Seems as though the Elder Flower wine has kicked off OK, happy days me thinks. Although being a 'Tom the cabin boy' at this I'm not sure 'bout that colour! Comments, advice most welcome...
More on the process at a later date, till then take care me hearties...
John
8 comments:
I'm sure it will be most drinkable.
I wouldn't worry about the colour, it will clear with time.
In general, but look up the specifics for your wine, let it ferment out so the bubbles stop.
Rack it off the lees (sediment at the bottom) into a clean sterilised demijohn. Leave for a couple of months, rack off the lees again into a clean demjohn.
Leave a couple of months, bottle.
In many cases some of the lees can be retained and fed to keep a starter for more wine but I haven't tried this yet. In theory it's like ginger beer, you just keep seperating it.
The time you leave depends on the wine and then when bottled it wants to age. Mine are still in demijohns though, I figured I would bottle them when I want them as air is the enemy of wine and the more you move it around the more air you get into it.
You can buy finings that will speed up the clearing process, but these aren't necessary. Gravity will easily do the job in the time the wine needs to rack.
One thing worth using though is pectolase as pectin in fruit will turn a wine cloudy. You need to add this at the start though.
Of course the cloudiness is only appearance, if you don't mind it you can drink it!
bloop bloop gurgle.. make mine a large one (ooh matron)...
Even yeast and sugar will give water some color. I wouldn't worry about it just yet. I made some mead once, and it looked a little funky as it was fermenting. (Nearly that color, in fact.)
John, in my very limited experience, the liquid will clear up. I have never made elder flower wine, so I am not sure what color it should be.
The only advice I have ... be patient, allow it to settle very well, then rack it off, and let it go again.
Interesting experiment!
I've been meaning to make my own honey mede, but still haven't gotten around to it yet.
Good luck with the wine!
Shit Murph! You're not actually gonna drink that baby sick are you?
Actually I wouldn't worry. It'll clear. Mine did (but still tasted like baby sick).
Great blog, gonna stick around...
John - sorry for being away for so long - moving sucks! I'll be back as a regular reader / poster soon.
And - I think it will taste just fine!
Wolfy
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