Making Elderflower Champagne The Easy Way

Making Elderflower champagne the easy way. By www.wildfooduk.com
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[@cameronpatrickscott]

Back for a 4th year, winner, thanks again, glad to see paul whitehouse doing so well.

[@staceyjizzaine]

I think this video is great but I really love the moment you say how much you love the tea towel. The look of pride and love on your face!

[@MElaughs]

My word! It took me a minute - I didn't recognise you without a mushroom in your hand. The voice gave it away Thanks for this ☮️❤️

[@roseyk7677]

The elderflower blossom comes off the stem super easy, I recommend going through the process of prepping them properly as opposed to leaving the stems on.

[@juliamaxfalcon5483]

Subscribing to this channel was the best decision of my life. I love it!

[@daverevill5577]

I bought a brewing bag from wilko a bit expensive at about 7 quid but worth it just tie it up with all the ingredients and add water I just put it in cold it works like a tea bag and clean the bag then sieve it through it again works well so far.

[@tauIrrydah]

It's that time of year again in the Southern Hemisphere(Australia) so here I am making it again, I follow this recipe every year and have fantastic results.

[@sarahcowan3078]

This couldn't be better timed :) I was watching your other elderflower champagne video earlier today because I wanted to try and make it this week. Thanks Marlow!

[@jddocsmith]

I love the stuff. Make it every year but never have enough containers to make enough to keep me going! This is a nice, quick method for making large quantities.

[@Chooibah]

As I haven't been able to do a Wild Food UK course this year (where I've always been given a cup of Elderflower champagne) I've had to get off my butt and make my own this year! Fingers crossed it turns out okay!

[@hanfarr1117]

My plan for tomorrow!! Thanks so much for the informative video! Just found your channel and love it

[@flamingtarantula]

That is a nice tea towel

[@vincentmonet6172]

Good one🎉

[@daverevill5577]

I made some with the addition of different fruit in raspberry was quite nice a bit like a cross between sherbet and Turkish delight flavours gonna do melon got strawberry on the go and a mint one

[@cameronpatrickscott]

Thanks man, 3rd season following your deliciously simple recipe.

[@homegrownharvest211]

Can u taste the vinegar in it? It’s the only thing putting me off

[@cameronpatrickscott]

@@homegrownharvest211 nope

[@pompeymik]

By brother in law made some a few years ago, they were exploding like bombs! You were scared to touch them! When you opened one it went everywhere and left you with about a third of a bottle 😂never thought to use plastic! Grolsch bottles worked well👍

[@WildFoodUK1]

I still burp them occasionally :)

[@tauIrrydah]

And we've decanted already, very good year.

[@mariannebrearleylove3936]

Yummy inspirational , So on my shopping list buy 10 lemons only have one on my tree 😢🙄

[@Grumpy-Bollocks]

Excellent video as ever, gunna have to try this one out, thank you!

[@martinsefelin4479]

I got my eye on these nice smelling flowers. Gonna make some cordial but still, thank you for nice vid! Love your channel!

[@ARCSTREAMS]

just dont touch a bush that does not belong to you

[@nerrrrrrrrr]

Just made this... will see how it turns out. I have made it once before with a recipe I can't find now, made it another time with the river cottage recipe and it didn't work, so hopefully this does! We have loads of elder flowers this year so making cordial next... any other ideas welcome... also will make elderberry wine when the time comes!

[@callumcomrie]

Did it work?

[@sorscha1308]

I made a load last year with reused plastic bottles. You do need to keep burping the bottles for the first week or so until the gasses aren't as violent in the bottle or they would burst. I can't see that 1 thumb depression would be enough for 2 weeks worth of gas buildup, so be careful folks.

[@katmcmid1341]

You're class mate 😂 👌 I love that mushroom towel too!

[@user-jt6tp3ge9z]

I tried your recipe, nice and easy. In regards to sealing and allowing for expansion, wow.... my second batch have all over expanded and exploded! wowza! so would filling it 3/4 full be better?

[@daverevill5577]

Re last comment cut off the elderflower stalks

[@DJ-uk5mm]

Great. Thanks

[@mrsenstitz]

I put ginger in mine, so you get a cross between ginger beer and elderflower.

[@lukea5067]

How'd that turn out, and how much ginger did you add to how many litres? Cheers.

[@heather-vs9qe]

I made the cordial man o man it was lovely, did mine yesterday l drank the lot

[@dcoakley3590]

Would the process be the same for Meadowsweet flowers? They are ripe and lush right now

[@WildFoodUK1]

Pretty much :)

[@AsherMoodieOfficial]

Shout out to the fly doing a flyby when talking bout the lemons

[@biblicalbow]

Laughed out lout when i saw you c:

[@philipharris818]

Before seeing these comments I have bottled 20 litres of elderflower champagne (without added sugar to avoid blows), if "belching" or whatever term is used for releasing gas over the two week fermentation how often should you do this? Most of mine is in glass so this is important

[@WildFoodUK1]

Burping :) with glass I'd do it every 2 or 3 weeks. But in future I wouldn't use glass

[@kb2vca]

Does anyone know what the purpose of the vinegar is? Normally, anyone making wine avoids acetobacter like the plague and adding vinegar is adding those bacteria (assuming the vinegar is live). If the idea is to add acid why is the lemon juice insufficient and if the idea is to add a blend of acids why not simply add malic (from apples) or tartaric acid (from grapes) to the citric acid added by the lemon?

[@Chooibah]

I assume it's an addition preservative. I'd guess that you'd then need to buy those acids you mentioned, all I needed to buy was 10 lemons and then pick the elderflowers. Unless you're suggesting you can add apple or grape juice instead?

[@ladabonaveri]

Just bottled it! Is it normal that it's a little bit gooey? Or did I let the flowers "rot" too much? Taste is ok! It's just the texture that is slightly weird....

[@maisiethefairy]

Can I use coconut sugar or honey instead? I’m refined sugar free! Thanks

[@christophersmith7714]

Why do you add wine vinegar? What purpose does it provide to the champagne?

[@agatahren7336]

Does it need to be refrigerated or it will last in room temperature?

[@ladabonaveri]

Does it actually contain alcohol, or is it just a non-alcoholic fizzy drink?

[@WildFoodUK1]

its normally about 2%abv unless you add extra yeast

[@ladabonaveri]

Which kind of yeast can I add to make it a bit more alcoholic? 😍 I started the batch yesterday evening (THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO! 😍😍), is it too late to add some yeast now? It's spring and here in Bosnia there's sooooo much elderflower everywhere! I'm making lots of stuff! Here in Bosnia traditionally we make syrup, but I've been exploring variations! 😍 Thank you for the elderflower champagne idea!

[@cathk3722]

Would I be able to store the champagne in demi jars instead of the plastic bottles at all? Really enjoying making this!

[@WildFoodUK1]

Not really. Apart from the potential explosions you'll find it hard to re-decant.

[@donnacurtis97]

If you can not used fresh elderflowers how much dried elderflowers should be used? How many bottles you you need?

[@kevinbutton8950]

Great easy to follow video! thanks. Hey what kind of sterilisation powder do you use for your tubs? 🙌

[@73North265]

Miltons is fine

[@vincentmonet6172]

Anyone know what percentage it’ll be after 4-5 days? 5%ish?

[@WildFoodUK1]

between 1 and 2 abv

[@mikeyt365]

Should you wash the elder flowers to remove bugs etc ?

[@robmcghie5248]

Leave them out to let bugs crawl out Shake them off if necessary.

[@WildFoodUK1]

As Rob says. Don't wash them

[@MrJohnkersey]

Was that a wooden spoon you were using?

[@russellatterbury8131]

I got a big brew bottled up 4 days ago, can you tell me Marlow, if to see the liquid level drop by a couple of centimetres is normal. Is this the sugar being turned into alcohol.

[@WildFoodUK1]

I expect whats happened is that the bottle has expanded and filled with a little gas. You might want to burp them soon if the bottles start to misshape.

[@russellatterbury8131]

@@WildFoodUK1 Thanks Marlow, that's exactly what it is. The bottles have become quite rounded along the sides, and they don't return to the correct shape no matter how much gas I release. But they seem to be holding, just little more than half full.

[@TheCocktailCoach]

Anyone who's made this have advice on bugs on wild elderflower? Do these little critters effect the wine or can you get away with leaving them in the ferment?

[@73North265]

They’ve never bothered me when I’ve done this. You’ll have to filter it when you bottle anyway

[@WildFoodUK1]

agreed :)

[@Shazza20111]

So, you don't need champagne yeast just natural yeast?

[@jamessteven711]

The yeast is in the flower heads

[@jameshall9959]

How does this turn to alcohol without yeast? Does it contain natural yeast somehow?

[@WildFoodUK1]

The flowers do contain a natural yeast. :)

[@jamessteven711]

Is there anything else I can use instead of white wine vinegar?

[@robmcghie5248]

James Collins cider vinegar?

[@dinacarter5012]

apple cider vinegar is fine

[@Shazza20111]

Would it be easier to use a veg peeler on the lemon zest then chop it or whiz it up in a blender?

[@WildFoodUK1]

I'll give it a try soon and let you know. The first flowers came out here the other day :)

[@flanagansrage7885]

Is there an easy way to make elderflower cider

[@WildFoodUK1]

I hope so, but I've never tried. Let me know how you get on :)

[@guitarnotator]

what would happen if you left out the lemon and vinegar?

[@WildFoodUK1]

I don't think it would work as you need to acidity

[@guitarnotator]

@@WildFoodUK1 I'm not really a fan of using lemons or vinegar, but i'm guessing as long as the fruit used is low on the Ph scale, and I can get the balance right, neither the vinegar or lemons are necassary. I was thinking of experimenting with rasberries. They still contain a small amount of citric acid but I guess it doesn't have to even be citric acid in particular as most conventional brewed wines would use a synthetic citric acid which isn't really citric acid.

[@morganarthur9000]

What % would this be when done?

[@z97]

Can I fraction the recipe? e.g. half or quarter it? My Elderberry bush is young.

[@WildFoodUK1]

sorry for the late reply, yes as long as the proportions are the same.

[@z97]

It didn't turn out. :-( The blooms were tasteless. No berries developed on the blooms left on bush.

[@binmanblog]

Elder is everywhere just keep an eye open

[@binmanblog]

Seriously only 4 days before bottling?

[@marcellamoulsdale9131]

Can anyone clarify exactly how long each process takes ? He’s a bit vague !

[@lukea5067]

I've made this the past few years so I can help... Unfortunately, the exact time between making it and bottling has a lot of variables - temperature being a large one. The first time I made it, I did exactly as he did and I believe I bottled it after around a week. I would recommend putting the plastic lid on the top which usually comes with these buckets and pushing it down when putting it on... This will allow you to monitor how long it takes for it to pop up (giving you a rough rate in which Co2 is being expelled. When this begins to slow a little I would bottle. Keep an eye on the bottles though, I've had a good number of them blow! You can let a little gas out every couple of days if you bottle too early. Also, I've made this with 3kg of sugar to increase the alcohol - if you've done this then give it longer. maybe 2 weeks. Also a final point - sometimes the flowers don't contain enough natural yeast and you wont get any fermentation. It's worth having some sparkling wine yeast/champagne yeast to hand. This way, if after a few days you aren't getting any bubbles you can give it a kick start with the yeast.

[@kateunderhill5817]

Was planning to make this today- but its been raining here - so is it ok to pick the flowers if they are wet or do they have to be dry? The forecast is cool & showery for next few days. Also is it best to stir the mix each day? Thanks

[@WildFoodUK1]

Its best to pick them on a dry morning. I think the rain knocks off the pollen.

[@kateunderhill5817]

Wild Food UK Thanks for reply - I did it last week & even tho it was later on & mixed weather its bubbling away! Not sure when to bottle it tho - as its been going a week so should I let it carry on till bubbling slows or stops or rely on the SG?

[@numbskull20]

I see a lot of recipes say to use unwaxed lemons. Does it matter?

[@WildFoodUK1]

it's definitely preferable but not essential.

[@vivienwilliams1538]

I'm wondering how sweet it is. I definitely do not like sweet wine.

[@WildFoodUK1]

Elderflower champagne is always a bit sweet. I'm not too keen on sweet either so this recipe is about as dry as it gets.

[@bigggrickkk]

How do you store it

[@kerrylightfoot4367]

Hi, I've followed this but have a lot of mould on mine with no bubbles, is it no good now?

[@WildFoodUK1]

If its in the bottles and going mouldy on the top then something has gone wrong. If its a bit mouldy on top of the mix in the bucket dont worry about that just filter it well and it should still work, depending on how mouldy it was...

[@banjax66]

Does this drink contain alcohol?

[@ARCSTREAMS]

for all the coughing and nose wiping he did,i sure hope so

[@papercup2517]

No, it's non-alcoholic. The 'champagne' thing is because it has a similar light frothy fizz and a delicate flavour.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@@papercup2517 yes it is ,he is converting sugar to alc

[@papercup2517]

@@ARCSTREAMS You may be right - I nearly came back and edited my reply after seeing some other descriptions of it as being mildly alcoholic. When I made it back in the 1970s it didn't seem to be though. :-)

[@ARCSTREAMS]

@@papercup2517 yeah its elderflower sparkling wine typically 8-11% alc

[@Swerve744]

Was there no yeast needed.

[@WildFoodUK1]

no there is yeast in the flowers

[@Swerve744]

Yes just realized you are using the natural yeast's. Seemingly if fermentation doesn't start after 48 hours you can add a small amount of yeast to help. Thanks for sharing.

[@pynappel]

Do you clean your elderflowers first? I have small tiny bugs on mine

[@muzchan2354]

Bugs do disappear after a few hours. I leave my flowers on the terrace for 2-3 hrs before taking them in. Bugs seem to somehow get that the plantpart they're on is dying already and so they leave.

[@WildFoodUK1]

I wouldn't clean them as you'll lose flavour and yeast. muz chan has the right idea.

[@markthomasson5077]

pynappel I had to sieve mine...lots of very small flies

[@muzchan2354]

@@markthomasson5077 fruit flies?

[@markthomasson5077]

Muz, not sure.....but they sure were not good at swimming. Will try leaving them outside next time, all critters deserve respect....well perhaps not Scottish midges

[@prometheus4916]

U should never put the steam in it what so ever. And when bottling it you should always use glass and dark glass if you can get it for the most part very great videos and please don't take what I said to heart not down grading your process but you have to be extra careful when you showing others something like this very receptacle to the poison in The Steams because they are toxic

[@The_earth_fairy-6]

What's the alcohol content?

[@nathanfinch7395]

i've never tried fermenting before, how do you know if it's gone bad? i guess it would smell/taste bad, but things like botulism supposedly not having a smell make you wonder. i think that's controlled by the acidity and sugar though.

[@ARCSTREAMS]

what does the white wine vinegar do and can there be another substitute? i see you already added lemon juice and peel so obviously i would think the vinegar contributes something different, i guess citric acid would not be a substitute for this , btw you could have at least cut most of the stems off without much extra work and it would cut down on there bitterness and poison , one last thing ,if you are making a champagne will it be dry or semi sweet? depends how long you let it ferment and 2 weeks may go all the way depending on the strength of the natural yeast perhaps not more than 4 or 5 % i suppose , but with any other yeast the safest method is to let it ferment all the way in the primary then bottle with a bit of sugar and let it sit for at least two weeks, of course this is mostly for dry end result so if you want a bit more sweet then you need to halt the fermentation by pasteurizing or putting in the fridge

[@mariaobazs4649]

Has anyone made champagne with Roman flowers?

[@mariaobazs4649]

I meant rowan ☺️

[@mariaobazs4649]

Oops that should say Rowan

[@jaycruzsemple]

Do you have the ingredients for safer instance maybe just free lighters of the champagne or maybe 5 L of the champagne as I do not have a thing to hold 20 letters not contain at so big I am registered blind and would like to try and make this with the best ability I can any help or advice would be most grateful using speech to text so sorry if it has not spent all my love directly hopefully we can see this and help

[@mikehayle5005]

Poor advice on bottling. The cheapest still mineral water bottles are not rated to withstand any pressure at all. You need to use PET brewing bottles that will hold 10 bar. They are much more sturdy and reusable. Main brand fizzy drink and tonic water bottles are also suitable.

[@victoriaholden6296]

Sheet I didn’t sterilise anything :-/

[@emmatulloch4199]

Probs be ok. It's just a failsafe to make sure the batch doesn't go bad.

[@collectorguy4379]

New to your channel - love it especially the winter mushroom identification etc But I just can't get out of my head your (in my opinion) resemblance to that dictator president Macron 🤔😥

[@TheMissFlax]

I would like to exchange honey for sugar. Can I get away with 500g?

[@WildFoodUK1]

I have never tried. Please let me know how you get on.

[@mad-b264]

Can you do this with cannabis, lol..............

[@benlogan1655]

Yes it’s outstanding 👌

[@mad-b264]

@@benlogan1655 lol, Good answer.............

[@Medietos]

Thanks practical man, and could you make one for non-native speakers, please? Withput slang and with RP. I don't get some words! Thanks

[@MalinaImport]

surely you mean sanitised, not sterilised