Elderflower TC

[jonewer]

Hi all, for my next TC I propose to do some elderflowers - loads of them near here.

How much/many elderflowers should I put in? Should I boil them first to sanitise? Any ideas or hints on how to do this would be apreciated.

I dont want it to be too high in alcohol so I reckon I'll do

3.5l apple juice
Strong tea
Elderflower
Yeasty beasties

And thats all....

(in a 4l vessel)

[crafty john]

Use about 75 to 100 grams of elderflowers, to remove them from the stalks just bunch the elderflower heads in one hand and rub them gently in to your other hand over a bucket and they will fall off the stalks dead easy. I might give your recepie a try, I noticed in my local HBS that he is selling elderflower cider kits and he says they are really popular.

[jonewer]

Use about 75 to 100 grams of elderflowers, to remove them from the stalks just bunch the elderflower heads in one hand and rub them gently in to your other hand over a bucket and they will fall off the stalks dead easy.

Is that 75-100g sans stalks or on the stalk? How many bunches do you think that requires, just so I know how much to pick?

Thanks!

[crafty john]

Use about 75 to 100 grams of elderflowers, to remove them from the stalks just bunch the elderflower heads in one hand and rub them gently in to your other hand over a bucket and they will fall off the stalks dead easy.

Is that 75-100g sans stalks or on the stalk? How many bunches do you think that requires, just so I know how much to pick?

Thanks!

Thats the wieght after you have removed them from the stalks, as for how many to pick it all depends on size, I usually pick a 20 litre bucket full and I end up with about 400 grams.

[pauljmuk]

I'd say that's too much.

I made 38 pints of TC in a beer fermenting bin, using 20 litres of apple juice.

I brought 3 litres to a simmer, then steeped 50g of dried elderflowers (in a muslin bag) for thirty minutes in the apple juice.

This then went into the bin with the other juice, tea and sugar.

The result is a cider with a very good, powerful elderflower aroma and taste. Any more than 50g and I fear it would have overpowered it.

putting 75g in 3.5 litres, is the equivalent of me having used 500g grams of them!

[crafty john]

I'd say that's too much.

I made 38 pints of TC in a beer fermenting bin, using 20 litres of apple juice.

I brought 3 litres to a simmer, then steeped 50g of dried elderflowers (in a muslin bag) for thirty minutes in the apple juice.

This then went into the bin with the other juice, tea and sugar.

The result is a cider with a very good, powerful elderflower aroma and taste. Any more than 50g and I fear it would have overpowered it.

putting 75g in 3.5 litres, is the equivalent of me having used 500g grams of them!

You have to be careful with dried flowers, due to the loss of moisture in the drying process, they are far more pungent gram for gram.

[pauljmuk]

you're right, but this is still 10x what i used!