batch pure, though. Maybe I'll try that in the future.

Post Reply