Help! my elder berries taste absolutely bland!

[SproutSprite]

My husband will be interested in this information about yeast. He tried his hand at making some wine years ago. He would love to try making some Champagne!


Beer and beer yeast I find much more appealing.


30%! I am afraid that I would make quite the fool of myself on a concoction like that! Cider, however, sounds really good to me right now.


I will search around to see what is available to me concerning yeast. I am now looking forward to my 'bland' Elderberry tree instead of seeing it as a misguided purchase!

 

[zigs]

My ex decided to pinch a bottle of the 30% one & drink it like wine.

The lodger found her collapsed on the kitchen floor in the middle of the night. Didn't matter where I hid stuff, she'd find it, so I left a wine bottle full of liquid plant feed lying around. There was a good glass full missing in the morning, but she never pinched anything else

I get my yeasts from here,

http://www.art-of-brewing.co.uk/acatalog/AoB_OnLine_Catalogue_Yeast__Nutrient___Enzymes______35.html

But you'd be better off finding a USA company that does similar, postage would be silly from here.

 

[Jed]

More hit and miss. You might get a decent wine, but you might not. Yeasts have been isolated and bred on for hundreds of years.
Champagne yeasts used to be the highest alcohol tolerating yeast until the development of Turbo yeasts recently. They will ferment out every last drop of sugar into alcohol. I've got a wine up to 30% with the stuff, which had more in common with Vodka than wine
.

So true about using commercially available yeasts. Don't risk it and ensure the yeast you buy is in date and refrigerated as best as possible.I always do a yeast starter in a glass to ensure the yeast is still viable.
Nothing worse than having something that's only good to pour down the drain.
I'ld never heard of turbo yeast. They sound dangerous zigs.

Sounds like your ex was an alcoholic zigs. Easier enough to do when you make cheap beer and wine.
A friend of mine, years ago made home brew beer and asked another mate to add the teaspoons of sugar to the bottles for the second fermentation. This second friend added salt by mistake to each bottle.
The first friend an alcoholic still drank every bottle.

 

[zigs]

The Americans use Turbo yeast for making Petrol Jed, we're not allowed to distil it any further in the UK though.

Ex was lazy, she'd rather pinch my wine than make her own. Loads of times i'd started her off with a brew & tell her that she needs to make the next batch before she runs out. No, she'd finish hers & then steal mine. I once hid 5 gallons in the shed under loads of stuff, she found it & drank it before it was even ready Gave up in the end & just kept mine in my bedroom.

Made 7 gallons of tea wine once, it tasted horrible & I was just pouring it away when a mate came round & said he'd have a gallon.

A year later I tried a lovely glass of wine round his house. I asked what it was and he said it was the tea wine that i'd gave him.

 

[SproutSprite]

My ex decided to pinch a bottle of the 30% one & drink it like wine.

The lodger found her collapsed on the kitchen floor in the middle of the night. Didn't matter where I hid stuff, she'd find it, so I left a wine bottle full of liquid plant feed lying around. There was a good glass full missing in the morning, but she never pinched anything else

I get my yeasts from here,

http://www.art-of-brewing.co.uk/acatalog/AoB_OnLine_Catalogue_Yeast__Nutrient___Enzymes______35.html

But you'd be better off finding a USA company that does similar, postage would be silly from here.

I hope that your ex is getting on a little better now!

The majority of my searches have yielded beer supplies. (mouth waters)
I found one called White Labs that seems comparable to the Art of Brewing site. I could order supplies from them!

 

[zigs]

She's apparently brewing her own now she can't pinch mine anymore

Had a look at that one, http://www.whitelabs.com/wine/wine_descriptions_amateurs.html

The Cabinet, french red or merlot yeasts would be ideal

 

[Jed]

I'm not sure why we can by stills in Australia when it's still illegal to make spirits. I think you are able to make essences which is a way around?
Turbo yeasts are also available.
A family that drinks together stays together as long as it's moderate drinking.

 

[zigs]

I think you have to be a Chemist to buy a still over here, not a hard thing to make though, if you were that way inclined. I found the 30% brew to be fine though. I used to drink Rum & Coke, so that probably ends up about the same strength with the coke in it.