3.3Kg elder berries 1.6Kg apples 500g sultanas 3 Litres water 1kg white sugar 2 lemons 1tsp pectolase 1tsp Tronozymol energiser salts 1 Campden tablet

DAY 1: 29-08-04
The elder berries from a 3.3kg consignment were separated from the stalks and leaves, resulting in around 3kg fruit. The apples and lemons were thinly sliced and combined with the sultanas and berries in a large bucket. 600g of sugar was taken from the kilogram and brought to the boil in 3 litres of water (rather less than the usual 4.5 litres of water to allow for liquid liberated from the fruits). The boiling syrup was poured over the fruit, and the bucket covered and allowed to cool.

DAY 2: 30-08-04
The mash was stirred and a starter bottle was prepared. As the mass of fruit was very high, and the volume of boiling water added so low a crushed campden tablet was added to ensure the fruit was sterile prior to the addition of yeast.

DAY 3: 31-08-04
1tsp pectolase was stirred in along with the re-activated yeast.

DAY 4: 01-09-04
The must was stirred.

DAY 5: 02-09-04
The must was stirred.

DAY 6: 03-09-04
The must was stirred. Although the yeast was definitely up and running, activity was less than spectacular.

DAY 7: 04-09-04
The fruit pulp was strained through a fine nylon bag, yielding almost 6 litres of blood red liquid! With hindsight, even less water should have been added at the start. The remaining 400g sugar was stirred in, an to try and improve vigor a teaspoon of Tronozymol energiser salts was added too. The liquor was transferred to a clean demijohn and airlocked, with the excess going into a pop bottle ferment.

WEEK 13: 28-11-04
The opaque dark purple brew was racked for the first time, and the pop bottle ferment consolidated. Although the wine smelled reasonable, the considerable quantity of yeasty floaters suggests it may have in fact have gone off. Time will tell. The gravity was measured at 0.995, indicating fermentation had stopped through sugar depletion, rather than contamination. The wine was treated with 1/3 teaspoon of Kwik Clear and left to settle.

WEEK 38: 21-05-05
After a long period of neglect the wine was racked off the remaining lees, treated with a crushed campden tablet and half a teaspoon of 'sorbate before passing through the Vin Brite for a final polish. The resulting dark purple wine was sealed with a safety bung and stored prior to bottling. The taste is good. Rich and fruit like a red ought to be!

WEEK 42: 23-06-05
Bottled into green glass

Sept '05: Excellent. Really fruity and has retained much of it's deep colour.
March '06: Last bottle drunk. Has only improved with age!

Elderberries