Apple And Elderflower Wine 

This recipe is for 1 gallon of delicious apple and elderflower wine, it will create a dry and refreshing summer drink.  

Ingredients 

  • 1 Litre Apple Juice
  • 1Kg Of Sugar
  • 2 Heaped Teaspoons Of Dried Elderflowers (approx 20grams)
  • 1 Teaspoon Of Pectolase 
  • 2 Teaspoons Of Yeast Nutrient 
  • 1.5 Teaspoons Of Tartaric Acid 
  • 1 Teaspoon Of Tannin Powder 
  • 1.5 Teaspoons Of Bentonite 
  • Campden Tablets
  • Yeast - Sparkling Wine Or Champagne Yeast  

Equipment 

  • 2 x 5 litre/1gallon demijohns
  • 1 x siphon tube 
  • 1 x funnel
  • 1 x small strainer 
  • 2 x screw top bottles, about 250ml-ish
  • 1 x measuring/teaspoon 5 ml 
  • All the things I’ve forgotten ! 

Method 

Put the kettle on.

Pour a little cold water, about 1 centimetre, into one of the small bottles 

Then using the funnel, add the dried elderflower. Pour in very hot water until bottle is about ¾ full and put the top on. Put bottle aside to let it steep. 

Make yourself a hot drink - (Optional!) 

3/4 fill the other small bottle with warm water, not too warm. Add the bentonite and tannin, screw the top on and shake violently. Repeat this every five minutes or so. 

Add the apple juice to the demijohn, then the sugar. Add about 2 pts very hot water. Plug the demijohn with a solid bung then shake the demijohn until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the bentonite/tannin then add the brewed elderflower through a fine strainer, Add cold water to just below the shoulder. Add the other chemicals and shake well to mix everything. When the temperature of the must is no higher than 22C add the yeast. Add airlock and leave to ferment until the initial ferment slows right down, about 7 days, then top up to the neck with tepid water. Allow about a month for the ferment to stop. It should go completely dry with the gravity about 0.090. 

When the wine begins to clear rack off, add a crushed Campden tablet and leave till completely clear. You may want to use stabiliser to ensure total cessation of fermentation, rack again, add another Campden tablet and leave for a month before racking then bottling. Leave another month (if you can) before drinking. This is a light refreshing wine but please do not chill it too much, just lightly chilled is fine. Hope you enjoy as much as my wife does.  Cheers! 

Many Thanks for this recipe - By Keith Watkins, from Kingswood, Bristol