Elderflower Champagne

[~Wingnut~]

Hi!
After weeks of saying we must try to make some elderflower champagne my husband finally picked some elderflowers and has started his own little brew.
I was reading over the instructions that he has got off the internet and was just wondering is it alcoholic as you don't add yeast?
Sorry if I am being a bit thick but was just wondering if we have a different recipe for a non alcoholic champagne prehaps?

Many thanx :o)

[KRUSTYMAN]

Apparently, and I was a little surprised to learn this myself, Elderflower contains a natural form of yeast. It's not quite the same but it works the same only not quite as aggressively as natural yeast. So, yes, your elderflower champagne will be alcoholic.

[~Wingnut~]

Hi Krustyman!

Huh how interesting! I never knew that! I caught the end of Hugh Fernley Whittingstall's program the other week where they were opening his homemade champagne and heard him say it was 4%. I guess maybe ours will be about that then. I never saw him making it tho but guess the method will be similar.

Thanx very much for your reply, if you live near your more than welcome to have a tipple when it's ready :o)

[dave123456]

Oops - better stop letting the kids have it then!

[terambulan]

can u share the recipe please?

[~max~]

Can you put my name down for a couple of bottles please Wingnut? :O)

[Ice.Maiden]

I don't know about the champagne, but elderflower wine can be really potent!

[~Wingnut~]

Hi all! :o)

terambulan - Sure thing! My husband found it here;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A593363

Maxlol We only have 4 bottles lol Couldn't muster enough together in time! Your more than welcome to have a tipple too if your passing near! :o)

Ice Maiden Yeah at the bottom of the recipe it says about using the berries and it being more potent. Aint nature great! lol

Thanx everyone for your replies :o)

[taichiperson]

Hi Wingnut
I always understood that the stuff you make in a couple of weeks wasn't alcoholic, but I could be wrong. I make home made wine, and when you take more time and use proper wine yeast, it can be quite strong, and is really nice. when we moved in to our house with my father in law there were some bottles of elderflower that my mother in law had made years before, which had naturally gone sparkling - delicious! It is possible to do it deliberatley, but is dodgy and you need proper chapagne bottles.

[~Wingnut~]

Hi taichiperson! :o)

We were making our own brew last year but from the tins you get from Morrisons. It was ok but I found it had a certain taste that no matter if it was red or white, plum or peach (we tried all sorts lol) that taste was still there. I bought a bottle from Asda a few months ago that is from a vineyard in the Uk and found that had the same odd taste too.
Morrisons stopped selling it but we found a shop up town would occasionally have the odd tin in. We just haven't the space or time to do it at the moment but I think this elderflower champagne may have stirred something in him to start up again.

Thanx for your reply :o)