How to make Elderflower Champagne | Brewbitz Homebrew Shop

[@ahmelmahay]

you are hilarious back to me James hahaha you make my day....what a well trained cameraman you have there Sir

[@nicolemurphy2629]

I drink rarely but if I'm gonna drink 😂 let it be Champagne !! Gonna try this

[@TheAngryMurloc]

Made this last year. It was moonshine. After 2 glasses I passed out and couldn’t remember anything. 11/10 Late elderflower season this year but making a recipe with the first bloom right now

[@keithmcgrath9402]

Thanks guys made 40ltrs last year, amazing stuff, everybody loved it, kept one 2ltr for 10 months, it tasted amazing, Crystal clear, all of it came out proper bubbly, how long can it keep for, i always thought it was just a few months, but the one bottle i kept was amazing, just started this year batch, 60ltrs, class,

[@ahmelmahay]

the opening of that swing top bottle hahaha brilliant

[@stephenbaugh828]

Very entertaining and informative it’s a big thumbs up and I can’t wait to try it out.

[@elislee2773]

Back to me james

[@grahamwoolley1449]

Fantastic recipe! Made this along side the traditional method (natural yeasts) on 21st June both worked well but traditional method is too yeasty. This method is absolutely delicious! Still drinking well in late November and will keep a bottle for New Years Eve! Thank you Brewbitz :D

[@Brewbitz]

Wonderful! Glad you like it.

[@lestephv5256]

thanks for sharing how to make this one! love the ending too haha

[@jhayre1000]

brilliant video. I love the nod to Keith Floyd

[@goathead53]

Great recipe and turned out sooooo good .Strong but fantastic taste with a shed load of fizzzz. Well done.

[@Brewbitz]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@leespiderpod]

Thanks for the great video. I'll be buying some of your bits for this recipe

[@sunryse111]

How long do you reckon it will keep in my cool, dark garage before it all needs drinking up?

[@Brewbitz]

Hi. I’ll happily last years.

[@sunryse111]

@@Brewbitz I guessed as much. Thanks for getting back to me.

[@antojones4297]

To me to you, to me to you , Home James .... Made me laugh !

[@Medietos]

Can the lemon and lemon peel be added after the cold water, so as not to spoil their goodness? Is it good to lessen the sugar and yeast content, so as to lessen the risk of explosion?I don't want excessive fizz and alcohol anyway, LOL. Does FIZZ get to one's head; not alcohol? I'd gather the bubbles on a tray, he loses quite a lot. I didn't hear you tell the temp of the 2d fermentation?

[@juicer8540]

Made it and tastes great! Thanks Davin👍👍😁

[@Brewbitz]

Awesome. Happy brewing

[@MichelleLouiseLove]

is it just me that feels sorry for poor James being bossed about the whole time.

[@MrJamesreeves63]

I felt like I was being told off ... even though I wasn't the videographer lol

[@Brewbitz]

Hahaha. If you think thats bad, you should watch a fantastic chef “keith floyd”. Then you’ll get it. ;) We rehearse the scene, but sometimes Davin goes off on a tangent. Hahaha

[@ericslevin6540]

Hi when u open the bottle how do u stop the sediment from rushing to the top

[@Brewbitz]

Once it has cleared, the sediment will form into a pretty solid mass at the bottom. Open, then pour in one continuous pour. Avoid pouring the stopping pouring again then stoping as this will rock the liquid against the sediment and cause the it to break up.

[@catjoyce3337]

@@Brewbitz It reminded me of Keith Floyd too! So fabulous. Thank you!

[@andrewmather9595]

Cant wait to try making this

[@ARCSTREAMS]

ive noticed from all the vids on making this no one seems to care about sanitation or all that air and oxygen getting in the brew after it has fermented and before it goes into the bottle,,unlike wine,beer or other homebrews,why is that? is there nothing that can spoil this thing? and will this end up being a dry or brut champagne since 10 gravity points remaining is nothing in terms of sweetness and will be turned to alc as well

[@baljit4281]

Made this and it turned out great!!

[@Brewbitz]

Thanks. Glad you liked it!

[@woodbut1]

Found you guys at the start of lockdown after buying a wine buddy kit.......been watching ever since.....made some nice wine with good results.....thanks'......from the isle of man :)

[@Brewbitz]

Happy brewing

[@lindaemery9287]

Hi! Made this and put into plastic carbonated bottles. Squeezed and let air out quite afew times as bottles were becoming hard. Left now to clear which doing slowly but seems to have a faint brown sediment at the brim of each liquid. Is this the norm or is it due to me letting some air out? and will it still be ok. A newby at this winemaking since lockdown .

[@Brewbitz]

Why did you pet the air out? Thats the co2 that will make it fizzy. You may have let air in and possible an infection.

[@lindaemery9287]

@@Brewbitz The bottles were getting really hard and I thought it might explode. I didn,t take off the top just gently undid and squeezed the bottle. They have still carbonated as bottles have harderned up again. Leaving now but is the brown rim an infection then and will it now be undrinkable. 😢

[@Brewbitz]

Sorry. I honestly don’t know as I’ve not had that happen. Wait till they have cleared, pop one open and see. Hopefully it is just some dried sediment,

[@ladabonaveri]

Can you use cooking yeast in sachets instead of champagne yeast? I don't have champagne yeast where I am.. 😢

[@Brewbitz]

Ideally you need to use a yeast for the job you are doing. If you cant get champagne yeast, an all purpose white wine yeast will do, a cider yeast works well. Bread yeast as a last resort will do it, but the finished champagne may taste bready

[@darrenmay1660]

Hi Davin, you used 3 pounds of granulated sugar when you made the elderflower wine, do you use the same sugar for the champagne...thanks

[@sexydan27]

Do you have to add tanning? And I’ve bought white wine yeast from wilkos. Does it specifically have to be champagne yeast or is there really no difference?

[@Brewbitz]

Danimal Edwards tanning or strong cold stewed tea will substitute. Champagne yeast binds together for the bottle fermentation and so allows you to pour a clear sparkling glass without sediment.

[@asterixborden-koi6881]

Brilliant video and good to see you didn't cut out the end part

[@Brewbitz]

Had to be done! :D

[@Brewbitz]

The end was a surprise for me too D

[@IrlDave71]

Could this champagne be racked to a demijohn with an airlock for a month or so before bottling? Also what do you think is the shelf life of this wine bottled? I would like to have it for Christmas.

[@Brewbitz]

Yes, just dont add any campden tabs or fermentation stopper as this will knock out the yeast which are needed when bottling to make the fizz. The secondary fermentation in the bottle may also take longer. So leave in a warm place after bottling for a couple of weeks. It will happily last for a few years.

[@IrlDave71]

@@Brewbitz Thank you for replying.

[@MultiChef888]

Great video , wonderful ending well done mate and James gets to see you pop your cork as well lol

[@alexdakin7805]

Can you add more elderflower heads during fisrt fermentation process, ie after a few days?

[@Brewbitz]

Yes you can, but it might be too intense

[@georgebaker4850]

I’m assuming this would be a flat wine when finished in Demi down to FG 1000. Would I be able to batch prime up to desired co2 volume, let’s say 3 for a good fizz and then bottle in regular glass beer bottles and the crown cap?

[@Brewbitz]

Sure can. Have you watched the champagne version of this video?

[@georgebaker4850]

Didn’t realise there was one, just watched it now. Interesting the recipe is different with the raisins and vinegar. Loved the surprise ending lol 👍🏻

[@wildwelshgirl]

great vid as always .... excited for elderflower season

[@Brewbitz]

Thanks! Us too!

[@milliepaterson2758]

great video. How strong is the alcohol content?

[@Marylmac]

A Scotts lady says hers is about 8 % and a bit alcohol. I have to look for her part 2 of how she bottled it. Apparently the temp is very very important. Too hot, or too cold one gets no alcohol, the other gives no bubbles. She does 18 C, these boys do 20C. I'm about to make my fist batch. Elderberry trees are on my little half acre here in Hungary. Made elderflower syrup this morning. The simple 3 ingredient one. Sugar, flowers and water. No lemons etc. It is a very spiritual type of drink. I left some pretty flowers in the syrup. They are so aromatic. It feels like you are consuming an aura, like a halo, or something really very spiritual. Weird.

[@one-off3264]

Do you find swing top bottles safer/stronger than capped beer bottles. Even though yours went a bit crazy the bottle was still intact..... Have you ever had the bottles fail?

[@Brewbitz]

Hi. Ive never had a bottle fail.

[@jonbaker9497]

Do you ever re-use your muslin bags? If so, how do you clean them?

[@Brewbitz]

Muslin no. Nylon straining bags yes. Clean off any gunk from the bag, then wash it with normal washing liquid. No fabric conditioner. Leave to dry. Before use, rinse in clean cold tap water, then sterilise.

[@jonbaker9497]

Thanks for the advice. Just racked off my first attempt at your elderflower wine recipe and I have to say, I got a little taste when I was syphoning and it’s already tasting pretty good.....going to struggle to lay this down for too long....😂

[@TommyTen10]

Still waiting for it to ferment down to 1.01 on the hydrometer, before bottling. Taking ages, well over a month!! Have even given it a teaspoon of super yeast to speed it up but still not moving much. Can see it is active and still tastes sweet. What would you recommend? I have a 25L bin full of it!!

[@Brewbitz]

Check the temperatures isnt too high or too low 18 - 22°C

[@bradandfudge]

How did you go on with the remaining bottles for fizz? The longer they are left the more explosive they become. Last year I made about 40 PET bottles of some bodged up version of elderflower champagne and the bottles from being soft and squidgy on day one went as solid as tree trunks. It used to take me about 5 minutes to open a bottle (screw top). I only had one bottle explode but the others eventually stretched so much they ended up looking like balloons. From having a bottle nearly full to the neck they ended up being about half full, the bottle had expanded so much. How long would you leave the "champagne" before having to drink it all ?

[@keshatton2334]

I made some ginger beer years ago and bottled in 500ml plastic bottles. They were in an old milk crate in the garage. I had a few which like yours got to the size of a football but i managed to recue most. 2 blew though completley destroying the milk crate and splitting a 1/2 inch chipboard shelf. Tasted great but what a kick

[@sexydan27]

Due to a family bravement I’ve taken my eye of the boil and went to test it today on the hydrometer (day 7 so 2 days over the video) . The fizz has stopped and the reading on the hydrometer is 0.990. Can it be saved or shall it be thrown?

[@Brewbitz]

Danimal Edwards - unfortunately sometimes other things take priority. Just know, it can be saved. Just carry on and follow the next steps & all will be fine.

[@RussellBallestrini]

lol I love the finale!

[@rBJ817]

Well done! Cheers

[@asterixborden-koi6881]

I now have 2lb of Strawberries & 2lb of grapes, @ the moment i don't have a press i'm still a novice @ the moment will i be best to mash the fruits first and then put them into the bin and then follow your instruction/video on the How to make Blackberry wine ! Paul

[@Brewbitz]

Hi Paul, That would work, obviously you'll be left with more sediement etc and the wine might not be quite as full or rich. But, yes, it'll work! Give it a try! It's all about experimentation. Cheers!

[@miriamcourtney6827]

This looks devine. No elder trees near me. Would you recommend dried elder flowers?

[@Brewbitz]

Hi. You’ll be surprised where they grow. But if none, dried works amazingly well.

[@sbrooks6244]

We've got a great quality white wine vinegar I'd love to use in this, but I'm a bit hesitant as it is both unpasteurised and contains the 'mother'. Would this be safe to use?

[@Brewbitz]

Sorry. On this one, I cant answer it. Is vinegar pasteurised? Ive only ever used shop bought vinegar. :( sorry.

[@stuartsvino2337]

Can this method be used for other fruit wines

[@Brewbitz]

Hi Stuart. Check out my other videos for fruit wines. Cheers

[@stuartsvino2337]

@@Brewbitz Thanks i watch your vids they are good and easy to follow. I was just wondering can i bottle most fruit wines at 1.010 to get a fizzy wine as you did with the elderflower. Thanks

[@asterixborden-koi6881]

Could you give me some advice on making wine with fresh produce i have been starting to collect and freeze Grapes & Strawberries which are left over from my family not eating or just gone out of date? Will this work if the fruit has been frozen. How much will i need to collect? (i have 2No. Demijohns + 1 NO. To rack off) Will i have to do separate I.E just grapes for one batch & strawberries for another batch or can you just add both ingredients together. Many Thanks. Paul.

[@Brewbitz]

Hi! There's no problem with using frozen fruits. Just defrost them and then juice them as normal. You could use a soft fruit press to extract the juices. www.brewbitz.com/presses/289-13-litre-ferrari-fruit-press.html You'd need around 3lbs of fruit to make 1 gallon of wine. You could split it half and half if you wanted to make a Strawberry & Grape wine, to make 1 gallon use 1.5lbs of each fruit. It would be best to mix the two ingredients and have them ferment together, that way you'll get a better end result. Hope that helps. Happy brewing!

[@asterixborden-koi6881]

Thank you for the reply and yes i was thinking of doing a mixed wine :-)

[@wanda04g]

Love it!!!

[@nicolemurphy2629]

how do you test the % vol alcohol ?

[@Brewbitz]

You need to use a hydrometer before the fermentation stops so you can take a reading. Then at the end of the fermentation, you take another reading and a simple calculation gives you the abv. Or if you know how much sugar you added, then you can get a good estimate.

[@meyza8518]

How much water do you put in !!!!!!

[@karencopestick7382]

If I made 3 times the amount in this recipe, would I use 3 sachets of yeast?

[@Brewbitz]

Most if the 5gram sachets are good for up to 23 litres.

[@pgprentice]

You POMs are funny. Warm fizzy drinks... :) Next time really chill that bottle! Nice video thank you....

[@jackcook93]

Is there a reason for not putting raisins in the champagne?

[@Brewbitz]

Its a different flavour. The raisins add an extra depth in a wine that would make a champagne a bit heavier and not as light as it should be.

[@jackcook93]

I see, thanks for that. Btw, LOVE the channel this is my 3rd year brewing wild hedgerow wines and ciders, couldn't of done it without your videos. Thank you 👍🏻

[@Brewbitz]

😊 🍻

[@ericslevin6540]

Hi how do u stop the sediment from rushing to the top when u open a bottle

[@Brewbitz]

you need to use a sparkling / champagne yeast. This normally settles and forms a solid sediment at the bottom of the bottle that stays put when you open. Pour in one continuous pour and try not to rock the bottle.

[@patilott6863]

Great ending - enjoy

[@brianashton4852]

Mine's not clearing. Tried adding Pectolase still no joy. Any ideas.

[@Brewbitz]

Brian Ashton Brian give it time. It will clear.

[@maxlewis8271]

Does the fermentation need to be done airtight? Cheers

[@Brewbitz]

max lewis no

[@mycomment3509]

I don't agree on using hot water o the flowers if you don't want to loose the aromatic explosion of the elderflower! Just mix the water with the sugar, dissolve it and then add cold water - and up you go - add the flowers afterwards!

[@nickogs1265]

Anyone got any advise on how to poor elderflower champagne before the yeast mixes in? You can get one clear flute before the fizz lifts and mixes the yeast all in and it ends up looking like riccar. Clear tasts awesome but the yeasty one makes it bitter. Any thoughts?

[@Brewbitz]

Nicko G's it's time! The sediment will coagulate at the bottom and stay there if left long enough. A few months should do the trick.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

keep the bottle inverted while its fermenting,,then riddle it from time to time so all the crap ends up int the neck sitting on the flip top ,then you burst flush it out over your sink and hopefully end up with a clear drink in the bottle,depends on how sticky your yeast variety is but its less crap than you started with

[@celiacollins16]

Hei, I was wondering if this will be the same for rhubarb champagne?

[@Brewbitz]

I'm sure it would work!

[@celiacollins16]

Thanks, would you be kind enough to suggest a quantity of rhubarb for me to follow this recipe, or does it really not matter?Cheers

[@Brewbitz]

D here - use the usual 3lb. Cut the rhubarb up into 1 inch chunks (no leaves - they are poisonous), put in the fermenting bin, pour on the sugar, stir, put the lid on and leave for 24 hours. the sugar brings out the juices in the rhubarb. Now pour on the boiling water, and stir to fully dissolve the sugar. leave to cool to 20C, add the pectolase, yeast nutrient and yeast. Ferment for 1 week, without stirring, strain into a demijohn and ferment to dryness. Enjoy happy brewing

[@questfish]

When is the Camden tablet added?

[@Brewbitz]

oops - that was a mistake in the ingredients list - it isnt!

[@ellisanderson842]

what if i want to make 25 litres? do i just add more water?

[@Brewbitz]

No, you'll need to read your chemical labels. Some chemicals need 1tsp PER gallon. 1x sachet of yeast is fine for 25 litres. You'll need 5x the amount of elderflower etc... Everything would need to be multiplied by 5x apart from the yeast, lemon and maybe the vinegar. All about experimentation!

[@leekk70]

What would happen if i used cow parsley by mistake?

[@Brewbitz]

leekk70 first, are you sure its cow parsley? en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthriscus_sylvestris

[@Billbobr]

You’d be very ill, it’s very poisonous, make sure you get the right flower

[@babybell294]

What would the alcohol content be in this please??

[@Brewbitz]

Hi. Between 11-12.5%

[@screengames5307]

What if you don't have a good sense of smell - or any sense of smell at all? How do you know a good elderflower from a bad one?

[@Brewbitz]

ScreenGames :( a good sense of smell??? Taste involves smelling. Next time you eat a banana, hold your nose and you won't be able to smell / taste the banana. Unfortunately smellovision has not been invented yet, so you'll have to rely on the senses you have.

[@YnseSchaap]

Friend of mine does this with lavender really tasty ;-)

[@nicolemurphy2629]

mix lavender & elderflower may be good

[@YnseSchaap]

@@nicolemurphy2629 😁

[@TeMArkusable]

Wouldn't it be easier to let the fermentation finish and let the sediment fall down. Then you would siphon it to another container and add a set amount of sugar per litre of liquid (for cider it is 6grams of sugar per 1 litre)

[@HugeniaCooney]

Wouldn’t siphoning it off the lees remove a lot of the yeast? Usually the sediment settles when the yeast is finished fermenting

[@Brewbitz]

Yes it does. But too much yeast poo can taint it.

[@mycomment3509]

Well, méthode champenoise is to turn the bottles every day a quarter - so as long as you don't turn the bottles every day, don't call it champagne :) And then, you might want to use the enitre method of Champagne and get rid of the yeast before drinking it! But I am just a French picky person, haha! Have fun you all :)

[@kmconlon81]

How do you get rid of the yeast before drinking it?

[@Brewbitz]

In this method, the yeast forms a solid at the bottom of the bottle, when you pour the fizz, you do it one long slow pour (not stop start), and you’ll get a nice clear glass of fizz. You can use the champigning method to remove the yeast.

[@Brewbitz]

Here’s a link to our blog on how to make champagne and how to remove the yeast from the bottle - www.brewbitz.com/blogs/news/making-sparkling-wine-champagne-at-home

[@asterixborden-koi6881]

Don't know where i went wrong on this one but only managed to get a reading of .990 ?

[@stevendowney1029]

Asterix same, i did an exact 3x batch and don’t know if this effected it

[@leesproul]

that was funny lol

[@Brewbitz]

D here - thanks. I was not expecting that. Now it's has chance to clear and for all the sediment to settle, all the nucleation poins have gone and it opens perfectly now. Also it's improved a lot, just perfect for a sunny September afternoon lazing in the garden.

[@harryl2232]

Do you only need one pint of flowers? back to you

[@andyduggan7239]

Ha ha great ending. Looks v.dry !

[@Brewbitz]

Andy Duggan :) don't let my face fool you. I regularly pull that :)

[@markatkinson1799]

So i followed your recipe 100% and took the readings for bottling, tonight after 1 week of them in cold kitchen and then 21 glass bottles exploded everywhere......

[@Brewbitz]

Were the glass bottles suitable for a carbonated liquid? What was the sg before you bottled it?

[@mhortaleza]

Lol, how many glasses have you drunk before shooting the last part?

[@celine401]

Don’t really need yeast best to wait and see first x

[@Brewbitz]

I would always recommend using a commercial yeast. This makes sure that the hard work of converting the sugar to alcohol is completed. The wild yeast will still be present and will do their funky things in the background. Commercial yeast also means that you will get a solid sediment in the bottom of the bottle to aid pouring, without this it can be pretty much impossible to pour. When using just wild yeast, there is the chance that you will get lucky and will get a really good wild yeast that does the job just as a commercial yeast will do, but do you really want to take that chance giving all the hard work and time you have put into brewing it? Davin

[@celine401]

Brewbitz Homebrew Shop guess I have always been lucky 🍀

[@kitsophrenik]

JAMES! back to me james! wake up lad

[@lockodonis]

James get back to him for christ sake....

[@dezastruos]

Man, i think you put too many "extras" ... Vitamin B? Tanin powders? Come on...

[@Brewbitz]

dezastruos hi. Run your own experiments with and without. You might prefer it without. Btw, the vit b tabs are to help the yeast. Just like us, to stay healthy we need vitamins. So do yeast. They work a lot better with the yeast nutrient meaning you get a better brew. The tanning adds a dryness. You could use a few young oak leaves instead.

[@MRPK1967]

You killed all the natural yeast by adding boiling water to the flowers and then added yeast? - not the correct way to make it.

[@Brewbitz]

MRPK1967 MRPK1967 Thanks for your comment. Leaving the wild yeast is a lottery if you will get the best yeast to ferment fully. Following my recipe and method makes a fantastic tasting wine that clears quickly. Using a commercial sparkling yeast will also mean that the yeast solidifies at the bottom of the bottle and prevents a hazy champagne when it is poured.

[@Soldier957]

None for you, James!

[@sexydan27]

Due to a family bravement I’ve taken my eye of the boil and went to test it today on the hydrometer (day 7 so 2 days over the video) . The fizz has stopped and the reading on the hydrometer is 0.990. Can it be saved or shall it be thrown?

[@Brewbitz]

Danimal Edwards sometimes other things take priority. Just know it can be saved. Just carry on with the method and all should be ok.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

just bottle with a bit of sugar and it will carbonate in the bottle

[@kevinbarker2453]

How can I bring it back as there is no fizz

[@Brewbitz]

Hi. To give you a proper answer, please tell us your method. Especially what you did at the end of the fermentation and your bottling process