Elderflower Champers/Bubbly

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Loopy

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Lynda
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Okay, a couple of quick questions for any home brew enthusiasts out there.

I started some elderflower bubbly yesterday as per HFW recipe. Checked it tonight and it looks very still and all the flower heads have sunk to the bottom. If it doesn't start to do anything by tomorrow I have to add some yeast.

1. Can I give it a stir or should I leave it.
2. Can I use yeast that you buy for bread-making
3. Does yeast 'really' go out of date?

Cheers
L
:)
 
It's been about 30 summers since I last made any, but I've just got back from a walk and had a glass of something I bought just for the PET bottles so I can get some made this year.

The recipe I've used has elderflowers, lemons, sugar, cider vinegar and water. There would be no sign of fizz when it was bottled, but I found the fermentation could be speeded up by leaving it longer in the bucket. Otherwise, I could never be sure whether it would be ready in time for an occasion.

The elderflowers will have trapped natural airborne yeasts, and no doubt the vinegar is there for insurance.

So, I would advise leaving it for a few days (say four in total), bottling it, and checking it every few days. The first sign of fizz, and you're onto a winner.

I've seen recipes for other brews that use fresh bakers' yeast spread on a piece of toast and floated in the liquor.

The "efficacy" of yeast certainly decreases, but it keeps well in the freezer.

What's HFW stand for?
 
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HFW - Hugh Fernley Whitenwhatsit.

Looks like more or less the same recipe.
I have a batch of the normal and an experimental bucket with lime juice and the heads off a black lace elder. The latter is already really pink so I'm looking forward to that.

We're trying to drink lots of cava for the bottles LOL.

Should I give it a stir or be patient?
 
Ahh, Hugh Poly-Tunnel...

No particular need for a stir.

There don't seem to be the number of flies these days, but keep them away from the watering hole.

I've made lime marmalade this year. It's amazing how lacking in flavour the commercial stuff is.
 
mmm, lime marmalade sounds nice. My next foraging mission (I know you don't forage limes) won't be until the end of summer for the blackberries, sloes and rosehips.
 
Nettles? ;)

When I visited Northumberland in May I was surprised at the number of dandelions.
 
What would you make with dandelions?
 
Looks interesting, if a bit evil :D

Have you made this before and if so, do you favour the lemon or orange recipe?

Annoying, but we just chucked a couple of my F-in-L's demijohns away about a month ago.
 
Help.

The normal stuff is starting to go hairy mouldy on the top, is this the fermentation starting? It's not creamy bubbly mouldy

The pink stuff is doing nothing.

Both buckets have been covered and pegged with clean tea towels.
 
I'd scrape the mould off and strain it into bottles (both batches) straight away. The nearer it is to body temperature, the more likely unwanted bugs will start to multiply.

Don't expect any sign of fermentation during the bucket stage. Leaving it a bit longer just helps it to build up the fizz sooner, once it's bottled. It's never failed to work for me when left for a shorter period: just that it may take getting on for a month to get fizzy.

I've not made dandelion wine - not enough dandelions round here.
 
Ah, I'll have to get on to that tomorrow straight away. The weather has not done me any favours, methinks.
 
[I've made lime marmalade this year. It's amazing how lacking in flavour the commercial stuff is. /QUOTE]

Any chance of a recipe of Clicky Linky Mr Photon?
Click to expand...
 
Lime Marmalade

1kg of fresh limes (about 20, in number)

Use a potato peeler to thinly peel half the fruit, then use scissors
to make thin shreds (takes ages!), to yield about 100g of peel.

Pressure-cook the fruit and peel in 1L of water for 30 minutes.
(Lack of a pressure cooker might kill this recipe for you . . .)

When cool, remove the peel and place in a pan of at least 5L
capacity. Remove the fruit, cut in half, and use a wooden citrus
reamer to juice the fruit into the remaining liquid in the pressure
cooker. Using a wooden spoon, rub the liquid through a sieve
into the pan with the peel.

Wash your jars (ones for peanut butter with plastic lids are good)
and put in the oven at 100C for a few minutes.

Add 2kg sugar to the lime juice and peel and place the pan over
a medium heat. Dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil, stirring
frequently.

I don't use saucers from the fridge, or a sugar thermometer, to
judge when it's ready: I go by the colour, and don't mind if it's a
bit runny. However, I will try and be a bit more scientific, and also
use pectin, so I can use more water and sugar, for a less-strong
flavour. As it is, I often "cut" this marmalade with any type of
shop-bought stuff, when it hits the toast.

Allow the hot marmalade to cool off then, holding the jar in a cloth,
spoon or funnel it in, and screw on the caps while the contents are
still warm.
 
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Thanks for the recipe :thumbs:


I will give this a go when im next home. My dad makes jam every year so i can draft in his help if needed.


I might try the elderflower bubbly aswell, sounds v nice :woot:
 
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